I went to bed Friday night convinced I was going to wake up to a care-free Saturday dedicated to studying for Dr. Shaw’s test.
I woke up and went through my typical Saturday-morning routine, reading the usual Web sites first – NFL.com, ESPN.com, Newsobserver.com and Charlotte.com.
Then I shot over to Packpride.com, and there it was.
“Sources: Sendek has offers.”
“Wow,” I thought. “That’s a really good April Fools’ joke.”
Then my friend sent me over to an Arizona State Web site.
Twenty four hours later, it was pretty well known – Herb Sendek was leaving Raleigh.
The long and short of it all is that I’m glad he’s leaving.
I’m happy for me.
I’m happy for N.C. State.
And I’m absolutely happy for Herb Sendek and his family.
We all just had a bad relationship.
Sendek was winning, but not when it mattered most.
He was building a program, but he was still losing ground on rivals Duke and North Carolina.
The majority of State fans – at least the vocal ones with whom I interact – weren’t happy with Sendek. Most fans I talk to – and most of the rabid fans on The Wolf Web and other online watering holes I read – wanted a coach in which they could routinely believe and trust.
And after 10 years, Sendek hadn’t established himself as that type of leader – at least not to the fans.
The truth of it all is, Sendek was an above-average coach and a nice guy who never connected with this fan base. He doesn’t have the Chuck Amato-like charisma or the Kay Yow-like grace that has earned those two coaches some latitude with State fans during their struggles.
And while I’m glad the Wolfpack community can finally move on, I have no hard feelings for the former coach.
In fact, this is a time to say “thank you” for the 10 years he gave us and just move forward.
So, thanks for everything, Coach.
The question now becomes – what does State do next?
All this excitement from those happy to see him leave is all-for-not if Athletics Director Lee Fowler isn’t able to find an upgrading replacement.
We’re all throwing around the same names.
Rick Barnes.
John Calipari.
Nate McMillan.
Someone find me a magic lamp.
Guessing who our next coach will be is going to be like playing roulette. Your guess is as good as mine.
And as for critics who suggest that no established coach in his right mind is going to come to Raleigh when State fans “ran off” Sendek – give me a break.
A coach could go to a school like Memphis, win a national title, and be regarded as an elite, if not great, coach.
A coach could come to N.C. State, win a national title and be regarded as a legend.
If there’s a coach out there looking for a challenge, then here it is.
Every year he’d get to compete against two of the best coaches in America in Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Carolina’s Roy Williams.
And with each conference game would come the chance to show he was one of the nation’s best.
What we don’t need, is another Herb Sendek.
We don’t need another coach incapable of rallying the troops and incapable of consistently competing with the conference heavy weights.
Who ever Fowler and company hire as Sendek’s replacement will shape the next 10 to 15 years of State basketball and ultimately dictate what kind of consistent support the program has for the next quarter century.
I’m just happy to be here to watch it all unfold.
Want to talk about it? Contact Tanner at sports@technicianonline.com or call him at 515-2411.