Dear Wolfpacker,
My staff and I have turned our complete focus and energy to bringing in our 2014 signing class and beginning our off-season strength and conditioning program for our returning players.
As that occurs, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your support this past season. You are one of the primary reasons I wanted to be at NC State – because of your reputation for being passionate about the Wolfpack every day. I especially appreciate the show of support you gave to our seniors in their final home game.
Our results on the field this year fell short of expectations, and I assure you that we feel the pain sharply as student-athletes, coaches, and support staff who come to work every day at the Murphy Football Center with the goal of creating a Top 25 football program. I also assure you that we are making strides in a number of important areas. Our goals and vision for the future of NC State football have not changed. We will continue to work relentlessly to make that vision a reality for all of you who love Wolfpack Football. Below are a few updates.
1. As a staff, we pride ourselves on working as hard at recruiting as any program in the country. While we won’t know until February 5th who our “Pack14” recruit class will actually include, our group is currently ranked in the top 30 nationally by Scout and Rivals. We feel confident about the talent and character of the young men who we are bringing into our program.
2. We played 11 true freshmen this season (one of the highest numbers in the country). They showed flashes of potential, and after a year in our off-season conditioning program, they will be much better prepared to compete successfully than they were in 2013. Of course, our off-season conditioning program is also aimed at protecting us against the number of injuries we faced this past season.
3. We have 20 talented returning players who red-shirted last season, and they will become valuable additions to our program in the future, including a quarterback who was ranked as the third-best in the nation coming out of high school and who transferred here last spring.
4. We have begun thoroughly evaluating every part of our program during the off-season, including offensive and defensive schemes, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and practice routines to best ensure we make the necessary adjustments to help us be much improved next season.
Good things are in store for those who love State. I appreciate your sticking with us through a challenging first season and look forward to enjoying our future success together as members of the Pack.
Sara and I hope your holidays are joyous ones with family and friends. We are proud to be at NC State with our three boys and to call Raleigh home.
1 Pack, 1 Goal.
Dave Doeren
Head Football Coach
