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Sep 16, 2017; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers defensive coordinator Tony Gibson walks along the sidelines during the first quarter against the Delaware State Hornets at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images Ben Queen-Imagn Images

How Will NC State's Former Defensive Coordinator Do?

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The 2024 season for NC State football ended as a disappointment and a blemish on head coach Dave Doeren's resume. Change was needed across the board and both coordinators ended up departing the program. Doeren relieved offensive coordinator Robert Anae of his duties.

Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson left for a different reason. He became the latest limb on Doeren's coaching tree after he took the head coaching job at Marshall.

Gibson spent five seasons under Doeren in Raleigh, but will now lead the Thundering Herd through the Sun Belt Conference in 2025.

Gibson's Wolfpack Tenure

A veteran of the coaching ranks, Gibson patiently waited for the right opportunity to prove himself as a head coach.

While with the Wolfpack, the coordinator led some of the program's best defensive units and coached some of its top defensive talent. With his secondary position as the team's linebacker coach, Gibson mentored elite linebackers like Isaiah Moore and Payton Wilson.

In 2021, the NC State defense finished second in the ACC in scoring defense under Gibson, allowing just 19.7 points. The team also ranked in the top five for total defense, rushing defense, passing efficiency defense and passing yards allowed per game.

His efforts in 2021 led to Gibson being nominated for the Broyles Award, an annual award for the nation's top assistant coach.

While the defense struggled in his final season, Gibson left on his own to pursue his first opportunity to be the leading man.

We are Marshall

The Thundering Herd is coming off one of the best seasons in recent program history. The team went 10-3 and won its first conference championship since 2014. Problems ensued quickly, as head coach Charles Huff departed the program to become the head coach at Southern Mississippi, causing a massive departure of players before the scheduled bowl game.

Because of the exodus, Gibson was brought in quickly and forced to remake the roster on the fly. The Herd won't have a single player who rushed for a yard returning to the roster in 2025.

It could be tough for Gibson in year one, but the coach will work to keep the program from completely falling apart.

Doeren's Coaching Tree

Gibson marked the fourth coach to work under Dave Doeren and subsequently get a head coaching job elsewhere.

The most successful of the bunch is current Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, who took over for the Tigers in 2020. Drinkwitz worked under Doeren from 2016 to 2018 as the offensive coordinator before he became the head coach of Appalachian State for one season. He's amassed a 50-25 record as a head coach across his two stops.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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