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NC State hires alum Dereck Whittenburg to staff

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North Carolina State brought a legend back into the program on Monday afternoon, as head coach Mark Gottfried officially hired Dereck Whittenburg as Senior Assistant to the Head Coach and Director of Player Development.

Whittenburg is a 26-year veteran of the coaching ranks, having bounced around the country as an assistant before becoming head coach at Wagner and Fordham. The last couple of seasons, Whittenburg has been an analyst for ESPN broadcasts.

“I’m very excited to return home to North Carolina State,” Whittenburg said. “Coach Gottfried and I have a lot in common - we’ve played college basketball at a high level, we’ve both experienced winning a national championship and we’re both passionate about NC State. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Coach Gottfried and his staff. I’m confident knowing that I will be contributing to his continued success.”

The name may not be all that familiar, but there’s little doubt that you know who Whittenburg is. Remember when Lorenzo Charles won the 1983 National Title for Jim Valvano’s Wolfpack by dunking home an airball? Whittenburg was the guy that shot the airball: