If you’re an NC State fan that wants no part of an article written in favor
of Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler then be forewarned- you probably won’t
like what follows. We’re going to do the unthinkable and actually give him some
credit.
After executing a basketball search that could accurately and fairly be
labeled as a debacle, Fowler likely wasn’t very excited about the prospects of
having to find a new football coach. However, the AD showed early on that he had
learned from previous mistakes and took the Wolfpack search underground. Whereas
every move during the basketball search seemed to hit the internet within
minutes, the plans to replace former head coach Chuck Amato had the feel of a
covert operation. Sources were tight-lipped and likely for good reason, most
didn’t have a clue where Fowler was headed.
Even before Amato was released officially, two names seemed to make the
rounds as possible replacements more than any other. Paul Johnson from Navy and
LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher garnered the lion’s share of attention
and both were legitimate candidates. An interview was scheduled for Fisher on
Tuesday of this week in Nashville, Tn but was abruptly cancelled. Sources
indicated to Pack Pride that Johnson was contacted this past Sunday but
apparently, the Wolfpack never talked to him again. According to reports,
Johnson delivered an ultimatum on Wednesday- you’ve got 24 hours to make a move
or I’m off the list. As it turned out, he never made the list.
Enter Tom O’Brien. Pack Pride first heard his name last week as one of a list
of coaches that had contacted NC State and expressed interest in the head
coaching position. To be completely honest, at the time it simply had the feel
of a woefully underpaid coach likely leveraging for a better contract. As a
result, O’Brien was discounted and not thought of again until Wednesday
morning.
Wednesday morning broke with an email in the inbox saying from a very
credible source that Tom O’Brien would be the next head coach at NC State. By
9:00am, Pack Pride had talked with four separate sources that indicated O’Brien
had emerged as the front runner for the head coaching position. From there, the
freight train of information on the Boston College coach steam-rolled to an
announcement Wednesday night that he had been offered and accepted the head spot
at NC State- which brings us to Fowler.
Throughout the short-lived head coaching search, there were two main
candidates for NC State fans- Paul Johnson and everyone else. With Johnson, many
Pack fans saw an ultra-successful coach with a limitless ceiling. If he had that
kind of success at Navy and Georgia Southern then just imagine what he could do
with NC State-type talent. Never factored into the equation was the part about
Johnson having to coach against ACC-type talent. There would be no
Massachusetts, Temple, Duke, Eastern Michigan, and Army to feed on. That had to
weigh into Fowler’s decision.
Then there was the question about recruiting. This was likely the biggest
wild card of all when considering a future coach. Recruiting players to NC State
is a completely different animal than recruiting players to Georgia Southern or
Navy. Instead of facing down Army or Temple for a player, you’re in a heated
battle with Tennessee or Virginia Tech or Florida State. That’s a huge jump for
a coaching staff and major question mark for an athletic’s director whose very
future may rest on his coaching hire.
Somewhere between making contact with Paul Johnson on Sunday and the
cancellation of Jimbo Fisher’s interview on Tuesday, talks got serious between
Fowler and Tom O’Brien. While details of any deal are unknown, what is known is
that Fowler offered the job to just one candidate and he nailed it. Some may say
that Fowler made the "safe" choice. What Fowler made was the "smart" choice.
Look back over the history of NC State football and you won’t find a single
coach that came to Raleigh with a more impressive resume. Instead of a former
assistant coach or coach from a smaller division college, the Pack landed an
experienced lead man with a proven and impressive win-loss record against top
competition, the ability to maintain a stable staff, a spotless academic track
record and the knowledge of what it takes on the recruiting trail to compete
with the Florida State’s and Miami’s of the league.
Many State fans frowned on the O’Brien hire because of a perceived ceiling of
success that he would bring from Boston College. He "only" wins nine games a
year. That notion is just as silly as the thought that there would be no limit
to the potential success of Paul Johnson. When did nine wins a year not become a
great year for NC State? Did we at Pack Pride miss something? When was the last
time NC State won nine games during three consecutive seasons? How about never
in the history of the school.
In hindsight, it is apparent Lee Fowler was much the wiser for what
transpired during his first search. He kept the details quiet and nearly
everyone in the dark until the day the news of O’Brien’s hiring occurred. Every
source we’ve talked to who is closely connected with football has raved about
the hire. As the popular saying goes, ‘past performance doesn’t guarantee future
results’, but we can’t help but feel that Fowler’s hiring of O’Brien was a
homerun for the future of Wolfpack football and for that, you have to give the
beleaguered AD all the credit.