Chuck Amato, the former North Carolina State head football coach who led the Wolfpack to its only double-digit-win season in school history, has died at age 80. Amato had previously battled throat cancer and spent several months in hospice care before his death.
Amato's death was reported by WBTV, which cited Cory Smith of 247Sports in reporting that Amato had battled throat cancer and passed away after being in hospice care for several months. According to the News & Observer, Amato was first diagnosed with throat cancer in December 2009, and his chemotherapy and radiation treatments were successful at the time. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and daughters LuGina and Selena, the paper reported.
A Career Rooted in Raleigh
Amato's connection to NC State stretched back decades before he ever became head coach. He played linebacker for the Wolfpack under legendary coach Earle Edwards from 1965 to 1967 and served as the defense's captain during his senior season, according to 247Sports. He later returned to Raleigh as a member of the coaching staff from 1971 through 1979, working his way from graduate assistant to defensive secondary coach and eventually defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, per Akron Athletics.
Between those two stints in Raleigh, Amato spent 21 seasons on Bobby Bowden's staff at Florida State overall, including a stint from 1982 through 1999 and a later stint from 2007 to 2009, helping turn the Seminoles into a national powerhouse, according to USA Today. He returned to NC State as head coach in 2000 and ran the program through the 2006 season, compiling a 49-37 overall record that still ranks fourth in program history, per WRAL.
The 2002 Season and a Program Milestone
The signature achievement of Amato's tenure came in 2002, when NC State finished 11-3 and capped the season with a Gator Bowl victory over Notre Dame, as 247Sports reported. Sources differ on how that team was ranked nationally afterward: USA Today reported the Wolfpack closed at No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, while WRAL reported the team finished No. 12 in the AP Top 25. Overall, Amato led NC State to five bowl appearances and a 4-1 record in those games, according to Akron Athletics.
Amato's final coaching job came at Akron, where he worked the last six seasons of his career, from 2012 to 2017, as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach under Terry Bowden, per the same USA Today report. His path through the sport took him from Raleigh to Tallahassee and back again before closing in Ohio — a nearly five-decade arc that shaped generations of coaches who passed through his staffs.
Colleagues Remember Amato's Influence
Among those shaped by Amato was Manny Diaz, now Duke's head coach, who spent six years on Amato's NC State staff. Speaking at an October 19 press conference, Diaz called Amato one of the greatest defensive coordinators in history and said Amato had a profound influence on his career. Diaz also said Amato loved NC State University deeply and described building a great program as requiring extraordinarily high standards.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Chapel Hill native, also paid tribute to Amato, posting a message on social media following news of his death. NC State has had two head football coaches since Amato left Raleigh — Tom O'Brien and current coach Dave Doeren, who has since become the program's winningest coach.
