NC State’s football front office appears to be changing quickly after the Wolfpack’s loss to Stanford on Friday night, with reporting indicating the school has moved on from general manager Andy Vaughn.
According to Kate Rogerson of ABC11, Vaughn was fired after the game. Rogerson also posted on X, “NC State has also fired football GM Andy Vaughn, per sources.”
Vaughn had been in Raleigh since February of 2023, when he was hired as the program’s general manager. Before that, he worked at Arizona State, Miami, Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada, Middle Tennessee State and Clemson. Raleigh was his first run as a general manager; his background before that was in player personnel and recruiting.
The move has already sparked speculation about a possible replacement, and former NC State All-ACC offensive lineman Steve Keim has made himself part of the conversation. Keim, who spent 2013-2023 as the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, has said publicly that he would be interested in the job.
Ten days ago, Keim appeared on the Bald Takes Podcast and said NC State should hire him as the general manager, adding that he would hire Philip Rivers and bring in more 5-star recruits than we’ve ever seen. He then reposted that clip on his Instagram story eight hours ago before news broke about Doeren or Vaughn being fired.
Three hours ago, Keim posted an old photo of himself with Philip Rivers and former NC State safety Adrian Wilson.
Then, just now, he reposted the latest article about Rivers being in the mix for the opening in Raleigh and wrote, “I’m ready when you are. I’m ready to go home.”
That said, none of that means Keim is the next general manager for NC State, or even that the school is interested.
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NC State Just Hit A Breaking Point Fans Saw Coming
NC States latest trip through the ACC grind ended with another gut-check result, a 31-28 loss to Stanford that left the Wolfpack searching for answers on defense and in the passing game. The Cardinal moved the ball at will for long stretches, mixing enough balance into their attack to keep NC State on its heels and making the afternoon feel heavier than a one-score final might suggest.
The Wolfpack did find some resistance from unexpected places, with quarterback CJ Bailey leading the team in rushing and running back Davion Gause finishing as the top receiver. But the bigger concern is how often Stanford found space, because the performance raised the same question NC State has been trying to answer all season: whether this defense can steady itself before the margin for error disappears completely. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Just Showed The Kind Of Offense Fans Will Notice
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Paul McNeil Jr. and Ven-Allen Lubin were the main reasons the scoreboard kept climbing. McNeil finished with 23 points and seven 3-pointers, while Lubin added 22 points on perfect shooting, plus nine rebounds and four blocks. For a team looking to give fans something they can recognize immediately, this was the sort of offensive showing that sticks in the mind long after the exhibition ends. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Finally Made The Dave Doeren Decision Fans Feared
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What makes the decision sting even more is the timing around it, with Doeren still under contract through 2029 when the program chose to make the change. The loss to a struggling Stanford team only sharpened the frustration around a season that had already gone off track, and now NC State has to figure out where it goes next after finally pulling the plug on a tenure many around the program had seen reaching this point. [Read more 🡒]