D1CW Spotlight on New Head Coaches

 
 

To read the entire article from D1CW, click here. Below is the segment featuring Coach Popolizio:

NC State-Pat Popolizio

Coaching Resume:

2006-2012 Head Coach-Binghamton University

2004-2006 Assistant Coach-American University

2003-2004 Assistant Coach-US Military Academy

2002-2003 Assistant Coach-Sacred Heart University

Background:

The NC State Wolfpack won the Pat Popolizio coaching sweepstakes.  Over the past few seasons it was rumored that Popolizio would land at a handful of different big time jobs.  He earned the title of "Hot Coaching Prospect" by taking a non-fully funded Binghamton team from scratch to become a team that finished 14th at the NCAA Championships with two NCAA All-Americans in 2011-12.  Prior to the 2008-09 season Binghamton never had a DI All-American.  He has also been credited with helping Mark Cody lay the foundation that helped become a top ten program at American University.

The Future:

The Future is exactly what they are building for in Raleigh.  Pat Popolizio and his staff are in the midst of changing the culture at NC State, so the 2012-13 edition of the Wolfpack will feature a young, inexperienced team after multiple veterans are no longer with the program.  One of Popolizio's prized pupil's from Binghamton, 2012 True Freshman All-American Nick Gwiazdowski, has transferred to NC State but will redshirt in the 2012-13 season. 

Pat Popolizio has assembled a very good coaching staff to assist him at NC State starting with one of his coaches from Binghamton in Frank Beasley.  He doesn't get the credit that other assistant's nationwide get, but Beasley is one of the better assistants out there. Prior to his stint in Binghamton, Beasley helped Buffalo haul in the #11 overall recruiting class by D1CW in 2010-11. Also on board is Popolizio's Oklahoma State teammate Jamill Kelly, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist.  How many coaching staff's can claim that?

One intangible that has to be mentioned about the NC State coaching position is the support that they will be getting from their administration.  Athletic Director Debbie Yow is one of the biggest proponents for Olympic sports as far as AD's go.  She previously was the AD at the University of Maryland and oversaw the construction of the program by Pat Santoro, and also hired current Head Coach Kerry McCoy.  As soon as she took the position at NC State the program got a boost forward.  In the long run, don't be suprised if the Wolfpack breakthrough and unseat the northern ACC teams (Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech) as the class of the conference.