Appalachian State set to hire NC State Offensive Coordinator Eli Drinkwitz as next head coach

Shortly after Scott Satterfield left Appalachian State to head to Louisville, speculation around who would be hired as a replacement featured an NC State assistant coach. That coach, Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford, ended up following Satterfield to Louisville; however, it looks like the Mountaineers had their eyes on another NC State assistant, as well.

According to a report from the highly reliable outlet Football Scoop, Appalachian State is set to hire NC State Offensive Coordinator Eli Drinkwitz as their next head coach.

This is great news for Drinkwitz, but not so much for fans of NC State’s football program. Drinkwitz has been the man behind an efficient Wolfpack offense for the past four years that has helped propel the Wolfpack to back-to-back nine-win seasons. NC State’s 2018 offense currently ranks 13th based on FEI Offensive metrics and 21st in S&P+ Offense.

Under Drinkwitz’s tutelage, NC State QB Ryan Finley has developed from a little known transfer QB to a potential first round NFL Draft pick. That success in developing Finley, plus previous coaching experience under Gus Malzahn, Bryan Harsin, and Dave Doeren, no doubt helped Drinkwitz land the position.

The Appalachian State job is probably the most coveted of the non-Power Five jobs to open during this turn of the coaching carousel. The Mountaineers have a strong program history at the D1-AA/FCS level, and Satterfield helped to guide the program up a level into the FBS realm and continue that winning tradition. Appalachian State has won three straight Sun Belt Conference championships, including this year’s inaugural Sun Belt Championship Game, and Drinkwitz will walk into a ready-to-win situation in Boone.