The news came suddenly (and oddly). Sometime shortly before midnight on Saturday evening, USA Today college football reporter Dan Wolken tweeted that N.C. State offensive coordinator Matt Canada had been relieved of his duties by head coach Dave Doeren.
It was a bit of a dramatic fall for Canada. Just weeks before he had reportedly interviewed for a head coaching job at East Carolina, and last year he was pursued by Tennessee for its offensive coordinator opening. It also came a year after the Wolfpack averaged 33.2 points per game and 412.8 yards per contest.
Canada was the first domino of what could be an offensive coaching staff overhaul. Offensive line coach Mike Uremovich was hired by Northern Illinois to be its offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach Eddie Faulkner is rumored to be a strong candidate for the vacant Ball State head coach job.
The losses of Canada and Uremovich means that of Doeren’s original staff when he was hired in December of 2012, only Faulkner (for the moment), running backs coach Des Kitchings, defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, safeties coach Clayton White and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Dave Huxtable remain.
Is there a chance for more changes? WRAL’s Jeff Gravley reported Sunday afternoon that Doeren was still in “deep evaluation on the defensive side.”