Former NC State football coach Chuck Amato dies at 80
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Former NC State head coach Chuck Amato died Monday at 80 after a throat cancer battle.
He led the Wolfpack's only 11-win season and mentored coaches now across the sport.
Background
Chuck Amato was a former NC State football head coach (2000-2006) who had also played and coached at the school and spent 1982-99 as an assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Hours after helping Florida State win the 1999 national championship, he was hired to lead NC State, where he went 49-37 overall and took the Wolfpack to five bowls. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009, later returned to coaching as defensive coordinator at Akron, and retired for good after the 2017 season there. News of his death drew tributes from the university, North Carolina's governor and former players and assistants.
How it unfolded
- 2000 -2006Amato served as NC State head coach, going 49-37 overall (25-31 ACC) with four bowl wins and five bowl appearances.
- 2002His Wolfpack went 11-3, the school's only double-digit win season, beat Florida State to end the regular season and beat Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, finishing No. 12 in the AP poll.
- 2009Amato was initially diagnosed with throat cancer.
- 2012He returned to coaching as Terry Bowden's defensive coordinator at Akron.
- 2017Amato retired for good after the 2017 season at Akron.
- Oct 19, 2026Amato died early Monday morning at age 80 at his home in Raleigh under hospice care, after battling throat cancer; NC State confirmed the death.
- Oct 19, 2026Tributes came from Gov. Josh Stein, Duke coach Manny Diaz and former Steelers coach Bill Cowher; memorial service arrangements had not yet been finalized.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- NC State said Amato was "a one-of-a-kind coach and a one-of-a-kind person" and that the school mourns his loss and celebrates his life.
- Official
- North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Amato was "NC State to his core" and "a good coach and, by all accounts, a better man."
- Expert
- Duke coach Manny Diaz, who spent six years on Amato's staff, said he wouldn't be standing there today without Amato and called him "one of the greatest defensive coordinators in history."
- Support
- Former player and assistant David Horning said that if you knew Amato, you loved him: "And I loved him."
Still unverified
Amato's death was initially reported as "reportedly" died, with news breaking via Cory Smith of 247 Sports before NC State confirmed it; reports also said the cancer came out of remission in recent years and that he battled progression of the disease.