NC State turned to a candidate with a familiar surname when it hired Debbie Yow as its athletic director back in 2010.
It turned out to be such a good move, with the sister of legendary women’s basketball coach Kay Yow leading the Wolfpack to new heights across the board during her eight-plus year tenure, that chancellor Randy Woodson has decided to similar approach in hiring her replacement.
Woodson announced Wednesday that Boo Corrigan, the current Army athletic director and son of former ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan, has been selected to lead State’s program once Yow’s retirement become official on May 1.
Corrigan will be formally introduced at a press conference in Reynolds Coliseum at 10 a.m. Thursday.
“With Debbie’s retirement as NC State’s athletics director, it was critical that we find a leader that could build on the unprecedented success we have enjoyed during her tenure,” Woodson said in a statement announcing the hiring. “In Boo we have found a very successful leader who puts student-athletes first, builds strong relationships both internally and externally, and is committed to the development of coaches and staff to achieve at a very high level.”
Corrigan comes to Raleigh after eight years at West Point, where Army not only excelled on the field of competition, but also in the areas of facilities and fundraising. The Cadets’ athletic program added three varsity sports on his watch, helping him earn recognition as the 2017 Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
At State, Corrigan takes over a department that sponsors 23 teams and 200 full-time employees, with a revenue of approximately $86 million.
“NC State is a special institution with a long, proud athletic history and an incredible fan base,” Corrigan said. “I’m excited to work with the university’s outstanding coaches, talented student-athletes and dedicated staff to build on the strong foundation developed over the last several years and look forward to moving NC State to even higher levels in all aspects of the student-athlete experience.”
Corrigan has some big shoes to fill with the Wolfpack.
Under Yow’s leadership, State earned as high as a 15th-place finish in the Directors’ Cup competition. The school’s athletes posted the four highest Graduation Success Rates in school history over the past four years while several of its facilities have been upgraded. Yow was also responsible for negotiating a new apparel contract with Adidas.
If anyone has the credentials to continue that success, it’s Corrigan. Before joining Army, the Notre Dame graduate spent three years as the senior associate athletic director for external affairs at Duke. He has also worked at Florida State, his alma mater and Navy during his career.
Like Yow, he comes from a family with a storied place in ACC history. In addition to serving as the league’s commissioner, Gene Corrigan was also the athletic director at Virginia and Notre Dame. The elder Corrigan was named as one of the newest members of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame last week.
