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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: NC State relieves defensive coordinator DJ Eliot of duties

CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11, each citing the university Sunday, said Eliot is out. The campus staff page now lists Charlton Warren as defensive coordinator.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • NC State relieved defensive coordinator DJ Eliot of his duties on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, according to CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11, each citing the university.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, as reported by CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11 (Oct. 25)
  • Those Sunday accounts said Charlton Warren will handle defensive play-calling for the rest of the season and that Zac Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams. WRAL attributed the Warren assignment to an NC State spokesperson.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, as reported by CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11 (Oct. 25)
  • CBS 17 identified Warren as co-defensive coordinator and safeties/nickels coach in that Sunday account.Confirmed by CBS 17, Oct. 25, 2026, citing university officials
  • The university football staff page, when we read it Sunday afternoon, no longer listed Eliot. It named Warren as defensive coordinator and safeties/nickels coach, and Roper as running backs/special teams coach.Confirmed by NC State Athletics 2026 football coaches page, fetched Oct. 25, 2026
  • That same staff page listed Todd Goebbel as interim head coach.Confirmed by NC State Athletics 2026 football coaches page, fetched Oct. 25, 2026
  • A Dec. 31, 2024, campus post named Eliot defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, Dec. 31, 2024
  • Athletics director Boo Corrigan announced Saturday that Dave Doeren had been relieved of his duties, effective immediately, and that Goebbel would finish the year as interim coach.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, Oct. 24, 2026; CBS 17 (Oct. 25)
  • Stanford beat NC State 31-28 on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at Stanford Stadium. The official schedule lists the Wolfpack at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.Confirmed by NC State Athletics 2026 football schedule; NC State Athletics Stanford recap

Still unknown

  • Whether a dated Sunday news release is posted on gopack.com. We read the staff-page change and the three outlet accounts; we did not find a Sunday-dated news URL
  • Any contract, buyout, or remaining term for Eliot
  • Who will be hired as the next full-time head coach

What this means for you

Instructions from NC State Athletics

This site is not NC State Athletics. For the school's staff list and schedule, use gopack.com. This site is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, NC State relieved defensive coordinator DJ Eliot of his duties on Sunday, according to CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11, each citing the university.

Those Sunday versions said Charlton Warren will handle defensive play-calling through the end of the year and that Zac Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams. WRAL attributed the Warren assignment to a university spokesperson. CBS 17 identified him there as the co-defensive coordinator who also coaches safeties and nickels.

The football staff page on gopack.com, when we read it Sunday afternoon, no longer listed Eliot. It titled Warren defensive coordinator, kept safeties and nickels in that job line, and listed Roper as running backs/special teams coach. Todd Goebbel remains listed as interim head coach.

A Dec. 31, 2024, campus post had named Eliot defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

The Sunday change came a day after athletics director Boo Corrigan said Dave Doeren was out immediately. Stanford won 31-28 on Friday at Stanford Stadium. The live schedule lists the Wolfpack at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.

This site is not NC State Athletics. For the school's staff list and dates, use gopack.com. If someone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No university or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

NC State is Raleigh's ACC football team. A day after the head coach was removed, the university also removed the defensive coordinator and shifted who calls the defense.

Updates

  1. Oct 25, 2026, 4:00 PM

    CBS 17, WRAL and ABC11, each citing the university, say DJ Eliot is out. The live staff page lists Charlton Warren as defensive coordinator and Zac Roper as running backs/special teams coach.

Sources

  1. 2026 Football Staff (fetched Sunday afternoon, Oct. 25, 2026: DJ Eliot no longer listed; Charlton Warren, Defensive Coordinator and Safeties/Nickels Coach; Zac Roper, Running Backs/ Special Teams Coach; Todd Goebbel, Interim Head Coach)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  2. NC State relieves defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot of duties (CBS 17 / WNCN, posted 3:23 p.m. ET Oct. 25, 2026, modified 3:40 p.m.: officials said Sunday Eliot has been relieved; Warren, identified there as co-defensive coordinator and safeties/nickels coach, will take over defensive play-calling for the remainder of the season; Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams; after Friday's 31-28 Stanford result and Saturday's Doeren announcement. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. This file does not use the station's photo.)

    Published by CBS 17 (WNCN) · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  3. NC State fires defensive coordinator DJ Eliot (WRAL, posted 3:26 p.m. display Oct. 25, 2026: Eliot fired one day after Doeren; Charlton Warren will handle defensive play-calling for the remainder of the season, according to an NC State spokesperson; Zac Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams; Goebbel interim. This file does not use WRAL-only ranking, yardage, or scheme lines, or the station photo.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  4. NC State parts ways with defensive coordinator DJ Elliot, general manager (ABC11, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, 7:55 p.m. display: university announced Eliot has been relieved; Warren will handle defensive play calling for the remainder of the season; Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams; after Stanford 31-28, 1-3 ACC and 3-4 overall. ABC11 also reported a general-manager change from a source and a spokesperson; that line is not used here because we do not have a second independent account. Text-only.)

    Published by ABC11 · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  5. Defensive Coordinator Eliot Headlines Changes to Defensive Staff (NC State Athletics, Dec. 31, 2024: D.J. Eliot named defensive coordinator and linebackers coach)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  6. NC State Announces Change in Leadership for Wolfpack Football (NC State Athletics, Oct. 24, 2026, 4:37 p.m.: Doeren relieved immediately; Goebbel interim; national search begins)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

  7. 2026 Football Schedule (Stanford L, 28-31; 3-4, 1-3 ACC)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 3:58 PM

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