How Dave Doeren Can Finally Get 10 Wins in 2026

RALEIGH — Over the last 13 seasons, Dave Doeren has built NC State football into one of the most consistent and competitive football programs in the ACC. As with any program over the last decade-plus, there have been ups and downs, but Doeren has been the constant, instilling his culture built on family and toughness along the way. However, there's one thing missing.

The Wolfpack has yet to win more than nine games under Doeren's watchful eye as head coach, a fact that pains many fans of the program who want more from their beloved team. There have been groups with higher expectations than the one the veteran coach will lead in 2026, but the ingredients to potentially break the run of disappointment are there. How can Doeren get the Pack over that benchmark?

Unleash CJ Bailey

Doeren was one of the two coaches to retain a multi-year starting quarterback in the ACC, with CJ Bailey back in the fold for his junior season at NC State. Their relationship is a strong one, as both share a collective interest in winning the right way. They also both feel that there's unfinished business with the Wolfpack, with the 10-win mark being at the top of the list.

A criticism lobbed in the direction of Doeren in the past has been that he's been overly conservative with his decision-making. That changed in some ways during the 2025 season, as the Wolfpack banked on fourth-down aggression in short-yardage and often let Bailey attack down the field with his big arm. With two years of experience under his belt, the quarterback is poised for more. If Doeren sits back and allows his talented signal-caller to let it rip, better days could be coming to Raleigh.

Win the must-wins

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on against Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Assuming most of the programs in the ACC hover around the same level that they played at a season ago, NC State should be poised for more success in conference play. Of the Wolfpack's nine conference matchups in 2026, seven of those teams finished below the seventh-place Pack in 2025

A few of those teams, particularly Cal and Louisville, are destined for major improvements in the coming season, but the same argument could be made for Doeren and the Wolfpack. Dominating in the games that should be easy wins will help NC State build the confidence it needs to compete against programs in a similar weight class. Wins over Richmond, Appalachian State, Stanford, Syracuse and North Carolina are must-haves if this team is going to win 10 games.

Make Carter-Finley a fortress

NC State football — Nov 21, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack fans on look to a game during the first half of the game against Florida State Seminoles at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Doeren knows better than anyone that one of the best weapons at his disposal is a ferocious home crowd that fills up Carter-Finley Stadium every weekend to root for the Wolfpack. That crowd can make the difference in games, which NC State has seen firsthand over the last two seasons. In 2025, the program went 6-1 at home. In a down year in 2024, the Pack still finished 4-3 at home.

Seven of the team's 12 games in 2026 are slated to be played in Carter-Finley Stadium. If Doeren can get his team to take advantage of its strong home field, the margin for error away from Raleigh is much wider in the quest for 10 wins.

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