NC State fires coach Gottfried, but will let him finish season
NC State fired head coach Mark Gottfried on Thursday, but announced he'll still finish the 2016-17 campaign.
"While it has long been my practice to evaluate the body of work at season's end, in reviewing the overall direction of our program, we believe a change in leadership is necessary moving forward," athletic director Debbie Yow said in a statement.
Gottfried's dismissal comes on the heels of a third straight blowout loss, and in the midst of a six-game losing streak that's seen the Wolfpack drop out of NCAA tournament contention.
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NC State was expected to contend in the ACC this season, given the arrivals of Dennis Smith Jr. and several other highly touted recruits, but has instead been one of the nation's greatest underachievers.
"It has been a privilege to serve as head coach of NC State, and I'm proud of what we have accomplished during my time here," Gottfried said. "NC State is a special place and I appreciate the opportunity to finish the remainder of the season."
The 53-year-old, who's winding down his sixth campaign in Raleigh, began his Wolfpack tenure with four straight NCAA tournament berths, but is set to end it with two consecutive misses.
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Gottfried owns a 122-82 overall record at NC State, which includes a 47-55 mark in conference play. The Wolfpack have four games remaining on their 2016-17 regular-season schedule.
Gottfried has three years and approximately $2.3 million left on his contract. NC State said it'll begin searching for his replacement immediately.