Don't lump us all in ... I seriously liked the guy. Still do. Doing excellent work at Santa Clara ... and wonder what might have been, to be rather blunt.
That's a big part of it.
The fans never stopped griping about the modified Princeton offense. Thing is, while it rarely worked to near-perfection, it was effective enough ... and when it was really going, no one could do against it. Watched them cut up some good Duke and Chapel Hill teams. Also, Herb wasn't demonstrative. NCSU fans want Ickey Woods or Chad Johnson after scoring a touchdown. Sendek was Barry Sanders - I love that but obviously many others who wear red (for sports purposes, not political) don't agree. The other coaches were brash. Sendek was quiet and thoughtful.
Also, to further franticscribe's point, there's very few so-called NCSU fans who don't bang the "he didn't beat Duke and Carolina enough" drum until the head needs replacing or the tip of the stick finally snaps off. 1) What's "enough"? 2) What planet do your really reside? and 3) Other than Gary Williams - for a short spell; Leonard Hamilton - for a short spell; and Tony Bennett - for a short spell; who does beat them "enough."?
The fan base's constant complaining about Sendek – plus their wanderlust toward what the other blue schools in the Triangle were doing - is a constant sticking point. IMO, it boils down to worrying about yourself. Also, as I have said before - and will repeat - NCSU has maybe the second-worst inferiority complex of any school in Division I (and I am familiar with the worst offender ... they somehow manage to stoop even lower on a consistent basis. Amazing but true).
