N. C. State hires Mark Gottfried as head coach

In what many saw as a surprising move, North Carolina State yesterday named former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried as their head coach, replacing Sidney Lowe.

Gottfried, 47, has been out of coaching for two years after being fired by Alabama. Gottfried, who is the son of former South Alabama athletic director Joe Gottfried and the nephew of ESPN football analyst Mike Gottfried, had been also working as an analyst on ESPN.

The Wolfpack had evidently struck out on many of their other candidates, including VCU's Shaka Smart, Arizona's Sean Miller and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall.

Gottfried had been interviewed by UL administrators for their opening last year which resulted in the hiring of Bob Marlin.