On the weekend that Johnny Frasier is in town — please click here for a great recruiting update — I thought it would be an appropriate time to link this interview with Dave Doeren from WRAL. It is a fantastic watch.
This isn’t one of those interviews with 2 or 3 fluff questions and boring answers; this is a great interview because it is has enough length for you to really get into it and learn some stuff. It also is one of the first times that I’ve really seen Doeren this relaxed, open and transparent. I feel as though Doeren was particularly guarded in his interaction with the media and the community during his first season at NC State; but his second season saw him feel more comfortable and integrate nicely into the feisty underdog status that comes in tandem with being a Wolfpacker. And, we absolutely LOVE IT!!! Please note, that unlike a couple of those ‘NC State’ blogs who seem to spend more time apologizing for State than defending the Wolfpack, we are nowhere close to telling our football coach to shuddup. (But, please don’t forget what site is deemed by some misguided souls as “HateFansNation”. Puhlease.)
A couple of quick observations from Doeren’s comments in the interview:
* I love how he talks about the community service, GPA and developing men both on the field and off the field.
* You can tell that he is not happy about the Bo Hines transfer and he signaled some things going on by referencing “his family’s decision” a couple of times.
* Doeren’s last statement is a home run and is a GENUINE reflection of how he thinks about his players and his program. It doesn’t get any prettier than this:
“…here is how you fit into the formula – not just as players, but as men. I think that is the biggest thing I tell parents – ‘I’m the head coach of your son’s football career , but I am also going to be the one who makes sure that he becomes a better man while I am in charge of him and hold him accountable and make sure that his goals off the field are important to him not just in this recruiting conversation but for the next four or five years of his life.'”
Now…compare this over-arching philosophy that is integrated into every facet of the NC State football program with THIS MUST READ ENTRY from this past season and you tell me who does it the right way?
Larry Fedora talking about his players. "I couldn’t tell you what one guy’s major is." Don't think that's a good recruiting pitch to parents
— Jeff Gravley (@jgravleyWRAL) October 23, 2014
