Author Biography
Only a handful of coaches in ACC history has achieved what NC State head coach Mark Gottfried has in his three years at NCSU. After 70 wins and three NCAA Tournament trips in three seasons, Gottfried has elevated the Wolfpack basketball program back to national prominence. Through three seasons at NCSU, Gottfried owns a 70-36 record and became just the third coach in the history of the ACC to take his school to the Big Dance in each of his first three seasons. Only legendary coach Everett Case has won more games in his first three seasons at NC State. Additionally, the 70 victories was the most for the Wolfpack over a three-year span since 1973-76. Leading up to the 2013-14 season, Gottfried's young Wolfpack squad was picked to finish 10th in the ACC. Expectations were low. Gottfried and his staff stayed positive with the young team as it grew. The end result was 22 wins and a trip to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. NC State defeated Xavier in the first round of the tournament, capping a brilliant late-season run that featured March wins over Pittsburgh and 11th-ranked Syracuse. Under Gottfried's tutelage, T.J. Warren was the 2014 ACC Player of the Year and was third in the nation in scoring. In 2012-13, Gottfried's second season, the Wolfpack went 24-11 and spent much of the season in the national rankings. The success brought ESPN College Gameday to NC State, where NCSU captured a 91-83 win over North Carolina. That win came two weeks after NC State had taken down top-ranked Duke 84-76. The 2012-13 season marked the first time NC State had defeated UNC and Duke in the same season since 2007. In his first season in Raleigh, the Pack earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006 and made its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005. For Gottfried, this was not unfamiliar territory as he has now made 19 trips to the Big Dance as either a player or coach. He became only the second coach in ACC history to lead his team to a pair of NCAA Tournament victories in his initial season and he was one of seven first-year coaches in 68-team tournament field. Gottfried became the third Wolfpack coach to direct his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, joining Press Maravich (1965) and Les Robinson (1991) to accomplish the feat. His 24 wins and .667 winning percentage were the best for first-year head coaches in the ACC and one of the best nationally. Gottfried's first-year win total win total was only second to legendary Everett Case (26) for triumphs by a first-year Wolfpack mentor, and the 24 wins were the most for the Pack since 1988. In 2012 ACC play, Gottfried guided NC State to nine conference victories, the most for NC State since 2005-06. At the conclusion of the season, the Pack was ranked 20th in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The last time NC State was ranked in the final poll was following the 2003-04 season. It marked the fourth time that a Gottfried-coached team has finished ranked in the final poll. Gottfried earned his 300th career win with the Pack's 67-64 win over Virginia in the 2012 ACC Tournament quarterfinal. In 16 collegiate seasons, his career record stands at 326-179. Gottfried came to NC State after serving as an ESPN basketball analyst for two seasons. One of America's most respected coaches, he brought a wealth of experience and achievement to the Wolfpack position. He spent 11 seasons as head coach at Alabama (1998-09), compiling a record of 210-131 with five NCAA Tournament and three NIT appearances. He led Alabama to three top 25 final rankings, including one top 10 ranking. He led the Tide to the SEC regular season championship in his fourth season, also the first of five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, Gottfried was named the 2002 SEC Coach of the Year. Gottfried's 2002-03 squad became the first in Alabama history to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, as the team held the ranking for two weeks. The program achieved another first during the 2003-04
