Chuck Amato, Legendary NC State Football Coach, Dies at 80
The former head coach and alum battled throat cancer and had been in hospice care.
Former North Carolina State University football coach Chuck Amato died Monday at the age of 80 after a battle with throat cancer. He had been in hospice care for several months.
Amato, a native of Pennsylvania, played college football for NC State from 1965 to 1967 before entering high school coaching. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1971 to 1979, rising from graduate assistant to defensive coordinator.
His coaching career also included stints as an assistant at Arizona (1980) and Florida State (1982-1999), where he served in various roles including defensive line coach, linebacker coach, and associate head coach. He was part of the Florida State staff during their national championship seasons in 1993 and 1999.
Amato took the helm as head coach of NC State from 2000 to 2006, his only head coaching position. During his seven seasons, he compiled a record of 49-37 and led the Wolfpack to four bowl victories, including a Gator Bowl win over Notre Dame in 2003. That same year, NC State finished the season ranked 12th in the AP Poll, the second-highest end-of-season ranking in program history.
His tenure at NC State also saw the development of numerous players who went on to successful NFL careers, including first-overall pick Mario Williams and first-round selections John McCargo and Manny Lawson. He also coached quarterback Philip Rivers.
After his time as head coach, Amato returned to Florida State before concluding his coaching career as associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Akron from 2012 to 2017. Following his retirement from coaching, he returned to Raleigh and hosted a radio show.
Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who coached under Amato, shared his condolences, stating, "I don't know of anybody who loved NC State University more than Chuck Amato did and I'm very grateful for what he did for me in my time and in my time with him."