NC State football coach Dave Doeren sets record with Wolfpack’s win vs. Miami

Dave Doeren has won more games than any coach in NC State football history.

With the Wolfpack’s 20-6 victory against Miami on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium, Doeren reached 78 wins in Raleigh to break a tie with Earle Edwards.

“As a team, that’s what we played for today. We love Coach Doeren," NC State linebacker Payton Wilson said.

"He’s an amazing coach, he’s an amazing players’ coach. We’d fight for him until the end of the day. Him getting that record, it probably meant more to us than it did him.”

NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan presented Doeren with a No. 78 jersey in the locker room to commemorate the milestone.

“It’s great to own that record," Doeren said. "It’s an 11-year thing. It’s not me, it’s everybody. Very thankful and looking forward to what’s next. We’ve put ourselves in a good position with this win and three games to play.”

In addition to his personal record, Doeren helped the Wolfpack (6-3, 3-2 ACC) reach bowl eligibility for the fourth year in a row. Prior to Saturday night, the Hurricanes (6-3, 2-3) had won four straight against NC State. It's the Wolfpack's first win against Miami since 2008.

NC State, which has won two in a row since its 21-point loss at Duke, will look to keep it rolling at Wake Forest next weekend.

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During its four-game winning streak against NC State, Miami averaged 36.5 points. The Wolfpack snapped the skid with a rugged performance by its defense, which had four takeaways and a monumental goal-line stand early in the fourth quarter. Miami was limited to a pair of field goals.

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After getting a pick-six and leaving with an injury against Clemson, Wilson had a season-high 16 tackles against the Canes. He finished four tackles shy of his career-high 19 against Duke in 2020.

NC State running back Kendrick Raphael gets first touchdown

Freshman running back Kendrick Raphael delivered the dagger against Miami with a 31-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to give NC State a double-digit lead. It was Raphael’s first touchdown with the Wolfpack. The Naples, Florida, native had eight carries for 29 yards in the last three games before finishing with three carries for 41 yards against Miami.

Dave Doeren’s journey with NC State football

NC State has had 36 coaches since kicking off its inaugural season in 1892. Edwards and Doeren are the only ones to coach the Wolfpack in more than 100 games.

Doeren led Northern Illinois to consecutive MAC championships before NC State hired him in December 2012. After a 3-9 season in his first year with the Wolfpack, Doeren led the program to five consecutive winning records, including three bowl victories in that stretch.

Because of that success, Doeren had chances to pursue opportunities. Instead, he chose to stick with the Pack. When discussing his journey, Doeren recalled those conversations with coaches and players and how much the wins record "mattered" to him.

“Everything starts with my attitude and my energy," Doeren said. "If there’s one thing that I am proud of about myself, I don’t quit. I’m very persistent. No matter how tough it is, I’m gonna keep fighting. Because I do that, I think that wears off on people in the program.”

In his 10-plus seasons, Doeren has helped NC State win at least eight games in five of the last six years, including a trio of nine-win seasons. In late July at ACC Kickoff – the league’s annual media day – Doeren told reporters he wanted to finish his career with the Wolfpack and retire in Raleigh.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football coach Dave Doeren sets record vs. Miami