Yow: We Need More Funding...

((HT: Charlotte Observer/Tysiak))

One Deborah Yow, current Athletics Director at the North Carolina State University, feels that her program is not a top-25 program. And, subsequently, if the school doesn't spend more money in and/or toward athletics they won't ever be...

Tysiak was at a lunchtime talk with the Board of Trustees that had a lot of slides and power-pointy things...

Yow didn't hold back...

"We do not have the funding to achieve a top-25 athletic program today," she said. "We don't."

The current budget of, roughly, $55-million will have some more money added to it through the new TV contract, but Yow also thinks there are other places where revenue can be added- parking, marketing, apparel, ticket sales, and ((get this)) increasing student fees...

That last one will go over really well...

Maybe, she'd like to ask Chancellor Woodson about that with an $4-billion shortfall at present...
((HT: NCState))

Yow: Williams "Sabotaged" Search, Gottfried Official Anyway...

Debbie Yow, the former Maryland athletic director and now NCState AD, is not happy at her old school and her old hoops coach...

At the presser where Mark Gottfried was introduced as the new court boss for the Wolfpack program, a reporter asked Gottfried about whether Yow had a reputation as being difficult to work with.

Yow said she had a "reputation of not getting along with Gary Williams, who has tried to sabotage the search. Come on, we all know that."

Oops...

Williams released a statement to the Baltimore Sun saying he hasn't talked to anyone connected to the N.C. State search and that anyone who says he did "isn't being truthful."

When is that first game with NCState and Maryland again...???

WRAL's Jeff Gravely got his one-on-one with Gottfried after the fireworks...
Self-created or otherwise...


Here's the presser in all of its uneditedness...
If you want to sift through 43 minutes of Q-and-A to find the bite...

NC State settles for Mark Gottfried

Mark Gottfried/Courtesy: al.com

Congratulations. Wow, that's an inspired choice. Oh, wait, there weren't any "Big Name" coaches left? Really, did someone tell Debbie Yow that?

Well, the day after the NCAA Championship game, North Carolina State has found their man....at least for now. And that man is former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried. To his credit, Gottfried did get 'Bama to the NCAA Tourney 5-times in 11-years. Not stellar, but what can you do?

NBC-17 in Raleigh confirms the story RIGHT HERE

Apparently there is a 5pm presser scheduled in Raleigh for the announcement.

Sorry about the facetiousness of the beginning of this story, but we find this somewhat funny. The Wolfpack alumni just assumed that after letting go Sidney Lowe that great coaches would just flock to them. They didn't. And they never were going to.

While we understand they had success back in the 70's and 80's and few odd moments since, this isn't a "Top Level" ACC job. Can Gottfried get them to the North Carolina/Duke level? We doubt it. He couldn't get Alabama over the top, does anyone think that is going to change?

Basketball fans and in particular college fans need to understand, unlike football, the playing field is pretty even in hoops. There is no "BCS" keeping the mid-majors from competing for a title. And that's why NCAA Hoops is fun. Neither Butler....nor VCU would ever have been in the Tournament, much less the Final Four if Basketball worked like football does.

In the meantime, Wolfpack fans, enjoy your Mark Gottfried. We wish you luck. Maybe he will stumble across that miracle recruit than will bring you back to your past glory. But don't hold your breath...

Most of you...and us are probably too old to remember David "Skywalker" Thompson and when NC State was huge. Here's a reminder:

Does Anyone Want The NC State Job? UPDATE: Mark Gottfried Does...

[HT: packinsider.com, ]

The search to find a new head coach at NC State continues. It's been a month since Sidney Lowe stepped down. Credit athletic director Debbie Yow for keeping it private and not playing this out in the media. What NC State might be finding out is even though it's in the tradition rich ACC it's not a very desirable job. Shaka Smart, the hottest young coach in college basketball, turned NC State down. Gregg Marshall and Mack Cronin received extensions from Wichita State and Cincinnati.

So who does NC State turn to next? Who knows and exactly what is left. Yow sent this e-mail to Wolfpack fans recently asking of patience.

Dear Wolfpack Family,

I am writing to share with you the status of the search for our new head coach for men's basketball. There have been telephone conversations with successful coaches that did not develop into meetings -- sometimes because we did not wish to pursue those coaches further and sometimes because the coach involved is happy where he is.

The conversations have been candid. We have not tried to sugarcoat the challenge of rebuilding our basketball program. Our absence for 5 consecutive years from the NCAA Tournament was noted by each coach as evidence that the program is in poor shape and will require a special effort to rebuild. Finding a coach with the fight and fire to do this job has been a challenge.

That said, we will find an excellent college coach who shares the vision of what State Basketball can become and is up for the challenge. I realize there are multiple rumors surfacing about the nature of the search on websites and in newspapers.

Once our new coach is hired, I will be in a position to bring perspective to a number of those rumors. But, right now, we need to remain focused on finding a talented collegiate coach who is a fighter, full of confidence and appreciation for the opportunity to lead our basketball program back to national prominence. That will happen in spite of those who believe this cannot occur.

Wolfpack Basketball is destined for a revival. We will accept no less. Please keep the faith while we continue the search. Your emails and text messages of support have meant everything to me.

I am blessed to be your AD.

In the Spirit of the Pack,

Debbie


http://packinsider.com/2011/04/45-update-where-are-we-now/

Stay tuned.

1530 UPDATE: Mark Gottfried, the former coach at Alabama, will get the gig...

An update from the school is scheduled at 5PM eastern time...
Here's early returns from our friends at WRAL-TV
((HT: WRALSportsfan.com))

BREAKING: Sidney Lowe Is Gone...

Not that this is much of a surprise... since the HQ told you this as far back as four days ago...

Lowe, officially, "resigned" and NC State Athletic Director Debbie Yow is holding a press conference at 6PM to answer the questions she chooses to answer about the whole thing...

Now, all NC State has to do is back the armored car up to Rick Barnes' house in Austin and ask him how much of it they need to empty so he can come home...

With Coach K on one side and Roy Williams on the other, Yow needs to make a splash and win more than just the press conference.

Whether or not she can get Barnes, that would do it...

Arizona head coach Sean Miller has been targeted but indications are he's not interested in moving back to Raleigh. Miller was an assistant coach at NC State from 1996-2001 under Herb Sendeck.

Other names being floated are Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall, Old Dominion head coach Blaine Taylor, Chris Mack at Xavier and Mark Turgeon at Texas A&M.

The OSG HQ is going to miss Sidney Lowe in that fire engine red jacket.

WRAL caught up with NC State guard Lorenzo Brown and broke the news of Lowe's resignation to him.



And former NC State guard Julius Hodge added his take saying Sidney Lowe is full of wolf blood. (Thanks WRAL-TV)

Maryland's AD is going to be NC State's AD

It appears that University of Maryland Athletic Director Debbie Yow is going to be heading to North Carolina State.

Yow is apparently scheduled to interview in Raleigh on Friday morning and there are some rumors floating out there that a Press Conference is scheduled for later in the day.

More from the Washington Post RIGHT HERE

This is an interesting move. You could almost say a lateral one. However...look at the last name. One might remember the former legendary NC State woman's basketball coach Kay Yow, who passed away from breast cancer.

((Debbie Yow//Courtesy: Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun))

We aren't saying that is the reason, but we are betting its one of them.