Overview
- NC State announced on Monday that Amato, a beloved figure in Raleigh, has died at 80 after a long battle with throat cancer.
- He went 49-37 as NC State’s head coach from 2000–06 and led the program to its only double-digit season with an 11-3 record and a Gator Bowl win in 2002.
- Amato is credited with recruiting and developing quarterback Philip Rivers and coaching defensive end Mario Williams, the Wolfpack’s only No. 1 overall NFL draft pick.
- Before and after his head-coaching run, Amato spent decades as an assistant, including long stints at Florida State where he was on the 1993 and 1999 national championship staffs, and he retired from coaching in 2018 after working at Akron.
- His influence lives on in a coaching tree that includes current head coaches and in public tributes from figures such as Gov. Josh Stein and former players and coaches who praised his leadership and recruiting skill.