Technician has been running for nearly 100 years, with the first issue published on Feb. 1, 1920. Throughout the years, NC State has seen many different events, from great successes to terrible tragedies and everything in-between. Time, and language itself, has changed over the years, but for almost every major event, Technician was there.

In the wake of Kevin Keatts’ hiring announcement, now is as good a time as ever to look back at past basketball coach announcements, and the Wolfpack’s reactions. To start it off, let’s take a look at the coach who changed NC State history forever.

On March 28, 1980, the Technician ran a front-page story titled “Vivacious Valvano gets State cage job,” announcing the hiring of men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano. The article began as so:

“It didn’t take the man five minutes to get his audience laughing.”

The article went on to praise Valvano’s electric personality at his first press conference for the college. It also detailed the coach’s direct response to rumors that NC State had tried and failed to hire Morgan Wootten for the position before he was chosen. Valvano’s contract was reported to be $40-45,000 a year.

“Valvano is known for the way he relates to his players, a relationship that took Iona to a 52-11 record over the past two seasons,” the article reported.

The article also detailed Valvano’s insistence that he would not live in the shadow of UNC’s famous head coach Dean Smith. Valvano was replacing Norm Sloan, who himself was a former Wolfpack basketball and football player.

Sloan entered the job in May 1966, during sad and troubling times. Everett Case, NC State’s first major basketball coach, had recently passed away from a hemorrhaging ulcer after years of poor health and his former top assistant and acting head coach — Press Maravich — was quitting his position to become the head basketball coach at Louisiana State University.  

On May 10, 1966, the Technician ran a piece titled “Sloan Will Head Pack Basketball,” detailing the hiring and the man’s representation.

“Sloan promised to play the ‘Everett Case’ brand of basketball,” the article reported. “This was understood to mean a run and shoot offense and a pressing defense.”

According to the article, Sloan was awarded a three year contract at $12,000 annually.

More recently, Herb Sendek was hired in April 1996. The Technician reported on the hiring on April 17, 1996, under the headline “Sendek steps in to save Pack.” In the article, rising-senior and top-returning scorer Danny Strong was quoted.

“I’m pleased the search is over with,” Strong said. “I don’t know much about him personally, but he’s got skills.”

Sendek went on to win ACC Coach of the Year and the team under his leadership made the NCAA tournament five consecutive years from 2002-06.