The Twitter notifications have all been checked, the paranoia has subsided and Mark Gottfried’s tenure at NC State has met its expected closure. A season of disappointment that began with the Wolfpack being ranked as high as No. 10 on ESPN’s preseason Basketball Power Index has morphed into constant sorrow, as NC State now sits near the ACC caboose with only a few weeks left in the season. When the news broke over my phone, I’ll admit that I was overjoyed at the prospect of having a new coach at the reins next season. Names like Archie Miller, Will Wade and Kevin Keatts bounced around in my brain, with little reflection of the past and a lot of confidence about the future.
I don’t know if the Wolfpack will be able to rebound quickly next season or any time in the near future. The sobering fact is that it’s difficult to take a team that only won three ACC games and immediately generate success, and I don’t know if whoever stands on the sidelines next season will be up to the task. Lest we forget though that Mark Gottfried took a team that, while not freefalling, hadn’t achieved much success during the Sidney Lowe era and yet, generated an NCAA Tournament berth during his first season, which ultimately leads into a wider point.
Mark Gottfried deserves to be praised for what he did in his time here, no matter what shortcomings have befallen us as of late.
I won’t try to sugarcoat the abysmal previous two seasons. Big men haven’t progressed, key players have transferred or entered the draft unexpectedly and defense has been as muddled as ever before. I’ve published my criticism of this performance within this very paper, but ultimately I’ve realized the failures that have occurred as a result of Gottfried’s tenure shouldn’t overshadow the positives that we’ve also witnessed. I found out that I had been accepted into NC State the day that the Pack defeated the previously undefeated Blue Devils, complete with a court storming of epic proportions. Just two months later, I found myself jumping for joy from my couch when BeeJay Anya tipped the shot in with .01 seconds remaining to beat LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Those two examples are products of Mark Gottfried just as much as the failures are.
As the ugly stepsister seemingly always trapped in the shadow of Duke and UNC-CH, Sidney Lowe couldn’t hit his stride as the coach of the Wolfpack. An integral piece of the 1983 team of destiny, Lowe’s name was ultimately the flashiest aspect of his five seasons at the mantle. His legacy isn’t his involvement with the 1983 National Championship team anymore, but rather it’s quantitatively defined by a 22-55 league record, coupled with no NCAA Tournament berths. Just a month after his resignation in March of 2011, Gottfried became the latest on list of coaches that features Jim Valvano, Everett Case and Norm Sloan, and early on, he lived up to the standards set by the three aforementioned gentlemen.
NC State has more momentum than it did six years ago when Sidney Lowe stepped down and Mark Gottfried stepped in. Off the heels of four NCAA tournaments in six seasons and first-round draft picks such as TJ Warren and inevitability Dennis Smith Jr., the Wolfpack shouldn’t simply lay down in defeat to the other Tobacco Road schools that have historically remained the in-state powerhouses. No matter how disastrous the previous two seasons have been, that doesn’t give leeway to apathy or acceptance of mediocrity amongst one of the most successful conferences in the country. If success could be brought out immediately following the Sydney Lowe disaster, then success can be brought out in the near future.
I do think that dismissing coach Gottfried was the correct decision based on the most recent results on the court, as 12 ACC losses are unforgivable in my book, but by no means should that overshadow the positives that he brought for us over the last six seasons. While it’s hard to look at the bright spots among the shadows of defeat, ultimately by seizing the momentum of success, NC State can rebound and achieve forward progress with its above-average roster, whether it’s Archie Miller, Kevin Keatts or someone else wearing the suit and tie on the sidelines. The only thing standing in the way of NC State is seemingly NC State and its decision to find a leader who can seize that momentum early and maintain it over an extended period. Otherwise, mediocrity will continue in the same vein as it has in the previous two seasons, and with a ravenous fan base such as this, even a reincarnated Jim Valvano would get torn apart for not being the pinnacle of ACC excellence. Nonetheless, we owe some credit for the roster and potential for momentum from somewhere, and that comes all the way from the top. Thank you, coach Gottfried.
Head coach Mark Gottfried draws up a play as his players are introduced before the Wolfpack's game against Boston University on Dec. 3, 2016. The Wolfpack held off the Terriers 77-73 for a win at PNC Arena.
