North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren is expected to return in 2017, multiple industry sources told 247Sports this week.

Doeren, in his fourth season, has a 23-25 record. After consecutive winning seasons, the Wolfpack is presently 5-5 with remaining games against Miami and at North Carolina.

The 44-year-old Doeren was rewarded with a contract extension in early 2015, just after the team completed an 8-5 season that concluded with a win against UCF in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. If he were to be fired following the 2016 season, the school would owe him $2.52 million. The buyout would go to $1.68 million next year and $840,000 the following year.

More than the buyout, though, those familiar with the situation say there’s an understanding that sharing a division with Clemson, FSU and Louisville is inherently challenging. And one source noted that the perception of Doeren’s job performance would be vastly different if NC State had held on at then-No. 3 Clemson last month. The Pack missed a 33-yard field goal from the center of the field at the end of regulation, ultimately falling 24-17 in overtime.

Losses to East Carolina and Boston College are troubling to administrators, the sources said, but they're more than likely willing to extend patience to Doeren for another season. The Wolfpack in 2015 had the No. 6 recruiting class in the ACC per the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings. Last season they were ninth (of 14 teams) and so far in 2017 they have the No. 10 class.