The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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ment but also because of the way he repre- sents the program externally." When Woodson learned that Corrigan was sincerely intrigued by the Wolfpack job, he focused on landing his top choice. "It was just a matter of making sure we could get this done," Woodson said. To that end, the chancellor enlisted some help from retired four-star general Raymond T. Odierno, the Army Chief of Staff from September 2011 to August 2015. Long before then, Odierno played foot- ball at Army. After graduating from West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1976, he received a master's in nuclear ef- fects engineering at NC State. Odierno currently sits on the Board of Visitors at NC State, and Woodson reached out to him to see if he would help bring his top candidate to NC State. He was wholly on board. "I think it's a perfect fit," Odierno said. "At West Point, leadership development is the most important thing. With NC State, the culture and development of young leaders is important to this university as well, and the chancellor has made that very clear." During his introductary press confer- ence at Reynolds Coliseum, Corrigan came across as friendly and unpretentious. Odi- erno cautioned that observers should not be fooled by his outward demeanor, and Woodson agrees. "He's hired great coaches; he's fired coaches," Woodson noted. "He knows how to manage athletics. "He's a real person. He gets along with people exceptionally well, but don't let that fool you, as the general said. He holds peo- ple accountable for the jobs that they do, and in athletics that is critical." Corrigan, who will assume his new role in Raleigh on May 1, was clear on his enthusi- asm for his new job. "Make no mistake, I'm running to some- thing — I'm running to NC State, I'm not running away from West Point," he ex- plained. "We were there for eight years, and it literally has been the adventure of a lifetime. "… But we thought it was time, and this was the place we wanted to be." It's just another reason NC State is the perfect fit for Corrigan, and vice versa. ■ Corrigan's decision to hire head coach Jeff Monken has led to unprecedented success for the Army football program. Since the AD took the helm in March 2011, the Black Knights have won 21 league regular-season or tournament championships. PHOTO COURTESY ARMY WEST POINT ATHLETICS During his time at Army, Corrigan added three varsity sports, boosted the school's fundrais- ing by almost 300 percent, raised more than $35 million for new and renovated facilities and completed three major facility projects. PHOTO COURTESY ARMY WEST POINT ATHLETICS ■What They're Saying "Corrigan arrives with an abundance of pedigree. The youngest child of seven to former ACC Commissioner Gene Corrigan, Boo cut his admin teeth at Navy, Notre Dame and Duke, and then took over as boss at Army in 2011. "That's a résumé stacked in both blue-blood experi - ence and a serious sense of athletic pride. "I won't detail his accomplishments with the Black Knights, you can read those in the news releases. What he does have is an endless supply of those ready to gush about his readiness for the State job." — WTVD sports anchor Mark Armstrong "Corrigan, 52, checks nearly every box. The son of former ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan and a former Duke athletic department staffer, his roots both in the conference and in the Triangle are strong. He has a record of success at West Point despite one of the most difficult competitive environments in the country, even in football. And in a cut-throat industry where every - one's looking for their next step up, he's the rare figure respected across the profession as an innovator and administrator." — News & Observer columnist Luke DeCock "Boo was transformational! He was very personable and genuinely cared about all the athletes and coaches. He also recognized what the purpose of USMA [United States Military Academy at West Point] was and strived to ensure that they lived up to their reputation." — Charles Grevious, publisher of GoBlackKnights.com "Damn! The academy has made so many great ad - vancements in the recent years with high expectations for the future. However, any who know the athletics business know that in order to move [up], you have to move on, and West Point was lucky to have Boo for as long as they did. Everyone wishes him well." — Grevious on Army fans' reaction to Corrigan's departure "Boo Corrigan clearly represents a grand slam hire as the athletics leader at North Carolina State University. To that end, Boo's fantastic career to date enjoys a discern - ible track record of remarkable success. Moreover, Boo has highly seasoned analytical and marketing expertise, the courage to make tough decisions, notwithstanding the work ethic to do the heavy lifting, as well as the innate relationship skills to connect with all constituen - cies, both internal and external to the university. "However, with all of that said, Boo's most signifi- cant asset is his utter devotion to the welfare of the student-athlete, both academically and athletically, and his supreme commitment to fully engage directly with coaches and staff. Once again, Boo Corrigan is indeed just a brilliant hire!" — Kevin White, director of athletics at Duke "This is not a surprise to us. Boo is one of the best athletic directors in the business. He is a leader of char - acter who knows how to build teams and win honor- ably. He has championed Army Athletics here at West Point and without a doubt will do the same for North Carolina State." — Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, Superintendent of Army West Point 30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER