N.C. State has completed its coaching staff turnover with the hire of Appalachian State offensive line coach/co-offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford as the Pack’s new offensive line coach. Ledford replaces Mike Uremovich, who took a job at Northern Illinois as offensive coordinator earlier this month.
Ledford crosses a lot of checkboxes for NCSU. He is a native of the state, playing high school football at McDowell High in Marion and collegiately at ECU before embarking on a brief NFL career. He coached high school football in Raleigh at Sanderson High before moving to the college ranks.
His work at Appalachian State impressed. In 2014, they were 18th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards per game (241.8) and tied for sixth in fewest sacks allowed per contest (0.92).
Those numbers improved in 2015. The Mountaineers’ 271.5 rushing yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry both ranked sixth in FBS, and they allowed just 11 sacks, 0.85 per game. Both of those stats were fifth fewest in FBS.
Against Clemson in September, Appalachian State held its own at the line. They rushed for 202 yards on 45 carries (4.5 yards per run) and gave up just one sack.