We’re Back! And By The Way, We Have a Coach

Debbie Yow Mark Gottfried151

SFN has been overloaded with traffic the past few weeks. We’ve hit records that have TRIPLED our previous record. Over the past month, we’ve had nearly 400,000 unique visitors. We had a single day record of 28,161 unique visitors yesterday (reporting for today isn’t yet over – but I expect our prolonged downtime will not overtake yesterday’s record). For the books, our previous record 10,135 unique visitors on October 12, 2010 (Carolina scandal). After some much needed maintenance, hopefully we’re back on track.

Oh by the way, we have a coach. Welcome Coach Gottfried! Expect analysis from the SFN crew on Mark Gottfried, Debbie Yow, Gary Williams, and the search in general as stories are confirmed in the coming days.

In case you’re wondering, yes, FireMarkGottfried.com was registered today (not by us). It may not be what you think it is.

Debbie Yow Mark Gottfried

151 Responses to We’re Back! And By The Way, We Have a Coach

  1. ncsu93grad 04/05/2011 at 10:34 PM #

    I think Dino Gaudio would be an incredible assistant. Strong recruiter and good with X and O’s.

    Thoughts?

  2. LarryWorsley 04/05/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    I was thinking all along that it was time for Norm Sloan, part 2, and I think this guy might be the real deal. Not afraid of the blues, and has a little attitude and swagger. Welcome coach, and let’s give ’em hell!

  3. beeeejay 04/05/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    I just don’t see how you people can be ok with the way the GW question was handled. Up to that point everyone had said all the right things. I mean it looks petty to make a statement like that and claim that he sabotaged the search meaning we got a lackluster coach when you are introducing the guy. I mean how would you feel if your new boss introduced you to new coworkers by saying someone sabotaged the hire so they had to settle for you?

  4. werncstate 04/05/2011 at 10:39 PM #

    Damn BJD. You may want to visit a psychologist. This is a great hire! A guy with a proven track record, had his team ranked number 1 (when was NC State last ranked number 1?), made the elite 8 (when did NC State last make the elite 8?). I loved Yows jab at Gary Williams. I will make a point of buying a ticket for the game against MD next year. Gottfried should save the red blazer for that game.

  5. wolfie91 04/05/2011 at 10:39 PM #

    Someone else suggested Gaudio. Said he was a good defensive coach.

  6. FunPack 04/05/2011 at 10:45 PM #

    Like everyone else, I was plenty surprised by this hire. But that doesn’t make it a bad hire. Experienced coach with success in major conference. Welcome Coach Gott and give ’em hell next year.

  7. ringo 04/05/2011 at 10:50 PM #

    He will be hungry to rehab his image. Best possible fit for us rignt now. I hope he can get our players to buy in and then recruit some studs for us soon. Excited again about hoops.

  8. fullmoon1 04/05/2011 at 10:51 PM #

    Weren’t there some rumors about Gaudio being a d*** to work with?

  9. ILpackfan 04/05/2011 at 10:53 PM #

    I’ll admit that the timing and the choice was a little surprising when I first read about it. Gottfried does seem to fit the bill in terms of experience and past success. I like that there’s a previous history with the Yow. All in all, my gut reaction to the hire is that it’s between a B and a B+ for now. I’ll reevaluate for myself at the end of next season (hopefully after an NCAA tourney appearance).

    BTW the Williams comment raised my eyebrows too. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a D1 AD call out another school’s coach like that in a press conference to announce their own hire. Much less when the school in question is the AD’s former employer and they’re in your conference. Might have been a little much.

    Anyway, good luck to the new coach and here’s hoping for better results next season.

  10. newt 04/05/2011 at 10:54 PM #

    Add to the Gottfried list only 1 losing season in all his years of coaching.

  11. BrewWolf 04/05/2011 at 10:54 PM #

    Let’s face it – this hire surprised a lot of us… but he impressed me today. The guy has some fire and determination… he seems like a motivator. Throw in his experience as a program builder (and overall record for that matter) and this looks good. Hopefully his time away from coaching served him well and he’s ready to take things to the court. Good luck, coach and GO PACK!

  12. newt 04/05/2011 at 10:57 PM #

    I had a different reaction to the Williams comment when I listened to it verses watched it, especially within the context of the entire question with Gottfried’s and her complete answers.

    Anyway, if Roy, BMFD, and Baddour can move on after some of their boneheaded public statements, I’m sure we’ll be fine.

    She also, by the way, took on all of the negative discussion about the search with that statement and took the negative discussion off of MG, if you understand what I mean.

    ps – I like “MG.”

  13. quypack93 04/05/2011 at 10:58 PM #

    I thought one of the highlights of the presser was DY’s direct answer to the GW question, no, questions. She was unemotional, direct, clear and precise. She didn’t beat around the bush. She definitely has the “stuffs”. You guys might feel uncomfortable because we haven’t had anyone around here with the “stuffs” for a long time. I like it. Hey, Roy does that about every other pressers. LOL.

  14. lush 04/05/2011 at 10:58 PM #

    So just so I’m clear, some people believe Gary Williams didn’t tell anyone who would listen that DY was a horrible person / boss / AD?

    Just a hunch, I’m guessing these are the sane people that did believe that we were going to spend $5 mil and get on of the top coaches in the game.

    Also a hunch, but these must be the same people who whine and moan about the media railroading us.

    For all the ones left, I think first we wait and see how many current players and commits we keep, and who is on the staff, BEFORE all the bullcrap ranting about basketball being dead. Even then, here’s a novel idea, WAIT TILL HE COACHES A GAME!

  15. newt 04/05/2011 at 10:59 PM #

    For you youngin’s: The eventual hire is almost always out of left field.

  16. quypack93 04/05/2011 at 10:59 PM #

    If you haven’t read Tutor’s piece today, do it. He is dead right on this one.

  17. JeremyH 04/05/2011 at 11:01 PM #

    I don’t really care how he comes across in the presser…

    I don’t care if he can make little wolf puppets with his fingers…

    I *love* that he has boatloads of college head coaching experience, and has experienced success at this level.

  18. sousamagic 04/05/2011 at 11:01 PM #

    I was a member of the NCSU marching band for 3 years before my senior schedule didn’t allow for the time. I bleed the reddest and whitest (my RBC’s and WBC’s rock). Anyways I was energized by the press conference but know that unlike the search press conference we need to keep a level head and let results speak for themselves. As for DY comments on GW I didn’t see a problem in fact to me I read it as her throwing it in his face. Maybe it’s the confounded eternal optimist that NCSU made me in that it will be better right? attitude but if you actually read the transcript or listen to the PC, DY said GW tried to sabotage the search, *TRIED* which to me means he tried but failed and we got a good hire to spite his involvement. Thats all I got for now. Go Pack!

  19. fullmoon1 04/05/2011 at 11:03 PM #

    And for the record the G dub stuff was brought up by reporters and Yow simply responded. She may shoot from the hip but at least she shoots.

  20. IamGumbyDammit 04/05/2011 at 11:05 PM #

    I’m man enough to admit my mistakes – on an earlier thread, I urged the disgruntled to “wait until we hire a coach, THEN bitch”…wow…the way some of you are carrying on now, I preferred your bitching BEFORE we named a coach. I stand corrected. As for me, I am going to support our new coach and support our AD. Go Pack!

  21. JeremyH 04/05/2011 at 11:05 PM #

    Yea I wouldn’t fault her too much for having a beef with Gary Williams. In many ways she is the exact opposite of our former AD, which is what the program needed. As always, time will tell.

  22. lush 04/05/2011 at 11:06 PM #

    Here’s a novel idea for all of those who thought we were spending $5 mil for one of the top coaches in the game…,

    Wait and see how many current players and recruits we keep, and who is on the staff. Wait UNTILL HE COACHES A GAME before determining that basketball is dead.

    P.S Gary Williams is a dick, and everyone who knows him will admit it if asked. I have no problem with DY calling him out in public like his pussy ass was too scared to do with her.

  23. JeremyH 04/05/2011 at 11:09 PM #

    ^ i lol’d

  24. tractor57 04/05/2011 at 11:13 PM #

    Of course not the hire I would have expected at the beginning of the search but then that has been true in every search I’ve paid attention to – which includes Valvano.

    After watching the presser I’m ok with the hire – and ok with DY also.

    MG gets to criticism from me until we actually see problems on the court.

    Go Pack!

  25. BladenWolf 04/05/2011 at 11:16 PM #

    Wellllllll……
    As much as this hire surprised me, it is also the sober reality of where our basketball program is currently. Now hopefully we can refocus and adjust our expectations accordingly.
    I most certainly will support Coach Gottfried and his staff (when they are assembled) and once again anticipate the upcoming season.
    Yow’s comments about GW and his “sabotage” seemed unprofessional to me and inferred the hire of Gottfried was a fallback. Some may like the snarky trades but it looks silly, shows you can be baited by the media, and shows no class. Stop it.

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