Mark Gottfried will do anything to snag headlines from Duke and North Carolina. Including jumping out of a plane.
N.C. State’s new coach will be part of a tandem jump and land at the 50-yard line for the Wolfpack’s football game this Saturday against South Alabama, according to Andy Katz. As an added bonus, he’s jumping with former President George H.W. Bush. Bush is 80. the man who tandem jumped with former President George H.W. Bush when he turned 80.
“I figured if he could survive it, I could survive it,’' Gottfried told Katz. “The No. 1 reason is to bring attention to our military since it’s military appreciation week. I want to say thank you to them. But we’re also trying to get attention for N.C. State basketball.”
Think if the move pays off. Then we’ll have a sport where coaches do all sorts of crazy things to garner attention. Bungee jumping, cliff diving, bull riding ...
Gottfried, who was hired in April to replace Sidney Lowe, says he’s afraid of heights and that his anxiety might be through the roof when Saturday rolls around. But he’s taking a prep class for the jump and says his wife and kids are OK with the stunt.
N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow? Not so much.
“I am worried about his safety … but he is not!” she told Katz in a text message.
But hey, anything to show Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams that he’s coming for ‘em. Even if it’s an extreme move that neither would have to pull.
“We’re at a different point with our program,” Gottfried told Katz. “We have a long, long, long way to go, about as long as that fall out of the plane.”
Related stories:
- Lutz a smart addition to Gottfried’s N.C. State staff
- Yes, Gary Williams was the talk of Gottfried’s introductory press conference
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