Debbie Yow bids farewell to NC State fans as her tenure wraps up

Difficult as it is to believe, Debbie Yow’s run as NC State athletics director is just about over. When the calendar flips to May, the gig will be Boo Corrigan’s, and he’ll have some big shoes to fill. GoPack.com published a farewell letter from Yow to the fan base on Monday:

One day recently, a Wolfpack alumnus asked me if I were glad, in retrospect, to have taken on the responsibilities of being State’s AD. My response was unhesitating, as I said to him I would do it all again. That answer is a reflection and recognition of the essence of this place that we love, of your steadfast commitment and unwavering belief in the Promise of the Pack.

The athletics department is in such a healthier place than it was 10 years ago, it’s almost easy to forget what a disaster this place had become under Lee Fowler’s, uh, ... direction. Yow restored order but more than that showed that good leadership can trump financial limitations in many ways—NC State is never going to rake in money like the biggest power-conference programs, but that doesn’t mean establishing a winning culture is impossible. The proof is in everything that Yow was able to build at State.

She’s leaving NC State far better off than she found it, and that’s all we could ever ask for from an AD. Thanks for your commitment to NC State, Debbie.