Debbie Yow retires with plenty accomplished

By Jeff Gravley

At her introductory press conference on June 25, 2010, Debbie Yow said she didn't become NC State's athletic director to win a popularity contest.

"A functioning athletic director who is going to be efficient and effective for a university can't have popularity as their number one goal," she said that June day.

So I asked her as she retires, does it matter what people think about her?

"Yes, it does matter to me," Yow said. "But what trumps that is taking care of NC State athletics. If that makes be unpopular in some quarters, so be it."

Yow made no hesitation to stand up for what she thinks is right, especially when it came to NC State athletics. She's been a provider and protector of 23 sports, athletes and coaches, plus has a rabid fan base to inform.

"When I feel like we're right, I'm going to defend us," Yow said. "As in, our men should have been in the NCAA tournament (this year). I am going to say that out loud and I'm going to tell you why I think that."

What Yow has done in her nine-year tenure is elevate an entire athletic program. She inherited a program that ranked 89th in the Directors' Cup standings, a measurement of the success of all athletic programs. She leaves with the chance for the Wolfpack to post three consecutive top 15 finishes in the Cup standings.

"There is a great sense of pride when other people are looking at us as a model for how to improve," Yow explained. "It's a lot more challenging to do though than to talk about."

While the Olympic sports have set the pace for national success, the revenue generators--football and men's basketball--are still trying to end ACC Championship droughts. Football last won in 1979 and basketball in 1987.

"I don't think about the championship thing in the same way," she quickly answered. "First thing first, and that is become a perennial top 25 team, first. You can't build a culture of excellence if only two of the 23 teams that you have get everything they not only need but want."

She has made 17 coaching hires and Mark Gottfried is one that could be looked at as regrettable. The recent FBI probe into college basketball exposed alleged payments designed to lure Dennis Smith Jr. to NC State. Will it lead to sanctions by the NCAA?

"I really can't talk about that," Yow said referring to an active case. "All I know is what you know. We have a guy named T.J. Gassnola who said something occurred. We'll find out later, I suppose."

It's an unsolved case, but as Debbie Yow exits NC State one thing is for sure, she left the athletic program better than she found it.

"I think that our coaches and our student-athletes have really come together over the last nine years and remembered who we are," Yow said. "Getting a little bit of our mojo back."

But Yow certainly knows there is work to be done at NC State.

"We're nowhere near what we can become as an athletic program, but we're certainly better than we were nine years ago."