Mark Gottfried

Wolfpack Athletics

NC State athletics, in the first full year under the leadership of director Debbie Yow, welcomed a trio of new coaches into the fold in 2011 and enjoyed another successful year in the field of competition and in the classroom. New coaches include men’s basketball coach Mark Gottfried, men’s soccer coach Kelly Findley and men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Braden Holloway.

NC State moved up 22 spots in the Directors’ Cup, an overall ranking of all varsity sports at each NCAA school. It was the biggest improvement of any ACC school.

The football program made a successful appearance in the 2011 Belk Bowl in Charlotte, defeating the University of Louisville. Quarterback Mike Glennon was named MVP and cornerback David Amerson set a new ACC record with 13 interceptions in a single season, two of which came during the bowl game.

The men’s cross country team won an ACC championship and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships.

Student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom. The ACC Honor Roll included 213 NC State students, the most for NC State in the honor roll’s 55-year history. Requirements for making the list include participation in a varsity-level sport and a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Three Wolfpack student-athletes won ACC Postgraduate Awards in 2011: Lucas Carpenter (men’s soccer), Brittany Strachan (women’s basketball) and Brittany Vontz (gymnastics). Since the league began giving postgraduate scholarships in 1970, NC State has produced more honorees than any other school in the conference.