Official: Wolfpack Releases Chuck Amato (Updated 9:22pm)

The News & Observer is reporting that a public statement regarding the future of N.C. State football coach Chuck Amato’s will be announced tonight, but at this point there is little reason to wait.

The NC State Football team was called for a team meeting tonight at 9pm at the Murphy Center to be officially told the news that at this point is merely a formality.

The News & Observer, ESPN, and other local media sources are all reporting the unsurprising news that Chuck Amato will not return as head coach of NC State’s football program in 2007.

SFN has already shared a detailed commentary regarding the situation that is linked here. We will have much more in the coming days.

from gopack.com

Wolfpack Releases Chuck Amato
Courtesy: NC State
Release: 11/26/2006

NC State Director of Athletics Lee Fowler has announced that head football Chuck Amato will not be retained for next season.

Amato, who has posted a 49-37 overall record and 25-31 mark in the ACC during his seven years as head coach, finished this season with a 3-9 mark and failed to qualify for postseason play for the second time in three years.

“No Wolfpack fan can question the excitement and enthusiasm that Chuck Amato brought to the NC State football program when he came here in 2000,” said Fowler. “His dreams have become our dreams and that has translated itself into our great new facilities, record ticket sales and five bowl appearances in seven years.

“However, because the results on the field in two of the last three seasons have fallen far below where we feel our program should be at this point, we have decided to take the program in a new direction.”

NC State qualified for a postseason bowl each of Amato’s first four years at NC State, earning victory in three of those contests.However, the Wolfpack finished with losing records in 2004 and 2006.

Amato had three years remaining on his contract.

“Chuck Amato has been a part of Wolfpack football for more than four decades and as a head coach has raised our expectations and goals,” said Chancellor James L. Oblinger. “We appreciate everything that Chuck has done for the program and our student-athletes. We wish him all the best in the future; he will always be a member of the Wolfpack family.”

Fowler added that the search to find Amato’s replacement will begin immediately.

“Our search will be national in scope and we will begin the process through a search firm very quickly. I ask that all Wolfpackers join together in supporting our student-athletes and staying behind our program.”

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148 Responses to Official: Wolfpack Releases Chuck Amato (Updated 9:22pm)

  1. Your AD, Lee Fowler 11/26/2006 at 8:02 PM #

    My experience tells me that Lee Fowler and Annabelle are calling a friggin press conference to announce nothing, i.e. Amato will be back.

    I sure hope not.

  2. joe 11/26/2006 at 8:02 PM #

    I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone alerting the media that no change will be made. But with NCSU, you never know what you will get.

  3. joe 11/26/2006 at 8:05 PM #

    James Henderson at Pack Pride says Amato is gone.

  4. packpigskinfan23 11/26/2006 at 8:05 PM #

    ^apparently a LATE PC…

    idiots… all of them…

  5. whitefang 11/26/2006 at 8:12 PM #

    Surely there’s no way Amato can survive the heat that is on. IF the BOT/Murphy really want a change to be made as rumored, even a boob like Fowler has enough sense of self-preservation to cut Chuck loose. PLEASE!

  6. NCSUgator 11/26/2006 at 8:12 PM #

    Posted on PP. Amato not to return.

    http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=178&p=2&c=594332

  7. gopack968 11/26/2006 at 8:18 PM #

    They have to do something today/tonight. Letting this story boil any longer would be a disaster… wait a second – that would be business as usual for this bunch…

    I predict a late week PC to announce they are “considering options.”

    And then Fowler will take a week off.

  8. 98st8 11/26/2006 at 8:19 PM #

    SOMEONE PLEASE HELP… John Clayton has reported something about BIll Cowher…don’t know what it is. and the Pittsburgh Steeler message boards are saying so long to BC.

  9. old13 11/26/2006 at 8:20 PM #

    Fowler needs to be gone too!

  10. sautz 11/26/2006 at 8:29 PM #

    Steelers board says:

    John Clayton reporting Bill Cowher turned down contract extension offers ranging up to $6.5 million per year. No doubt in my mind that he is out of here now.

    See you in North Carolina, Bill. Thanks for all you did for us and the memories.

  11. NCStateDud92 11/26/2006 at 8:30 PM #

    Where is it going to be announced, gopack.com?

  12. 98st8 11/26/2006 at 8:32 PM #

    http://shop.steelers.com/fanzone/mboard/news/ WOW, they think he is gone!!!!

  13. FullMoonRising 11/26/2006 at 8:33 PM #

    First post from thread about John Clayton on the Steelers Board=

    “John Clayton is reporting Cowher turned down contract extension offers ranging up to $6.5 million per year.

    No doubt in my mind that he is out of here now.

    See you in North Carolina, Bill. Thanks for all you did for us and the memories. ”

    Odd that the same day Amato is fired, Cowher seemingly has quit the Steelers…

    Maybe coincidence. Either way, I suspect he’ll be somewhere in Carter Finley in the next few years.

  14. FullMoonRising 11/26/2006 at 8:33 PM #

    ^Sorry about that, I guess I type too slowly to keep up here.

  15. codsack 11/26/2006 at 8:36 PM #

    BAD NEWS GUYS…………….I just heard that Amato WILL coach NC State in 2007. This is from a very reliable NCSU source. REPEAT, Amato is NOT being fired. Fowler to announce tonight that Amato has the support of NC State BOT and administration………VERY BAD NEWS……………….

  16. 98st8 11/26/2006 at 9:48 PM #

    ^That post has got me nervous…do we know the time of an announcement?

  17. pack7483 11/26/2006 at 9:50 PM #

    codsack is full of crap

  18. GAWolf 11/26/2006 at 9:55 PM #

    w…t…f.

  19. 98st8 11/26/2006 at 10:02 PM #

    SFN: PLEASE don’t leave us tonight, we need ya

  20. 98st8 11/26/2006 at 10:04 PM #
  21. Jamie 11/26/2006 at 10:05 PM #

    Is it possible, that the PC is being delayed so that Cowher can give notice?

  22. NCStateDud92 11/26/2006 at 10:09 PM #

    If they have a press conference to say he is staying than I am going to see how much UNC season tickets cost.

  23. beowolf 11/26/2006 at 10:09 PM #

    I don’t see anything about Cowher turning down a contract extension on that thread.

    Please remember, folks — and this is not aimed at any particular poster; it’s just a general warning — coaching searches bring out the “sources” in everyone, and some folks just like to yank your chains, too.

    Take everything that doesn’t have a verifiable primary source with more than a grain of salt.

  24. bb1983 11/26/2006 at 10:09 PM #

    Anyone know of a PC time or if it will be on local TV?

  25. beowolf 11/26/2006 at 10:10 PM #

    Also, ESPN reporting Amato’s gone:
    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2676855

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