NC State, Dave Doeren in negotiations for contract extension

Reports emerged Tuesday that NC State and Dave Doeren are in the middle of contract negotiations, which shouldn’t be terribly surprising given NC State’s 5-1 start and the state of Doeren’s current contract, which only runs through 2019. Debbie Yow confirmed the reports Tuesday afternoon.

Doeren’s current contract was announced following the 2014 season; it was an incentive-laden deal (Yow likes those) that pays Doeren around $2.2 million per year. He’s got a raise from that figure on the way, no doubt.

While some may not necessarily like the timing of this move considering Doeren’s modest overall record at State and considering that the ultimate result of this season is far from determined, NC State needed to do something, if only for recruiting purposes. It’s important for coaches to be able to tell kids on the trail that they’ll be there for the entirety of those kids’ careers. Leaving Doeren’s contract termination date sitting there at 2019 is not especially helpful.

And of course there’s always the looming specter of bigger jobs opening this winter—and they will—so a token of good faith and some added job security will be a good thing to have. Whether or not the financial protection of a more substantial buyout will prove necessary, I don’t know. But it’s a good idea to get that squared away now.