Lutz assumes new role at NC State

Bobby Lutz, who’s been a member of the NC State coaching staff for the last five seasons, has been named Special Assistant to the Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations, Mark Gottfried announced Tuesday.

“My family and I have loved our five years at NC State and are very proud of what we have accomplished,” Lutz said in a release. “I look forward to aiding the program in my new role and will continue to give my very best effort.”

Earlier in the day, rumors swirled that Lutz may be headed to a position under new Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner, but with NC State’s release Tuesday, Lutz is most certainly staying in Raleigh.

Lutz’s new responsibilities will include “administrative duties” associated with the men’s basketball program. Those duties include development of players off the court, housing arrangements and logistics associated with the team’s future international trip.

“I’m grateful for all of Bobby’s contributions to our program and am pleased that he will continue to be of benefit to our student athletes,” Gottfried said in a release.

The move opens up an assistant coaching position on Gottfried’s staff and could explain earlier reports from Gary Parrish of CBS Sports that Florida Gulf Coast head coach Joe Dooley may wind up on N.C. State’s bench.
Nothing has been made official, but a decision could apparently be made by the end of the week. Parrish notes that a salary increase might play a huge role in Dooley’s decision.

“We don’t comment on jobs. I’m the coach here,” Dooley told The News-Press on Monday. Talking about it doesn’t really help me or help anything else. I think I’ve been pretty consistent that we’re going to not comment on any other jobs.”

Dooley has spent the last three years at Florida Gulf Coast, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time with the program in 2016. Despite being bounced by North Carolina at PNC Arena, he clearly made an impression on Mark Gottfried and the NC State staff.

During his first head coaching attempt, Dooley struggled with East Carolina from 1995-99. He led the Pirates to two winning seasons in four seasons before serving as an assistant at New Mexico, Wyoming and eventually finding a home for a decade at Kansas.

If Dooley does make the move, he would join Orlando Early and Butch Pierre as former head coaches serving on the Wolfpack’s staff. But he’s not making any promises about his future.

“I could get run over by a car on the way home,” Dooley said when asked if he could guarantee he’d be coach at FGCU next season. “You know the way people in Florida drive.”

 

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