Coaches often strategize even away from the practice fields.
N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren knew exactly what he was doing when he placed Ruffin McNeill’s office right next to his in the Wendell H. Murphy Center.
“Yeah, he’s next door, it’s nice,” Doeren said with a laugh. “I don’t have to go far.”
McNeill, the North Carolina native, former East Carolina head coach and universally loved football veteran, was hired as the special assistant to the head coach in July. In his new role he doesn’t do any coaching on the field, but he’s around to give his point of view on things, be a listening ear for young coaches and the players, and just one door away when Doeren needs to take a break.
McNeill’s role can best be defined as an extra set of eyes and ears for Doeren. McNeill, 62, has been in that coach’s seat, for many years as an assistant and a six-year stint as the head coach at his Alma mater, ECU.
During his stops McNeill has been around Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks and a host of NFL Draft picks. He is an encyclopedia of football knowledge, which makes his office a popular place, whether it’s Doeren popping in for a second, a graduate assistant who needs some advice or Wolfpack players picking his brain about a current or former NFL player he’s coached.
McNeill doesn’t do much on the field, his role won’t allow him to, but he sits in on meetings and watches every practice. When there is a place to make a suggestion or observation, he does.
It’s not the same as being the head guy, but he’s settling in.
“For me it’s been different,” McNeill said. “But it’s been good as well.”
When it was announced over the summer that McNeill was coming back to North Carolina, it was a celebration all across the state.
Former players, associates, high school coaches, you name it, they were all happy that McNeill was home. McNeill grew up in Lumberton, but hadn’t been a resident of North Carolina since he was let go from ECU after the 2015 season. The next stop was Virginia, where he was the assistant head coach and worked with the defensive tackles. After one season in Charlottesville his former Pirates’ offensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley, recruited McNeill to Oklahoma to serve on his staff. McNeill stayed in Norman for three seasons before resigning at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.
McNeill was a free agent until Doeren thought it would be a good idea to bring his longtime friend onboard at N.C. State. McNeill was back in coaching, most importantly, he was in North Carolina and close to his ailing father, who is still in Lumberton.
When McNeill spoke with the media in July, he expressed that being close to his father was very important and blessed that things worked out so that he could work with Doeren, but be a short drive away from home.
“I’m glad to be back close to him. He knows I’m close, that helps and then my brother is also here, but it’s good to be near him,” McNeill said. “It’s going to be a great week. I’ll be able to spend a couple of days down there with him.”
The Wolfpack just finished its bye week, which means McNeill will have more time to make the 90 minute drive to see his family.
A return to North Carolina also meant McNeill’s wife, Erlene, will also be closer to her family.
“She’s near her mom,” McNeill said. “It was the same at East Carolina, but to get her back around her sisters that live here and her mom and her family, that’s been the big thing.”
So when N.C. State kicks off its day, bright and early throughout the week, McNeill is there to work, Doeren said. He’s found value in being that person who can draw from previous experiences.
“I’ve seen situations before as you can imagine,” McNeill said. “Being in similar situations (as the head coach) positive, tough, either one, having to make different suggestions and decisions at previous positions, I think that’s been a value.”
Sometimes Doeren comes across an issue involving academics and McNeill is there to help. If a player needs a pick me up, or is injured and not around the team as much, McNeill is there to make sure they have a coach to talk with. As Doeren put it, McNeill does a good job bridging out to places the other coaches can’t always get to because they’re tied up in game planning or watching film.
“From a football standpoint he’s got stories, on top of stories, on top of stories, so there’s really nothing that comes up where you can’t go to him and get an opinion,” Doeren said. “So he just gives you that sounding board that I’ve been looking for and he’s got great eyes for the game. He sees a lot of things, he loves football and he loves kids.”
It didn’t take Doeren long to realize the value of McNeill’s presence. After their first loss of the season, 45-24 at Virginia Tech, Doeren took one of those short walks to McNeill’s office.
The two discussed the practice week leading up to that game and agreed that a few days of bad practices led to the blowout in Blacksburg. Doeren thought that was the case, but his suspicions were confirmed when McNeill noticed the same thing. Doeren knew McNeill was seeing things through the same lenses, which made him feel a lot better when it came time to address it with the team.
“I think that was an important week in our program,” Doeren said. “I had good information and felt confident about the direction I was going in because we shared the same insight.”
As good as it is to have McNeill in the building, some would wonder how one head coach would feel having another former head coach on staff — especially one as popular as McNeill.
“That’s never been a thing that’s crossed my mind,” Doeren said. “I trust Ruff and I think that’s the biggest thing. I wouldn’t hire somebody that I felt intimidated by, it’s the opposite. I’m thankful to have someone like him here to help me. I’m not egotistical on the fact that I think I know everything. I think I need to continue to grow and learn and I’ll always feel that way.”
McNeill admitted he is more relaxed these days.
He doesn’t have to game plan, create a detailed practice schedule or even wear a whistle. He does go to practices, meetings and all the games to be supportive and encouraging. On Saturday’s you can find him at the far end of the sidelines on the road, or watching from the end zone at home sometimes — he prefers the end zone view.
But being in the coaching business for 40 seasons, it’s hard to flip that switch once the ball is kicked off. He’s calm during the weeks, but the closer it gets to game day he feels a change in his mood.
“I’m just as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair store,” sharing one of his famous Ruffin-isms.
He misses being in the battle on Saturday’s, and doesn’t rule out returning to the sidelines one day as an assistant or head coach. There hasn’t been a moment yet when he’s gone to reach for his headphones, but he does keep his cellphone on a clip that reminds him of the headphone pack coaches wear on game days.
Towing that line between being an observer at practice and not a coach has been one of the toughest things to get used to.
“It’s one of the hardest things,” McNeill said. “We are talking about 40 seasons and this is the first time in 40 years that I’ve tried this method of coaching. So you can imagine doing something that long and not being able to do one part of it.”
Doeren knows that McNeill isn’t the type of man who would cross that line and tell another coach what to do during a practice. But he also is so well respected that when he pulls a coach aside after practice, he has their undivided attention. But to be clear, McNeill knows exactly why he’s back home and what’s important to him.
“My family goes first,” McNeill said. “I’m enjoying working with Dave and the staff tremendously. My first order is what I came down here for is to make sure my dad and family is good and solid.”
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