When Herb Sendek headed west to the Arizona desert, NC State had an opportunity to hire a young coach who had built a Winthrop program into a top 25 team. Under the ever questionable leadership of Lee Fowler, the Pack passed on Gregg Marshall, who later went on to build a perennial top 25 team at Wichita State and has perhaps now priced himself out of the picture for the Pack in their current coaching search.
Will NC State again regret it if it doesn’t take a serious look at Winthrop’s head man? Pat Kelsey has not taken the Eagles to quite the heights seen under Marshall’s leadership, but, unlike Marshall, Kelsey has significant high-major experience as an assistant, including a stint in the ACC with Wake Forest.