Gottfried Named Coach

Former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried has accepted the position of head men’s basketball coach at NC State.

Gottfried led the Crimson Tide to a No. 1 national ranking and Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament. His resume includes 11 years in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference and experience in rebuilding a men’s program.

“We are blessed to have hired a proven winner and an outstanding coach who is well prepared by experience and total commitment to lead in the rebuilding of Wolfpack men’s basketball,” said Athletics Director Debbie Yow. “State is committed to having a consistently ranked Top 25 program and a successful NCAA postseason program, with student-athletes who are successful on the court and in the classroom. We have taken an important step in that direction with the hiring of Mark Gottfried as our leader of the program.”

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity and challenge,” Gottfried said. “I have always had great respect for the tradition of excellence here at State and I look forward to helping build this basketball program into a national contender.”

“I have known Debbie Yow for nearly 30 years and have admired her desire for greatness. After meeting with Randy Woodson, Debbie and the search committee, there is no question in my mind that we can achieve high levels of success here. That leadership combined with our world-class facilities and passionate fan base is a great foundation for building a championship program.”

Prior to his stint at Alabama, Gottfried spent seven years as an assistant at UCLA and was on the staff when the Bruins won the 1995 national championship. He served as head coach at Murray State for three seasons, where he coached the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference titles. His last squad at Murray State posted a 29-4 record.

Gottfried, 47, most recently served as an ESPN basketball analyst.

As a player, Gottfried was a freshman All-American and later led the Alabama team to three consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons.

He is the son of basketball coach Joe Gottfried, who served as athletic director at South Alabama for the last 28 years. His uncle, Mike Gottfried, was a longtime football coach and serves as an ESPN college football analyst.

Gottfried’s Crimson Tide amassed more than 210 wins during his 11 years as head coach. He led the program to two significant firsts by achieving a No. 1 ranking during the 2002-03 season and playing in the 2004 Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament. Under his guidance, the Crimson Tide was invited to five straight NCAA tournaments.

Gottfried and his wife Elizabeth have five children, with the eldest son currently playing football at Stanford.