NC State made another coaching move on Saturday, parting ways with defensive coordinator DJ Eliot as the changes around the program keep coming fast.
The school’s release was blunt: “NC State defensive coordinator DJ Eliot has been relieved of his duties.
Charlton Warren will handle the defensive play calling for the remainder of the season, while Zac Roper will coach the running backs and coordinate special teams.”
Eliot had been on the Wolfpack staff since before the 2025 season, arriving after Tony Gibson left Raleigh to take over as head coach at Marshall. Before that, Eliot spent 2024 at Baylor as a senior analyst and worked in 2023 as the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
His résumé before the NFL included stops as defensive coordinator at Temple in 2022, along with previous coordinator roles at Kansas, Colorado and Texas.
On the field, the results never caught up. Over Eliot’s season and a half directing the defense, NC State struggled badly in the ACC rankings.
In 2025, the Wolfpack sits 12th in scoring defense, 14th in total defense, 11th against the run and 14th against the pass. Through seven games this season, those numbers have slipped to 14th in scoring defense, 12th in total defense, 9th in run defense and 13th in pass defense.
The pass rush never became the calling card it was supposed to be. NC State ranked 14th in the ACC in sacks last season and is 16th this year.
The timing of the move points straight to Friday night, when Stanford hung 31 points and 477 total yards on the Wolfpack. That was a rough look against a Cardinal offense that came into the game last in the ACC in scoring.
Eliot also coached the outside linebackers, and the school has not said who will handle that group for the rest of the season. Isaiah Moore coaches the inside linebackers.
Warren already carried the title of co-defensive coordinator and also worked with the safeties and nickels. With this move, the “co” is gone.
Roper’s responsibilities are changing because Todd Goebbel was named interim head coach after Doeren’s firing, and those duties now need a new home.
For NC State, the last 24 hours have been a whirlwind.
In Other News...
NC States Coaching Change Comes With A Price Fans Will Notice
Baylors decision to move on from Dave Aranda after seven seasons added another major coaching change to a cycle already familiar to college football fans, and it put North Carolina State and Maryland in the same conversation for a less glamorous reason. Each school is facing a sizable financial hit tied to its coaching change, with Baylors reported buyout around $12 million, Marylands near $9.75 million, and NC States sitting at about $10.3 million.
For the Wolfpack, the numbers are a reminder that a coaching reset does not come cheaply, even before a replacement is identified. Potential candidates are already being mentioned around the sport, but for now the focus in Raleigh is on the cost of the change itself and what it means for a program trying to manage both the football search and the price tag attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Is Suddenly At Center Of NC State's Biggest Decision
NC States coaching search has quickly turned into a familiar kind of offseason intrigue, with the school moving on from Dave Doeren and beginning the process of finding its next head football coach. Among the names getting attention is one that will land with a lot of weight in Raleigh: Philip Rivers, the former Wolfpack quarterback who is now coaching at the high school level and has stayed closely connected to the program.
Rivers has surfaced as a potential candidate in reports from multiple sources, adding another layer to a search that already carries plenty of pressure for the program. His family connection to NC State only heightens the interest around the opening, but for now the picture remains unsettled as the university works through its options and no official hire has been announced. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Front Office Shakeup Just Sparked A Fascinating GM Debate
NC States football front office has already had a notable reset this fall, with general manager Andy Vaughn out after the loss to Stanford. Vaughn had been hired in February 2023 and was taking on his first GM role after working in player personnel and recruiting, so the move signals a fresh turn in how the Wolfpack wants to organize the job behind the scenes.
The opening has naturally stirred debate over who might be next to guide that side of the program. One name being floated is former Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim, though there has been no official confirmation that he wants the position or that NC State is ready to move in that direction. For a program looking to stabilize and sharpen its football operation, the search now becomes as interesting as the firing itself. [Read more 🡒]