The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in the sport of American football. The Wolfpack competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Prior to joining the ACC in 1953, the Wolfpack were a member of the Southern Conference. As a founding member of the ACC, the Wolfpack has won seven conference championships and participated in 34 bowl games, of which the team has won 17. NC State is coached by Dave Doeren.
Since 1966, the Wolfpack has played its home games at Carter–Finley Stadium, the largest college football stadium in North Carolina. On September 16, 2010, NC State restored the tradition of having a live mascot on the field. A wolf-like Tamaskan Dog named "Tuffy" was on the sidelines for the Cincinnati game that day in Raleigh and Tuffy has not missed a Wolfpack football game in Carter–Finley Stadium since.
History
Early history (1892–1953) NC State (then known as The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts) played its first football game against a team from the Raleigh Male Academy on March 12, 1892, in what is now Pullen Park.
The team's first head coach was Perrin Busbee, who led the team during that game. The Aggies, whose colors were blue and pink, won 12–6 in front of more than 200 spectators. The following year, the school played its first intercollegiate game: a 12–6 victory over the University of Tennessee. The program's long-standing rivalry with nearby University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began on October 12, 1894, with a 44–0 UNC victory in Chapel Hill. Eight days later, the team (then called the Farmers) lost again to UNC, 16–0 in Raleigh. In 1895, under third-year coach Bart Gatling, the team finished 2–2–1 and wore red and white uniforms for the first time. Over the next five seasons the program continued to try to establish itself, achieving only one winning season during the period. The football team has also only had scholarship football players since 1933, prior to that all Wolfpack athletics consisted entirely of non-scholarship student athletes. In 1906, in a game against Randolph-Macon in Raleigh, the Farmers attempted their first forward pass, a play that had only recently become legal and at the time was still considered a "trick" play. The following season was the program's most successful yet. Under coach Mickey Whitehurst, A&M won the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship with a 6–0–1 record. That season, the program also recorded its first ever victory over Virginia. The Farmers played their home games that season on campus at the New Athletic Park, which would later be known as Riddick Stadium.2010 NC State Wolfpack Media Guide In addition to Pullen Park, the state fairgrounds had hosted some games prior to the opening of the new stadium.
The team won a second South Atlantic championship in 1910 under coach Edward Green, finishing with a record of 4–0–2. A win over Virginia Tech in Norfolk that season was dubbed the "biggest game ever played in the South". Coach Green led team to a third conference championship in 1913, with a record of 6–1. The 1918 season, which was the school's first season with the name North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, was cut short due to the United States' entrance into World War I and a severe flu outbreak on campus. The team's roster was depleted, its schedule reduced to four games, and practice was suspended for five weeks in October and November. A week after practice resumed, State College, as the school was then called, led by coach Tal Stafford, was defeated 128–0 by Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Tackle John Ripple was named the program's first All-American. The following season, on October 23, the Farmers resumed play with North Carolina after a 14-year hiatus. The Tar Heels won the game 13–12 in Raleigh. It wasn't until 1920 that A&M defeated the rival Tar Heels for the first time. In 1921 State College began wearing red sweaters and were referred to by the local media as the Wolfpack.
The program, led by coach Harry Hartsell at the time, joined the Southern Conference that year and would win the conference title six seasons later under coach Gus Tebell, finishing the year with a 9–1 record. Running back Jack McDowall was the team's star player that year. The 1930 season saw the installation of field lighting at Riddick Stadium, as the Wolfpack defeated High Point University, 37–0, in the team's first ever night game. Williams Newton took over as State's head coach in 1937, and under his tutelage the team compiled a record of 24–39–6. Under Newton, State employed a ground-oriented, hard nose attack that put pressure on the opposing interior linemen. Recruitment became difficult during at least part of his tenure as head coach due to the fact that World War II necessitated that eligible males over 18 be inducted into the U.S. military. Newton left NC State after seven seasons to accept the head football coach position at South Carolina.
In 1944, State hired former Appalachian State head coach Beattie Feathers as the Wolfpack head football coach. Feathers, a former star at Tennessee and the first NFL running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, compiled a 37–38–8 record in eight seasons, the program's most successful coaching tenure yet. In Feathers' second season, Wolfpack defensive player Howard "Touchdown" Turner returned an interception 105 yards against Duke, a record that still stands as the longest play in Wolfpack history. The 1946 season began with wins over Duke and Clemson, earning the program their first appearance in the UPI poll (19th). The next year, NC State reached their first ever bowl game, the second annual Gator Bowl. The team lost to Oklahoma, 34–13, and finished the season at 8–3, the highest win total since finishing 9–1 in 1927. 1947 saw the Wolfpack finish 5–3–1. That season was followed by a 3–6–1 campaign in 1948, a 3–7 mark in 1949 and a 5–4–1 record in 1950. The Wolfpack's first ever nationally televised game was played in 1950. State defeated eighth-ranked Maryland 16–13 in College Park. The game aired on the now-defunct Dumont Television Network. After a 3–7 campaign in 1951, Feathers was relieved of his duties as head coach. Horace Hendrickson was promoted from assistant coach to head coach after Feathers' departure. Under Hendrickson's tutelage, the Wolfpack struggled, compiling a record of 4–16. Hendrickson was fired after two seasons due to the team's struggles. NC State joined the newly formed Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953 as a charter member, leaving the Southern Conference after 29 years of membership. The team, which had finished 3–7 in 1952, finished 1–9 that year under head coach Hendrickson.
Earle Edwards era (1954–1971)
Earle Edwards was hired as the team's head coach before the 1954 season. Edwards had previously been an assistant at Michigan State under Biggie Munn and at Penn State under Bob Higgins. Edwards' teams compiled a record of 77–88–8. Edwards is the longest tenured coach in NC State Wolfpack football history and holds the program records for games coached, wins, and losses. His teams won five Atlantic Coast Conference titles and made two Liberty Bowl appearances. Four times he was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Edwards produced eight All-Americans: Dick Christy, halfback (1957), Roman Gabriel, quarterback (1960, 1961), Don Montgomery, defensive end (1963), Dennis Byrd, defensive tackle (1966, 1967), Fred Combs, defensive back (1967), Gerald Warren, kicker (1967), Ron Carpenter, defensive tackle (1968), and Cary Metts, center, (1968). Though Edwards' tenure wasn't overly successful from a record standpoint, it was the most successful tenure of any head coach to that point and laid the foundation for future successes to occur. Edwards retired after seventeen seasons as the Wolfpack's head football coach on June 25, 1971.
After Edwards' retirement, State promoted Al Michaels from assistant coach to head coach. Things didn't pan out for Michaels, as the Wolfpack compiled a 3–8 record in his only year as head coach. Michaels was fired after just one season.
Lou Holtz era (1972–1975)
In 1972, State hired Lou Holtz away from William & Mary as head coach. Holtz had a 33–12–3 record in four seasons at NC State. His Wolfpack teams played in four bowl games, going 2–1–1. Holtz's 1972 team finished 8–3–1, won the Peach Bowl over West Virginia and finished the season ranked No. 17 in the final AP poll. Holtz's 1973 team finished 9–3, won the Liberty Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final AP poll. The 1974 team finished 9–2–1, tied Houston in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 9 in the Coaches' poll and No. 11 in the AP poll. Holtz departed the Wolfpack after four seasons to become head coach of the NFL's New York Jets.
Bo Rein era (1976–1979) When Holtz moved on, Bo Rein, the offensive coordinator at Arkansas, became the youngest college football head coach upon his hiring by North Carolina State. Guiding the Wolfpack football team, Rein was an advocate of the coaching philosophy of Ohio State's Woody Hayes for whom Rein played. During Rein's four years at NC State, he led the team to two bowl games, defeating Iowa State in the 1977 Peach Bowl and defeating the Pittsburgh in the 1978 Tangerine Bowl. In Rein's final year at NC State, his team won the Wolfpack's last ACC title to date. Despite winning the conference title, the Wolfpack were not invited to a bowl–as of the end of the 1979 season, the last bowl-eligible conference champion from a power conference to not take part in a bowl game. Among Rein's top players at NC State were Outland Trophy winner Jim Ritcher, a center for the Wolfpack who later started at guard on four Super Bowl teams with the Buffalo Bills, and linebacker Bill Cowher, who later served as head coach of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons and won Super Bowl XL. Following the 1979 season, Rein resigned as head football coach at State to accept the same position at LSU, but Rein died in a plane crash before ever coaching a game for the Tigers. Following every season, the NC State football team awards the "Bo Rein Award" to a player that makes a vital contribution in an unsung role.
Monte Kiffin era (1980–1982) After Rein's departure, NC State hired Arkansas defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of LSU and former Ole Miss, Florida Atlantic, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee and USC head coach Lane Kiffin, as head coach. Kiffin served three seasons at State and his teams compiled a 16–17 record. Kiffin's defensive coordinator during his three seasons at NCSU was Pete Carroll. Kiffin decided to leave NCSU after three seasons to pursue coaching opportunities in the NFL.
Tom Reed era (1983–1985) Tom Reed was hired away from Miami (OH) to take over as head coach of the Wolfpack after Kiffin's departure. State struggled under Reed's leadership, posting three consecutive 3–8 yearly records en route to a 9–24 overall mark. Under mounting pressure from fans, alumni and the school administration, Reed resigned after the 1985 season.
Dick Sheridan era (1986–1992) State chose Dick Sheridan, head coach at Furman, to take over as head coach of the Wolfpack football program in late 1986. Under the tutelage of coach Sheridan, the Wolfpack compiled a record of 52–29–3. State made six bowl appearances (two wins) and finished ranked in either the AP or Coaches poll three times. Sheridan retired unexpectedly after seven seasons, citing health concerns and emotional issues.
Mike O'Cain era (1993–1999)