NC State ends Doeren's tenure; Goebbel takes over for the season

NC State has ended Dave Doeren's run as head football coach during his 14th season. The school announced Saturday that he had been dismissed effective immediately, with Todd Goebbel appointed interim coach for the remainder of 2026.

Athletic director Boo Corrigan thanked Doeren for his service in the university's announcement. NC State said a national search would begin immediately. Goebbel, the running backs coach and special teams coordinator, has been on the staff since 2019.

Those are two distinct decisions: a coach for the games still to play and a search for the next permanent head coach. The announcement did not name a permanent successor or set a date for completing that search.

The work left on the field

The change followed Friday night's Stanford 31, NC State 28 result. The game was played October 23 in California; the school published its recap early October 24 and announced the dismissal later that day. NC State emerged from the game 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.

The Wolfpack recovered from an early 14-0 deficit to tie the game, but Stanford built another two-touchdown advantage. NC State's two fourth-quarter touchdowns narrowed the margin without erasing it. Stanford finished with 477 yards to the Wolfpack's 381, including 150 rushing yards from Micah Ford.

A change of coach does not remove those football problems. Goebbel inherits a team that still has a schedule to finish, while the administration takes on a separate hiring decision. The immediate measure will be what changes on the field, not the length of a speculative candidate list.

NC State's next scheduled game is at home against California on Saturday, October 31, at noon Eastern on ACC Network. That gives the interim appointment a concrete first test, even as the permanent job remains open.