Earlier this week, North Carolina State announced that head coach Mark Gottfried will not be returning for his seventh season. The Wolfpack have had arguably one of their most talented rosters under Gottfried this season, but have struggled all season long and currently sit in 14th place in the ACC. Even if star point guard Dennis Smith Jr. goes pro like many expect, N. C. State will still have a lot of talent on their roster next season and with the right coach could see a quick turnaround similar to what Josh Pastner has done at Georgia Tech this season.

Due to the fact that the season is still in progress, this list is only speculation. With that being said, here is my way too early list of coaches that could be in the running.

Archie Miller

Career Record: 136-60

Current Position: Head Coach at Dayton

If I was the athletic director at North Carolina State, my first call would be to Archie Miller. Miller played for the Wolfpack from 1998 to 2002, and was an assistant under Herb Sendek from 2004-2006. In 2011, Miller got his first crack as a head coach with Dayton and has excelled in his six seasons at the helm of the Flyers going 136-60. Miller guided the Flyers to their third Elite Eight in program history and first since 1984. While the Wolfpack have been solid on offense this season, their defense has been one of the worst in the nation this season, allowing opponents to score 80.1 PPG. That is one area where Miller can come in and immediately help. This year his team is holding opponents to only 65 PPG, which is good for 32nd in the nation. Miller is a young coach at 38 years old and has his best years ahead of him, it would not be a shock if the next step in his coaching career is to return to his alma mater.

Will Wade

Career Record: 88-44

Current Position: Head Coach at VCU

Will Wade is another young coach who could come in and improve the Wolfpack’s defense from day one. Wade uses the same type of defense as his predecessor at VCU, which is called “havoc.” It is a constant full court press that aims to confuse opponents and force turnovers. This season the Rams have forced their opponents to turn the ball over more than 15 times a game, which leads to a lot of transition offense. While Wade is young at only 34 years old, he has a decent track record with a pair of winning seasons at both Chattanooga and VCU. He is also a very good recruiter, and his 2017 class shows it. Wade has four players currently committed to VCU for 2017 including top-100 talent Lavar Batts from North Carolina.

Bob McKillop

Career Record: 530-327

Current Position: Head Coach at Davidson

Bob McKillop is the oldest coach on the list at 66 years old. McKillop has spent his entire head coaching career at Davidson. During his time there, McKillop has put together an impressive career racking up a record of 530-327, with the biggest highlight being his 2008 run to the Elite Eight that featured Stephen Curry. While his Wildcats are struggling this season, McKillop has a proven track record of getting them to the tournament with appearances in six of the last twelve NCAA Tournaments. I do not believe it is likely that McKillop will leave Davidson, but if he does I would expect it to be for a school in the ACC. He is very familiar with the conference and has played fourteen games against ACC schools since the start of the 2011 season, however, his team was unable to pick up the win in any of them.

Kermit Davis

Career Record: 371-228

Current Position: Head Coach at Middle Tennessee State

Kermit Davis has been one of the hottest coaches in the mid-major ranks since the start of last season, going 47-13 including a shocking upset of Michigan State last season as a 15 seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament. His Blue Raiders will once again be a dangerous team come March thanks to one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. MTSU has also excelled at protecting the ball this season, and is fifteenth in the nation in turnovers per game with 10.6. This is another area where N.C. State has struggled and would likely improve with a new coach next season. While Davis did just sign an extension with MTSU last summer through 2019, he is only making $450,000 annually compared to the $2.5 million Mark Gottfried was being paid by N.C. State before being fired.

King Rice

Career Record: 103-90

Current Position: Head Coach at Monmouth

While most people know Monmouth for their bench antics from last season, King Rice has turned the Hawks into a very dangerous team. In his first four years at Monmouth, Rice struggled to get his team where he wanted it and amassed a record of 51-77. However, since then, the Hawks have been one of the better mid-major teams in the country going 52-13. Rice has never led a team to the NCAA Tournament as a coach, but played in four straight under Dean Smith at North Carolina from 1988-1991. His Hawks are one of the better offensive teams in the nation, averaging 81.1 PPG while also proving to be solid on the defensive side where Monmouth is 39th in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage at 46.7%