NC State football coaching search 2026: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Wolfpack experts

The PackPower team just revealed its top NC State coaching candidates after Dave Doeren was fired on Saturday, Oct. 24

After 14 years at the helm, Dave Doeren is out as the NC State Wolfpack head coach as he was fired on Saturday. The dismissal came one day after NC State dropped to 3-4 with a loss to Stanford, and Doeren departs as the winningest coach in program history with a 98-74 record. He also had four bowl wins but no conference titles or a final AP Poll ranking better than 20th. Now, an NC State coaching search will commence for the first time since 2012 with several intriguing candidates.

Who are the top names on the NC State hot board, as the Wolfpack look for the person to elevate the program above the mid-tier of the ACC? If you want the latest on the NC State football coaching search, see what the proven team of experts are saying at PackPower, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Wolfpack.

If you want all of the latest NC State news and scoop, there's no better place than PackPower. It's the most trusted source for intel on the Wolfpack and has the largest and most dedicated community of NC State fans. The staff led by Cory Smith will tell you what's happening before it happens. Sign up for a VIP membership now and uncover all the insider info, analysis and more.

And right now, PackPower is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at PackPower has revealed an initial hot board, and and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to PackPower now to see them all.

Top NC State football coach candidates

One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the NC State football coaching hot board is James Madison head coach Billy Napier. In his first year at JMU, Napier has the Dukes at 7-1 and in contention for the Group of Six's CFP bid. He spent the prior four years at Florida where he finished one game under .500 (22-23) but had the Gators ranked as high as No. 13 in the AP Poll.

Napier first came on the radar during his time at Louisiana from 2018-21, where he was a two-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year, had three double-digit win seasons and prevailed in two bowl games. Overall in his head coaching career, Napier sports a 69-36 record with a 3-2 mark in bowl games. He's also authored three upset wins over top-10 ranked teams.

A former quarterback at Furman, Napier knows the Carolinas well as a player and coach. After his playing days ended, he then spent eight years as an assistant, first with Clemson, then at South Carolina State before rejoining the Tigers. He also spent five years under Nick Saban at Alabama and has two national championship rings as a result. See more candidates at PackPower.

How to get insider NC State coaching search updates 

The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including a coach who is labeled "risky" but also "could raise a sizeable amount of NIL money for the program." You can only see who it is by joining PackPower.

Who are the top names in the NC State football coaching search, and which risky coach could NC State take a big swing on? Go to PackPower to see their NC State coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Wolfpack, and find out. 

And remember, PackPower is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it's too late.

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