When NC State men’s soccer hired Marc Hubbard last winter to become the 10th head coach in program history, there weren’t high expectations for Hubbard to perform well right away.

NC State was coming off its fourth-straight season missing the NCAA Tournament and a second-to- last place finish in the ACC. The Wolfpack was picked to finish 11th in the conference this year, as it was expected to be a rebuilding year for NC State with a new head coach.

Hubbard overhauled the roster, bringing in 14 newcomers, including 11 transfers. While Hubbard brought an impressive resume to Raleigh that included seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances and four America East Tournament Championships at the University of New Hampshire, it seemed like it would take him some time to turn around a struggling program.

Not only was Hubbard having to revitalize the Wolfpack but he had to move his family, which includes five kids, from New Hampshire to North Carolina. He said this was, of course, a challenge. But that’s what he said before the season started.

“In life, you’re given a lot of choices, and this was ultimately one where if we didn’t take it as a family, we would have regretted it,” Hubbard said. “It’s about getting outside of your comfort zone with this and challenging yourself, whether it be me here as a soccer coach or us as a family, and putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations is where you can see the most growth.”

It’s with that mindset that Hubbard has done the unthinkable in his first season roaming the sideline at Dail Soccer Stadium. Here is a look at what Hubbard has accomplished already.

NC State had its best seven-game start since 1992, its first time ranked since 2019 and highest ranking since 2018, has beaten a top-10 opponent for the first time since 2018 and scored seven goals in a game for the first time since 1996.

Those accomplishments would be pretty good for a career, but Hubbard did all of that in just his first season as an NC State coach. When he first arrived in Raleigh, the players noticed an immediate difference.

“When he came in the spring, the standard quickly rose,” said senior midfielder Vusumzi Plamana.

Plamana was one of the holdovers from the previous team, and he could’ve easily not bought into the culture that Hubbard brought over. However, Hubbard got a team with 16 returners and 14 newcomers on the same page, leading to unexpected success in year one.

“They said NC State will always struggle,” said sophomore forward Hakim Karamoko. “But I think the struggles are not forever. It ends eventually and we find success. Last year wasn’t a great season for us and then [Hubbard] came in. There were a lot of talks, but we believed in him. And then he brought a new culture in, very organized and structured.”

For transfer junior midfielder Taig Healy, moving down to NC State was an easy choice. Healy played for Hubbard at New Hampshire and knew exactly what his coach would bring to the Wolfpack.

“It’s the reason I transferred here,” Healy said. “I knew he was going to get the team sorted quickly. He just gets us so organized.”

Not only did Hubbard get a group of new and returning players on the same page and bought into his culture, but he also transformed the Wolfpack on the field. In his nine years coaching New Hampshire, the Wildcats ranked top 10 in the country in goals against average six times with first-place finishes in 2019 and 2021.

Hubbard’s playstyle allowed for more scoring opportunities with players pressed higher up the field, pinning opponents in their own zone all while maintaining defensive discipline. It’s an area that NC State struggled in last season as it allowed the third most goals in the ACC and second most goals per game while ranking 10th in goals for.

In the first year under Hubbard, NC State finished the regular season fourth in the ACC in goals allowed and fifth in goals against average while ranking sixth in goals per game. It was a dramatic turnaround from a year ago and it can be directly correlated to the coach.

“[Hubbard’s] been great, everybody loves him,” said senior midfielder Will Buete. “Energy has been better, we’re getting a lot of shots now, [it’s] a fun brand to play. … This year we’re pressing a lot higher, winning the ball a lot higher, and then in turn, out in the field creating chances a lot easier.”

Along with implementing a playstyle that drastically improved the team’s on-field performance, Hubbard got his team to embody his mentality and attitude. Three times during the regular season, the Wolfpack tied or took the lead in the 89th minute of the game. It speaks to the never-give-up mentality of Hubbard and how his team has followed his lead.

“I feel like we fight to the end, and that’s the mentality of our coach,” said sophomore forward Donavan Phillip. “We really try to infuse into us that no matter what, we can still get a result even though it’s not going for us.”

After taking down then-No. 10 SMU for the program’s first top-10 win since 2018, Hubbard who is usually focused on the next opponent reflected on what the past year has been like for him.

“Personally, moving my whole family down here has been a real big challenge,” Hubbard said. “So when you get results like this, it makes it feel a little bit more worth it. I think, just like my family, with transitioning down here the team, it’s just a grind, and you have to just keep it day-by-day.”

What Hubbard has accomplished in just his first year in Raleigh has been nothing short of remarkable but this NC State team still has all of its goals ahead of it. The Wolfpack will host Virginia this Wednesday in the first round of the ACC Tournament and believes it has what it takes to win the second conference championship in the team’s history because of the man roaming its sideline.

“His impact is noticeable,” said senior midfielder Henrique Santos. “Every game, people who come to watch, people that have come to games these previous years; they know how much things have changed positively. You can see it in the way we play, the energy, the atmosphere. I think there’s a general feeling that we can achieve great things this year.”