Cavaliers off to rough ACC start
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 4, 2005

Here are two things that you always hear about ACC basketball, and they are especially true this season:

You have to defend your homecourt and you have to get a good start in the league.

Well, Virginia is now 0-1 in the ACC but 0-2 under those parameters.

In losing 89-70 to then-No. 5 Wake Forest on Sunday, the Cavaliers not only dropped their 10th straight ACC opener, but lost a precious home game. Recovering from such a start will be almost a Sissyphian task.

With trips to Georgia Tech, Duke and Maryland looming over the next few weeks, the Cavaliers’ trek to a .500 record in the league standings indeed seems like an uphill one. Of course, given the fact the program has lost 10 straight ACC openers, the situation isn’t exactly new.

Virginia did play Sunday without leading scorer Devin Smith. The Cavaliers were also facing the

No. 5 team in the country and playing just their second game in over three weeks, but what was particularly perplexing was the effort put forth in the contest.

It seemingly was a contest that would bring out the best in a squad, but instead UVa coach Pete Gillen received an uneven and uninspired performance, which he labeled as “dazed.”

“A few of our guys didn’t show up and we didn’t play our game,” Gillen said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t play the way we’re capable. ... We weren’t aggressive and we were very tentative.”

The Cavaliers played moderately well in the opening 20 minutes but still trailed 42-37. The Deacons, however, opened the second half with a 15-2 run and it was ultimately a stretch in which Virginia could not recover. In that short span, you could see and hear the confidence built in their first nine games as well as the vocal U-Hall crowd just sapped.

“We just pretty much stopped playing,” senior forward Jason Clark said. “We didn’t defend, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t execute on offense. Next thing you know, you’re down by 20.”

The Cavaliers made just one serious attempt to get back in the game but could get no closer than seven. Wake Forest wasn’t going to allow the Cavaliers to rally but additionally, the Cavaliers also couldn’t generate any fluidity offensively or the necessary defensive stops to complete a comeback.

“At one point, we got it under double digits and we were probably one or two stops away but they just kept pushing,” said Gary Forbes, who finished with 13 points.

It was likely that Virginia would have needed added contributions from its players with Smith out. In some ways, Gillen received that but in others most definitely did not. Adrian Joseph, in his first collegiate start, finished with 19 points but his more highly touted classmate, Sean Singletary, had a subpar performance as did senior center Elton Brown.

Singletary finished with six assists but was 1 of 6 from the floor and didn’t register any steals for the first time in his college career. Brown had perhaps his most ineffective game as a Cavalier, finishing 3 of 12 from the floor, 2 of 7 from the stripe for just eight points.

“Elton missed shots he usually makes tonight and he usually shoots free throws a little better than that,” Gillen said after the loss. “Defensively they doubled Elton and took him out of his game. Elton seemed very unsure tonight.”

If the Cavaliers are to avoid the hole they began digging themselves into Sunday night, they will have to learn and quickly move on from the loss. Not surprisingly, the Cavaliers expressed a great willingness to do just that.

“We’ve only lost one game. We’ve got 15 more ACC games to play and 17 total,” Forbes said. “We’ve only lost two games on the season. A lot of teams in the country have lost two games. We can’t let this one hurt us.”

Notes. Joseph was named the ACC’s rookie of the week Monday. The 6-foot-7 forward from San Fernando, Trinidad, made his first career start and led the Cavaliers with a season-high 19 points against Wake Forest. Joseph was 7 of 12 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and made both of his free-throw attempts in the game. He also had one blocked shot and no turnovers in 32 minutes of action. … Georgia Tech’s Jarrett Jack was named the ACC player of the week.

Joseph shines in first start
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 5, 2005

Virginia freshman forward Adrian Joseph displays a certain calmness that belies his age and lack of experience.

Making his first collegiate start against Wake Forest on Sunday, Joseph scored a team-high 19 points as he was filling in for injured Devin Smith.

Joseph connected on 3 of his 6 3-point attempts and showed almost no hesitation or nerves in doing so against the No. 4 Demon Deacons.

“Adrian Joseph was tremendous. He played great for us. … We had some players that didn’t show up but Adrian played great,” said Virginia coach Pete Gillen after the 89-70 loss to Wake.

Joseph entered the game just 2 for 11 behind the 3-point line and Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser admitted that his scouting report on the 6-foot-7 native of Trinidad may have been a little thin.

“He was 2 for 11 shooting 3s coming into the game. That’s not really enough shots to really be able to tell how good a shooter he is, but we were going to make him prove it, and he did,” Prosser said.

Somewhere in New Hampshire, Jason Smith must have be watching with delight and then laughing upon hearing Prosser’s postgame comments.

Smith coached Joseph last season at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. When asked about Joseph, Smith frequently says that his potential is limitless. On Sunday, Joseph showed just a few glimpses of what his former coach means.

“The thing with Adrian as a player, and I think it is a real positive, is that he has no idea how talented he is. That doesn’t allow him to become complacent,” Smith said. “He had the opportunity to play in pretty good programs in high school. I think that helped him prepare for college basketball. Any success he is having now at the college level, I can’t say that I’m surprised.”

As for Joseph’s on-court demeanor, Smith cannot take credit for that.

“I don't know if there is some-thing in his background but Adrian is very laid back in his demeanor,” Smith said. “His highs are not to high and the lows not too low.”

Gillen notified Joseph last Thursday that we would start Sunday. Joseph immediately knew what was expected of him in Devin Smith’s absence.

“I definitely knew what I had to do. Not only me, but the whole team had to step up,” Joseph said. “I’ve been working on my shooting a lot and that showed up. I knew that I had to work harder if I was going to start.”

Joseph’s starting role could be extended tonight against Western Kentucky depending on Smith’s status. Smith, who initially sprained his right ankle against Loyola Marymount on Dec. 23, could play tonight but once again it will be a game-time decision. Gillen would just say that he “hoped” Smith could play today.

The Hilltoppers (10-1) present the Cavaliers with a challenge on par with an ACC contest at this point in the season. Western Kentucky is a quick team that features a starting lineup of four guards. The Hilltoppers, who won at Georgia earlier this season, have won four straight games and received a handful of votes in the week’s AP voting.

“They’re good. Everybody’s good. It will be a tough game Wednesday,” Gillen said.

Hokies should be perennial contenders
Published January 5 2005
David Teel

NEW ORLEANS -- New Year's morning, 1996. Virginia Tech has dusted Texas in the Sugar Bowl, and coach Frank Beamer warns the faithful: Don't expect this every season.

Some poker face, huh? Get Beamer some mirror shades, a stylish lid and a seat at Harrah's.

But really, who knew?

Who knew the Hokies had aces in the hole?

Who knew they were capable of a decade-long run?

Beamer didn't know, and he's the ultimate company man, class of '69.

After all, the '95 Sugar was Tech's first major bowl, and the program was three years removed from a 2-8-1 season.

Tuesday, Beamer dissected another Sugar Bowl, a 16-13 loss to unbeaten Auburn. He didn't bother attempting to manage expectations.

Why try?

In the last 10 seasons the Hokies have won 94 games and played in 10 bowls, four of them majors. The bar has been raised, and there's no reason to lower it.

Some of us figured that the upgrade from the Big East to the ACC would slow Tech. Didn't happen. The Hokies ruled the league in their inaugural season, losing only a one-pointer against North Carolina State and winning their four road games.

Not that Tech is going to match the nine consecutive titles Florida State won upon joining the ACC. Far from it. But the Hokies should be perennial contenders, witness the underclassmen who excelled against Auburn and throughout the season.

Freshmen receivers Josh Morgan, Josh Hyman and Eddie Royal caught 11 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns Monday. Royal also busted a 48-yard kickoff return. They are, in short, Miami-class playmakers.

Tech's best defender against Auburn was junior cornerback Jimmy Williams. Yes, he was beaten on Devin Aromashodu's 5-yard touchdown reception from Jason Campbell. But Williams had a game-high 10 tackles, four behind the line of scrimmage, and intercepted a pass.

The question about Williams, a Bethel High graduate, is whether he will turn pro. Prone to foolish penalties but blessed with natural skills, Williams saw his NFL stock rise in November when he chased down Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman from behind to save a touchdown.

If Williams bolts, the Hokies must replace their entire starting secondary. If not, he joins linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi and linemen Darryl Tapp, Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette as next season's defensive pillars.

Williams, Tapp, tight end Jeff King and placekicker Brandon Pace give Tech four All-ACC underclassmen, a league-high matched by Virginia and Georgia Tech. But unlike the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets, the Hokies must replace their senior quarterback.

Volumes were written this season about Bryan Randall's locker-room leadership and player-of-the-year performance, all of it deserved. Without him, Tech doesn't sniff a conference championship.

Sean Glennon and Cory Holt were Randall's backups, but given his last name and checkered past, Marcus Vick's return to the team promises to be a circus. Has Vick learned from his transgressions and one-semester suspension? Can he, Glennon or Holt even approach Randall's standard? The answer will dramatically affect next season.

So, too, will Boston College's arrival to the conference. With 12 teams, the ACC will stage a championship game between its division winners, and Tech will reside in the Coastal Division with Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Miami.

The Cavaliers and Hurricanes are capable of challenging the Hokies, but in this case, familiarity should breed confidence. Virginia Tech has played Virginia and Miami each of the last 13 seasons and hasn't lost to both in the same year since 1994.

According to conference officials, adding Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College makes ACC football the equal of the Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Big Ten and Pacific 10. Not yet.

Virginia Tech is the fifth consecutive ACC champion to lose its bowl game, and since the 1998 advent of the Bowl Championship Series, ACC teams are 1-6, winning only in 1999 when Florida State defeated Big East champ Virginia Tech in the Sugar.

Other conference BCS records, excluding Tuesday's late Orange Bowl between Southern California and Oklahoma: SEC 7-3, Pac-10 5-3, Big Ten 6-5, Big 12 4-5, Big East 3-4.

So ACC football has a way to go, and Virginia Tech can help the push.

"I think it's one of those things that, just play enough games and it'll all (even) out," Beamer said. "There is no question in my mind that this league is as good as any league."

Now there's a bluff worthy of Celebrity Poker.

Two UNC assistants weighing new jobs
By NEIL AMATO : The Herald-Sun
namato@heraldsun.com
Jan 5, 2005 : 1:10 am ET

CHAPEL HILL -- Two UNC assistant football coaches may be wearing different-colored shirts on different college sidelines next season.

UNC wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer has discussed job openings with the new head coaches at Stanford and Illinois. Brewer is interested in the offensive coordinator job at Stanford under Walt Harris and the passing-game coordinator job at Illinois under Ron Zook.

Special-teams coach James Webster has interviewed for the top jobs at I-AA schools Tennessee State and Dartmouth.

Webster hopes to hear from both schools soon. Tennessee State officials plan to wrap up interviews this week. They interviewed Webster Dec. 23, and Dartmouth talked to Webster Dec. 22, he said.

Webster, 54, worked as a Dartmouth assistant from 1993-95. From there, he went to East Carolina, where he worked until joining Coach John Bunting's staff as defensive-line coach in December 2000. Bunting and Webster were UNC linebackers in the early 1970s.

Brewer's name has come up often with other jobs, some of which he has turned down. He would like to be a head coach eventually.

"This day and age, coordinators move into those spots more than position coaches," Brewer said. "If you have aspirations of moving up, that's what you have to do."

Brewer, 40, was hired by UNC coach Carl Torbush before the 2000 season. He came to UNC from Marshall, where he coached wideout Randy Moss. Since joining the UNC staff, Brewer has been linked to job openings at Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Florida and Pittsburgh.

Brewer has a connection to Stanford's Harris after talking to him last season about an opening at Pittsburgh.

"We just kind of hit it off," Brewer said.

Brewer maintained that he was happy at North Carolina and that his family -- a wife and two teenagers -- loved Chapel Hill.

"I love the opportunity," Brewer said. "It's an honor to be asked and perceived as doing a good job."

BCS chief 'very interested' in selection committee idea
By TONY BARNHART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/05/05

MIAMI — While he is not yet ready to endorse it, Bowl Championship Series coordinator Kevin Weiberg said Tuesday he is "very interested" in the idea of a selection committee to determine the teams for college football's national championship game.

The BCS, whose title game was played between No. 1 USC and No. 2 Oklahoma in Tuesday night's Orange Bowl, has come under heavy criticism this season on three major fronts:

• Auburn fans are incensed that their team could go 13-0 and still be denied any shot at the title.

• California fans are livid that their team could get knocked out of the Rose Bowl on the whim of a few changed votes in the polls.

• College football fans in general are fed up with the sport's inability to crown a clear-cut national champ.

The heat on the BCS only increased in December when the Associated Press media poll, which has been part of its standings since 1998, said its poll could no longer be used to calculate the BCS standings.

Weiberg conceded there is more anger and dissatisfaction with postseason football today than in recent years.

"In the first few years [of the BCS] we have had issues but it didn't seem to rise quite to the level of scrutiny and criticism that is out there at this point," Weiberg said. "There seems to be a high level of public angst."

Weiberg, the Big 12 commissioner, knows a lot of unhappy fans are expecting he and his fellow commissioners to do something about it.

Their options are limited.

Commissioners from all 11 Division I-A Conferences will meet next week during the NCAA Convention in Dallas. During that meeting, they will discuss how to move forward, now that the AP has removed itself from the BCS formula.

• The first option would be to simply find another poll and plug it in place of the AP. That's a problem since there is no other poll that has the credibility and prestige of the AP poll, which has been published since 1936.

Weiberg said that just keeping the remaining two components — the coaches poll and the computers — is not a viable option.

"We haven't had a chance to sit down and discuss the options, but to me, the coaches poll and the computers are just not sufficient," he said. "I think something else is going to have to happen there."

One of the big issues surrounding the coaches poll is the continued refusal of the American Football Coaches Association to make its final ballots public. The AP poll votes were a matter of public record. The AFCA will take up the subject at its convention in Louisville next week, but if the coaches insist on keeping their ballots secret, that could impact the final decision of the BCS.

Fifty-five of the 61 schools whose coaches vote did not comply with a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution open records request to make their ballots public, citing a variety of reasons.

"I still believe those votes should be made public," Weiberg said. "I think that could be an important part of our decision-making process as we weigh the alternatives between a committee structure as opposed to continuing with some sort of a poll system."

• The second option would be a BCS selection committee, the structure of which would have to be determined. With a selection committee, the issues surrounding the polls would become moot. That's because the polls would then be used only as reference tools by the committee, not as hard and fast numbers that pick the game.

If the BCS chooses to go the committee route, the tough part will be determining its makeup. Weiberg said the committee would have to be larger than the NCAA's basketball selection committee, which numbers 10. He also believes it would have to be made up of current athletics directors and commissioners. The bowl partners (Orange, Fiesta, Sugar, Rose) also would have to be represented.

"You would have to have broad representation of the conferences," Weiberg said.

The BCS will take up the issue in earnest when commissioners meet in Arizona next April. A final decision must be made by early summer, Weiberg said.

"We have to have something in place before practice starts, that much is certain," Weiberg said. "Needless to say, we have a lot on our plate for the next few months."

Gillen sees no break in WKU
Hilltoppers will go into University Hall with a 10-1 record
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Jan 5, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The University of Virginia men's basketball team played host to fourth-ranked Wake Forest on Sunday.

U.Va.'s next ACC opponent, ninth-ranked Georgia Tech, was the runner-up in last season's NCAA tournament.

Four nights after playing the Yellow Jackets, the Cavaliers will meet ACC newcomer Miami, which has won eight straight. Four nights after that, the Cavs will take on fifth-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

There's not a break in sight for U.Va. coach Pete Gillen or his players.

"Everybody's good," Gillen said.

That includes the Cavaliers' next foe, Western Kentucky, which plays at U-Hall tonight. The Hilltoppers haven't faced an impressive schedule, but they whipped Georgia in November and are 10-1 overall.

"We're going to have to bring our 'A game' to beat this team," Gillen said on his radio show Monday night. "We're going to have to regroup and get our act together."

Had the Cavaliers (8-2) played better against Wake, they wouldn't be worried about regrouping. But the Demon Deacons, who had lost four straight at U-Hall, dismantled then-No. 25 Virginia in the second half and won going away, 89-70.

"They're a great team . . . but we didn't play the way we were capable of," Gillen said.

Virginia's best player, forward Devin Smith, watched from the bench with a sprained ankle, and he may not be available tonight. But even if the 6-5, 242-pound senior can't go, U.Va. will tower over the Hilltoppers, who start four guards, none taller than 6-5.

Against Wake, the Cavaliers started 6-9, 255-pound senior Elton Brown at center, 6-8, 240-pound senior Jason Clark at power forward and 6-7, 200-pound freshman Adrian Joseph at small forward. Sixth-man Gary Forbes stands 6-6 and weighs 210.

Brown is coming off one of his worst games as a starter. He grabbed nine rebounds against Wake but missed 9 of 12 shots from the floor and 5 of 7 from the line, finishing with eight points. Brown declined to speak to reporters after the game, but Gillen answered several callers' questions about him Monday night.

"Elton didn't have a good game, but that's going to happen," Gillen said. "He's had a lot of good games. I think he'll bounce back and play well."

Smith leads Virginia in scoring and ranks second in rebounding. Joseph, who started in his place, contributed a career-high 19 points Sunday night, but the Cavaliers sorely missed Smith's leadership and toughness.

Without Smith, sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds said, the "team kind of lost focus out there."

Western will try to counter Virginia's superior size by spreading the floor and launching long-range shots. Guards Anthony Winchester, Antonio Haynes, Courtney Lee and Ty Rogers have made 74 3-pointers among them.

"They're a little like Auburn - quick, athletic," Gillen said of the Hilltoppers. Auburn made 13 treys in an 89-87 loss to U.Va. at the Siegel Center last month.

Unhappy with Gillen's propensity for lining up soft nonconference slates, U.Va. athletic administrators played a greater role in scheduling for 2004-05 and added games with Arizona and Western Kentucky. Western's athletic director, Wood Selig, previously worked at U.Va. and Virginia Commonwealth University.

 

ACC NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Jan 4, 2005

CLASS OF HIS OWN: Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, the preseason choice as ACC men's basketball player of the year, isn't experiencing a sophomore slump. Paul's team is 12-1, and he's averaging 14.3 points, 6.5 assists and 2.1 steals and shooting an ACC-best 55.6 percent from 3-point range.
CapCenter

Virginia's precocious point guard, freshman Sean Singletary, challenged Paul on Sunday night, and it wasn't close. Paul totaled 21 points, nine assists, two rebounds and one steal in Wake's 89-70 romp.

"He's cognizant of the fact that as the quarterback, he has to play well for us to win, especially away from home," Wake coach Skip Prosser said.

Singletary, meanwhile, finished with six assists, two points, zero rebounds and zero steals.

"He's a great player," Singletary said of Paul. "I wasn't nervous. I wasn't reading any newspapers about the matchup. I just came out to play. I just have to put this behind me. I feel as though I've got a lot to prove going into league play, so I'm not going to dwell on this."

BAD BREAK: Duke senior forward Reggie Love, who made his first start Sunday against Clemson, broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the first half and will be out six to eight weeks, the school announced yesterday. And so the Blue Devils' frontcourt gets thinner.

Power forward Shavlik Randolph remains sidelined with mononucleosis. Love, a former Duke football player, had seen his role increase in Randolph's absence.

HONORED: Georgia Tech point guard Jarrett Jack has been named the ACC player of the week for his performances against Lafayette and Kansas. In the Yellow Jackets' overtime loss at Kansas, the 6-3 junior scored 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The ACC's rookie of the week is Virginia freshman Adrian Joseph. The 6-7, 200-pound small forward, in his first start, scored a career-best 19 points against Wake Forest. Joseph hit 7 of 12 shots from the floor, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range.

FAMILIAR SPOT: Suspect defense has been a trademark of Virginia since Pete Gillen took over as coach in 1998, and this season seems more of the same.

Of the 11 ACC teams, U.Va. ranks last in field-goal percentage defense (42.4) and 3-point percentage defense (37.8) and eighth in scoring defense (67.8 ppg).

Wake shot 50.9 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from 3-point range Sunday night at University Hall.

LIGHTING IT UP: Maryland point guard John Gilchrist has scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games. The junior from Virginia Beach is averaging 22.8 points during that span and has raised his scoring average to 17, sixth-best in the ACC.

Gilchrist, the Terrapins' top scorer, also is their third-leading rebounder (6 per game).

"That's good news and bad news," Maryland coach Gary Williams told reporters. "It's great to have a point guard that can rebound like that, but what about the other guys? Where were they?"

IT TAKES A THIEF: Virginia Tech's Jamon Gordon leads the ACC with an average of 3.4 steals per game. Another Hokie, senior wing Carlos Dixon, is fifth at 2.2. Gordon, a sophomore guard, ranks seventh among ACC players in assists (4.6).

DROUGHT ENDS: Florida State had lost six straight to Florida before their meeting Sunday in Tallahassee, but the Seminoles came away with a convincing victory over the Gators. FSU outrebounded Florida 44-20 and won 82-69.

"That's what's been missing: playing with that aggressiveness and confidence," Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters.

Coach Billy Donovan's Gators are 0-2 against the Sunshine State's ACC members this season. Miami beat Florida 74-65 on Dec. 3 in Gainesville.

UNDER-APPRECIATED: Miami, which was picked to finish last in the ACC, has won eight consecutive games since losing in overtime to Xavier on Nov. 27. Yet fans in Coral Gables, Fla., don't seem particularly interested in the Hurricanes (9-2), who have the ACC's second-leading scorer in junior guard Robert Hite (20 ppg).

Average attendance at Miami's eight home games has been a meager 2,227.

The 'Canes play their ACC opener Thursday night at Georgia Tech. Miami's Anthony King is the only ACC player to have recorded a triple-double this season. The 6-9, 230-pound sophomore had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 13 blocked shots Nov. 29 against Florida Atlantic. -Jeff White and Mike Harris

Pack loses coach
Mazzone headed to Ole Miss
Mazzone third to leave Pack.
By CHIP ALEXANDER, Staff Writer

RALEIGH -- Noel Mazzone said Tuesday that he is leaving N.C. State's football staff to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi. Since the 2004 season ended, three of Chuck Amato's assistants at State have taken jobs elsewhere.

Mazzone, the Wolfpack's offensive coordinator the past two years, said he would sign a multiyear contract this week with the Southeastern Conference school. Mazzone served as the Rebels' offensive coordinator from 1995-98 under former coach Tommy Tuberville.

"This was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Mazzone said in an interview. "I've always worked on a year-to-year basis in terms of contracts. Another factor is that me and my family have a ton of friends in Oxford [Miss.].

"I've enjoyed the last two years at N.C. State. We had some tough times but also some good times."

Ed Orgeron, the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern California, was named Mississippi's new coach Dec. 16. Orgeron, who coached for USC in the national championship game Tuesday night, may officially announce his Ole Miss staff today.

Since the Pack ended a 5-6 season, defensive coordinator Reggie Herring and Doc Holliday, the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, also have left. Herring accepted a three-year offer to become Arkansas' defensive coordinator. Holliday took a job at Florida on new coach Urban Meyer's staff.

Under Amato, 10 assistants have left in five years, including three offensive coordinators and two defensive coordinators. Holliday was considered the Pack's top recruiter.

"I enjoyed working for Chuck," Mazzone said. "He always treated me fairly and was very supportive of me in everything.

"I think it's a positive reflection of a program when other programs come in and hire coaches away. N.C. State has a solid, successful program. People like to hire coaches from good programs."

In Mazzone's two seasons, he coached record-setting quarterback Philip Rivers, then untested quarterbacks Jay Davis and Marcus Stone. In Rivers' senior season, the Pack averaged 37.6 points and 453 yards in total offense. But State, beset by turnovers and penalties, struggled in 2004.

Mazzone came under increasing criticism from fans who questioned his play-calling and offensive strategy. On talk radio shows and Internet message boards, he was blamed for the Pack's problems in the red zone.

"My leaving had nothing to do with all that stuff," Mazzone said. "That's a part of coaching."

Mazzone said he had been a friend of Orgeron since 1992, although the two have not coached together. Mazzone offered no financial details about his contract at Mississippi, but he indicated he would earn more than his annual salary of $174,400 at NCSU.

Neither Amato nor Mississippi athletics director Peter Boone could be reached Tuesday.

"I feel like I'm leaving N.C State with unfinished business," Mazzone said. "With a year under their belts, Jay and Marcus will be so much better next year. It's hard playing in the ACC with a new quarterback."

Amato has not commented on possible coaching candidates. Former LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher was mentioned two years ago, when Mazzone was hired. Fisher could not be reached Tuesday.

NCSU's staff losses have come during a critical period in recruiting.

"I think Chuck will move as quickly as possible in hiring assistants," NCSU athletics director Lee Fowler said Monday.