Thank You, TOB!!

First, I want to take a moment to thank the now former NC State Football Coach, Tom O'Brien (TOB), for his service and dedication to the University and its athletics program as a whole. Today marks a bittersweet day for NC State and its fans. TOB was a beloved figure by some. He instilled discipline to program that had very little under the previous tenure of Chuck Amato.

The decision to let TOB go came just a day after he and the Wolfpack defeated his former employer, Boston College, 27-10. The win improved the Pack to 7-5 on the season and certainly put their bowl hopes a little higher. However, the expectations coming into this season were much higher and this team fell far short from where they were supposed to be.

After getting beat like a drum by a dreadful Tennessee team in the season opener in Atlanta, the Pack reeled off 3 straight wins before losing a shootout in their conference opener against the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Fla. Then, the Pack pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season by beating the #3 ranked Florida State Seminoles at home. That was followed up with a nail biting win at Maryland that required a botched field goal by the Terps to secure the victory. Things were looking up at that point. Then came the game against UNC, who TOB had beaten 5 consecutive times, and it looked like the Pack was well on their way to a 6-2 start and destined to play for the ACC Championship. After a few fourth quarter blunders and and ridiculous decision to punt the ball to the nations top returner led to a last second victory for the Tar Heels on a punt return for a touchdown. The hangover spilled over the following game where the Pack failed to show up against Virginia and lost in convincing fashion at home. Many will point to that game as the one that sealed TOB's fate at NC State. TOB's Pack finished the season with a win against Wake Forest, a loss to Clemson and the win over BC. This was not enough to save TOB's job, unfortunately.

An overall record of 40-35 wasn't adequate for Debbie Yow, who seems hell bent on putting her own staff together. Mediocrity is unfortunately the lasting impression we will be left with of the TOB era at NC State. He definitely leaves the football program with a better foundation than it had when he first took the job 6 years ago. That should be what we remember about the stoic Leroy Jethro Gibbs-like football coach that took an undisciplined program over from Chuck Amato and turned it into one of the cleanest and best run programs in the country.

Thank you, TOB, for all that you have done! Best of luck in the future! Hope to see you fill some sort of role in the NCSU Athletics Department sometime soon.