“I Want to Beat the S*** Out of That Team": NC State Coach Dave Doeren Fires Up ECU Rivalry Ahead of Season Opener

Photo from Fayetteville Observer

The long-simmering tension between East Carolina and NC State football just boiled over thanks to a fiery quote from Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren that has Pirate Nation buzzing.

Speaking at ACC Kickoff on Thursday in Charlotte, Doeren didn’t hold back when asked about the upcoming season opener in Raleigh.“I don't want to just win that game. I want to beat the s*** out of that team,” Doeren told ESPN’s David Hale. Not because of them but because of how we played. I told our team in the locker room, that's the most embarrassed I've ever been as a coach — not because we lost but because of how we behaved at the end of it.”

He was referring to the 2024 Military Bowl, where ECU upset NC State 26–21 before a chaotic postgame brawl between players from both sides. The Pirates stood their ground and took home the trophy, while the Wolfpack left with bruised egos — and now, apparently, a score to settle.

Doeren doubled down on his frustration: “To me, it's disrespectful to the game of football. It's disrespectful to the staff and the fans… and if it's my way, it'll be in blowout fashion.”

Doeren’s tone is a stark shift from his comments before the bowl game. At the time, he downplayed the rivalry: “It’s kind of hard to call us rivals now because we don’t play each other every year,” he said in December. “But we’re in-state opponents… and there’s Wolfpack families whose kids are students at ECU.”

Still, the history between the two programs runs deep. The Pirates and Wolfpack are dead even over the last 10 matchups, with each team winning five. And ECU’s bowl win last year only reignited the fire.

Now, with the rematch set for August 28 at Carter-Finley Stadium, ECU fans won’t need any extra motivation but Doeren may have just given them a little more.