Pack Your Bags
Posted April 2, 2006, 11:17 AM ET

Ladies and gentlemen, Herb Sendek has left the building.

Wolfpack Nation thought the news of Sendek leaving for Arizona State was an April Fool's joke. It's not. The question for Wolfpack fans and administrators is now..."Who's next?"

The State fans that have been howling for the dismissal and removal of Herb Sendek now have their wish; and the question remains...what qualities does the next coach have to possess to keep Pack fans in a giving mood?

For Sendek, it is a great getaway from Tobacco Road to the Valley of the Sun. He no longer has to put up with a fan base that believes they are a national power in-waiting, and he can concentrate on resurrecting the Sun Devil hoops program in the laid-back Pac 10. Herb will enjoy not having to deal with Roy, K and more importantly, many Wolfpack fans.

Herb Sendek did a solid job in Raleigh. He leaves the Wolfpack with 5 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, but that wasn't good enough for thousands of Wolfpack fans. There were no banners in the RBC, and he didn't beat UNC and Duke with any regularity. Sendek leaves State and the ACC with his reputation intact, and he leaves as one of the classiest guys that has coached in the tradition-rich league.

State fans for the most part didn't want to hear about kids graduating, no NCAA problems or investigations; or the fact that State was one of 15 programs that made it to the Big Dance in each of the past five seasons.

Now, the N.C. State program and the tons of fans that have been screaming for a change get their chance to show everyone how big a deal Wolfpack basketball is on Tobacco Raod and nationally.

To keep the natives happy, the next coach must be able to beat Duke & UNC, and be a factor in the ACC race. So, who wants the job?

The same fans who wanted Sendek out have emailed me and called my radio shows declaring that coaches like Rick Barnes, Jim Calhoun, John Calipari and Tubby Smith would be nuts to stay at their respective programs if the Wolfpack job opened up....Well guys, there is a job opening in Raleigh. Are there any takers? We'll see; only time will tell what the short list will look like in the upcoming weeks.

Will AD Lee Fowler, an avid Sendek supporter, be able to lure a big-time blue chip coach to Tobacco Road to challenge Duke and North Carolina?

If a legitimate big-time coach does take the plunge and comes to N.C. State, how long will the Wolfpack fan base give him to compete on equal footing with the bluebloods of the ACC and the nation? It has already been proven that making 5 straight NCAA Tournaments didn't seem to whet the appetite of Wolfpack Nation...you better win something and you better beat those dark and light shades of blue.

State fans feel that they are in the same league as Duke and North Carolina. They point to 10 ACC titles and 2 National championships. They will tell you that if the "right coach" shows up, there is no reason why the Pack couldn't sip from the same glass of champagne as the boys from Carolina and Duke.

But what happens if State can't land the big name coach? Is that a sign that Wolfpack fans are delusional about where their program fits in the big picture?

If the Pack lands a coach from a "mid-major" or a hot-shot assistant, can that guy expect to beat Coach K and Roy Williams on a regular basis? And will State fans show any sign of patience with the new guy if he fails against their arch rivals and also fails to maintain Sendek's consistency of making the NCAA Tourney and standards away from the court?

And on a side note, what about the Wolfpack football program? Chuck Amato has been given as much of a pass as Sendek was given grief. With a new basketball coach being hired in Raleigh, it seems to me that it is time for Chuck and the boys to start doing something in the ACC. The new basketball coach will have a honeymoon period to "turn around (?)" the program, and that means Amato is next on the "hotseat".

It has been well documented that Amato has a sub .500 record in league play, and the colorful coach has talked a big game about bringing national attention to the Wolfpack program. It is also well documented that the Wolfpack program hasn't won an ACC title since the 70's....Isn't it time for Amato to produce? If State continues to lose to John Bunting at UNC and wallows around with a 7-5 or 6-6 record...it won't be long before State fans clamor for his head, too. They'll tell you that there is no reason why the Pack can't win titles in the ACC.

Wolfpack fans are compelling. Even though the Pack hasn't hung a championship banner in football or basketball in decades...they can take solace in knowing that they still have the title of being the most talked-about fan base in college athletics. And the next basketball coach in Raleigh will add to the intrigue.