Before any member of the local media was allowed to ask questions at the usual Monday football press conference, Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations Annabelle Myers stepped to the table and warned the room that any questions about Amato’s job would end the press conference.

She then said Athletics Director Lee Fowler would also not be fielding “hypothetical questions” about job speculation.

However, the players and coaches did answer questions about the state of the program. Despite six straight losses and a 3-8 record in his seventh season Amato denied a crisis within the program.

“On the outside — yes, we’ve lost games,” Amato said. “And do we like it? No. Because losing is not liked in anything that you do. But is there a crisis inside here? If there is, I haven’t seen it.”

He defended the program’s situation by citing the success of other programs such as Maryland and Wake Forest, who have had turnaround seasons, as proof that N.C. State is headed in the right direction.

“It shows you how fine-lined it is,” Amato said. “This program’s in good shape. When you’re coming that close, they always realize that as long as there’s breath, there’s a chance.”

But even though the seventh-year coach is comfortable with the state of the program, he did admit his disappointment with the season and the fact that this season has gone bad.

“It’s so funny how people deal with different universities or different corporations when things go bad. When things go bad at this business it’s OK. When things go bad at this business it’s not OK,” Amato said.

“We’re not satisfied with what happened this year, because we’ve lost a bunch of real close football games.”

Chancellor James Oblinger said Monday afternoon he was not aware that Amato refused to speak on the job speculation.

“I don’t know who, how or why the decision was made [not to speak about job speculation], but my speculation is that it was to focus the team on the job ahead of them, and the job ahead of them is the 7:00 kick off against ECU,” Oblinger said.

Oblinger said he hasn’t spoken with Amato or Fowler about the football team since Saturday.

“I haven’t talked to coach Amato. I haven’t talked to Lee Fowler. I haven’t talked to any of the players,” he said. “But having sons who have played sports, I know it’s of great importance that the players not get caught up in controversial things. Stay the course for what they’re all about.”

Junior wide receiver Darrell Blackman said the team doesn’t discuss matters involving the coaches among themselves.

“[Criticism of Amato] really hasn’t affected us really that much,” he said. “We’re like a family and we don’t really get into that. We’re just out there listening to what they got to tell us and focusing on every opponent that we got to play. We don’t get into that or discuss that during any kind of team meeting or anything like that. That’s for them to handle. And we just stick to the football aspect of it.”

As for the problems the team has had on the football field this season – penalties and turnovers – senior linebacker Pat Lowery said it’s time for the players to “take responsibility in that.” “I don’t think there’s anything you can coach as far as penalties or anything like that,” Lowery added.

Amato said though, he would take responsibility for anything involving his team.

“I’ll take the responsibility on anything. I’ll take responsibility on winning. I’ll take the responsibility on losing,” Amato said. “You’ve never heard me, and you never will hear me, point a finger at a player or a coach on my football team. You’ll never hear it.”

Even though he said he takes responsibility for the losses, Amato added he chooses to remain optimistic.

“I try to be me. And I’m not going to ever change being me,” he said. “Nobody’s going to change me. I enjoy life too much. I enjoy my job too much.”

As for a response from the coach to people who think a coaching change would solve the team’s problems, Amato refused to answer and said, “I’m not going to get into that speculation.”

Asked if next year would be a make-or-break season if he returns, he said, “Yeah, why not?”

Sports Editor Tanner Kroeger contributed the Chancellor Oblinger interview to this article.