Update: Wilmington Star's Andrew Jones also confirms Amato's removal as NC State coach... Sources: N.C. State fires Amato
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In seven seasons at his alma mater, Chuck Amato posted a 49-37 overall record, but his conference record and the recent downspiral on-the-field may have been the cause.
In Amato's 56 ACC contests,
he posted a 25-31 record. In 32 of
those 56 games, the final outcome was
decided by a touchdown (seven
points) or less, 37 had been decided
by eight points or less and 41 had
been decided by 10 points or less.
Amato was 11-17 on the road in ACC
matchups and in 17 of those 27 games
the score had differed by seven points
or less, with NC State posting a 6-11
record in those games after a pair of six-point losses to Maryland and Clemson
and a seven-point loss to Virginia over
the three of the last four road ACC
games this season.
After four straight years of going to a bowl game, highlighted by a Gator Bowl appearance and an 11-win season in 2002, NC State stumbled to a 5-6 mark in 2004. Amato promised after the season that NC State wouldn't miss a bowl game again, and the team bounced back last year with a 7-5 record and a victory over South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Despite preseason prognosticators picking the NC State to finish at or near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Wolfpack fans maintained high hopes entering the 2006 season, and a 3-9 record wasn't enough for Amato to keep his job. The glaring issues may have been the Wolfpack's continued problems with turnovers and penalties, and the fact that NC State has lost to North Carolina three straight seasons despite having what most believed to be superior talent.
Stay tuned for more from Pack Pride...