Skip to content
Triangle Local

Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: NC State interim coach Goebbel speaks; Wolfpack hosts Cal Saturday

Todd Goebbel met reporters Monday evening, his first public comments since Dave Doeren was removed. NC State hosts California at noon Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

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

By Triangle Local Staff · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

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

What we know

Confirmed

  • Athletics director Boo Corrigan announced Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, that Wolfpack head football coach Dave Doeren had been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, Oct. 24, 2026, 4:37 p.m.
  • Todd Goebbel, then the running backs coach and special teams coordinator, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season. The university said he has been on the Wolfpack staff since 2019 and that a national search for the next coach begins immediately.Confirmed by NC State Athletics, Oct. 24, 2026
  • Goebbel met with reporters Monday evening, Oct. 26, 2026. Those were his first public comments since Doeren was removed.Confirmed by AP; WRAL; The News & Observer
  • He thanked Doeren for hiring him in 2019 and praised him.Confirmed by The News & Observer; WRAL
  • Goebbel said the program will stay "hard, tough and together." He also said, "I'm going to lead this team the best way I know how."Confirmed by WRAL; The News & Observer; AP
  • Goebbel said Corrigan called him Saturday evening about the change. He declined to say whether the news surprised him and did not discuss defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's dismissal.Confirmed by The News & Observer; WRAL
  • The school, as reported by WRAL, said Charlton Warren will call defensive plays and Zac Roper will coach running backs and coordinate special teams.Confirmed by WRAL, citing the school
  • WRAL reported that Goebbel is 50, that he previously coached at Marshall and Ohio State among other stops, and that he has never been a head coach.Confirmed by WRAL
  • NC State (3-4, 1-3 ACC) hosts California (3-5, 2-3 ACC) on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Carter-Finley Stadium. The live campus schedule lists noon and Homecoming. California's schedule shows the same 3-5, 2-3 line.Confirmed by NC State Athletics 2026 football schedule (fetched Oct. 27, 2026); California Athletics 2026 football schedule; WRAL

Still unknown

  • Who will be hired as the next full-time head coach
  • Any buyout, remaining contract term, or salary figure. Saturday's campus post does not state those numbers

What this means for you

Instructions from NC State Athletics

This site is not NC State Athletics. For the school's statement 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's interim football coach Todd Goebbel spoke to reporters Monday evening. Those were his first public comments since athletics director Boo Corrigan removed Dave Doeren on Saturday.

Goebbel thanked Doeren for the 2019 hire and praised the work they had done together. He said the program will stay "hard, tough and together." He also said, "I'm going to lead this team the best way I know how."

He said Corrigan called him Saturday evening about the change. Asked whether that news surprised him, he declined to say. He did not discuss the university's Sunday decision to relieve defensive coordinator DJ Eliot.

This site's Saturday file has Corrigan's campus announcement. The Sunday file has the Eliot change.

Corrigan's Saturday post said Doeren was out at once and named Goebbel, already an assistant, to finish the year. Campus officials said he has been on staff since 2019 and that they will open a nationwide search right away.

WRAL, citing the school, said Charlton Warren will handle defensive play-calling and Zac Roper will take the running backs plus special teams. WRAL also reported that Goebbel is 50, that Marshall and Ohio State are among his earlier stops, and that this is his first time as a head coach.

The Wolfpack is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC. California is 3-5 and 2-3. They play Saturday, Oct. 31, at Carter-Finley Stadium. The live campus schedule lists noon for Homecoming.

This site is not NC State Athletics. For the school's statement 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. The interim coach spoke for the first time before a Saturday home game against California.

Updates

  1. Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

    Goebbel spoke Monday evening. The official schedule lists California at noon Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Sources

  1. NC State Announces Change in Leadership for Wolfpack Football (NC State Athletics, Oct. 24, 2026, 4:37 p.m.: Boo Corrigan; Dave Doeren relieved of his duties effective immediately; Todd Goebbel, running backs coach and special teams coordinator, interim for the remainder of the season; on staff since 2019; national search begins immediately)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

  2. NC State prepares for first game under interim coach Todd Goebbel after Dave Doeren's firing (AP, updated 9:37 p.m. EDT Oct. 26, 2026: Monday evening comments; program will be hard, tough and together; first game Saturday vs. California)

    Published by Associated Press · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

  3. NC State football's interim coach: 'Organization will continue to do things the right way' (WRAL, posted 10:55 p.m. Oct. 26, 2026: first public comments Monday; hard, tough and together; Corrigan called Saturday night; Goebbel, 50; Marshall and Ohio State among other stops; never a head coach; declined to discuss Eliot; school said Charlton Warren will call defensive plays and Zac Roper will coach running backs and coordinate special teams; NC State 3-4, 1-3 ACC hosts Cal 3-5, 2-3 at Carter-Finley. This file does not use WRAL-only contract, ranking, player-quote, or candidate lines)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

  4. What NC State's interim coach said about Dave Doeren, taking over the program (The News & Observer, originally 7:09 p.m. Oct. 26, 2026, updated 8:22 p.m.: Monday evening session; first public comments since Saturday; thanked Doeren for the 2019 hire and praised him; Corrigan called Saturday evening; "I'm going to lead this team the best way I know how"; declined to say whether he was surprised; did not discuss Eliot. This file does not use the newspaper photo or player quotes)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

  5. 2026 Football Schedule (3-4, 1-3 ACC; vs. California, Oct. 31, 12 p.m., Homecoming, Carter-Finley Stadium)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

  6. 2026 Football Schedule (3-5, 2-3 ACC; at NC State, Oct. 31)

    Official sourcePublished by California Athletics · Checked Oct 27, 2026, 10:20 AM

Related stories