North Carolina State University Athletics
Chat with Head Football Coach Chuck Amato
2/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
On Jan. 6th, NC State Athletics Director Les Robinson announced that Chuck Amato was named the 32nd head football coach in school history. The NC State alumnus, who was the assistant head coach for Florida State's two national championships, joins the Wolfpack program after an 18-year stint with the Seminoles.
Amato has spent the past 14 years as Florida State's assistant head coach, directing the Seminoles defensive line for 14 years before taking control of the linebacking corps four years ago. He has been a part of 11 ACC championships, one as a player at NC State (1965), two as an assistant coach for the Wolfpack (1973, 1979), and eight consecutive at Florida State (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999).
FSU has ranked in the top four of the final Associated Press poll each of the past 13 years, and the Seminole defense has ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing defense seven of the last eight years. The Seminoles ranked in the top 20 in all four defensive categories (total defense, rushing defense, passing efficiency defense and scoring defense) in 1999 and ranked first nationally in three categories last season.
Amato coached three consensus All-Americans at FSU, DE Reinard Wilson, LB Sam Cowart and DE Andre Wadsworth. Since he took over the direction of the linebacking corps four years ago, he has directed a two-time Butkus Award semifinalist (Daryl Bush), and four NFL draft picks. He also produced some of the nation's top defensive linemen while leading that unit.
