End of an era for NC State baseball as head coach Elliott Avent retires after 30 years
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's the end of an era for NC State baseball.
Longtime coach Elliott Avent, who led his teams to more than 1,100 victories and three College World Series, announced his retirement Thursday, effective at the end of the season.
The Wolfpack (32-22) lost to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament this week and hopes to receive an NCAA tournament at-large bid when the field is announced Monday.
Avent, who turned 70 on May 1, has coached the Wolfpack for 30 seasons after eight at New Mexico State.
"Elliott has built a lasting legacy at NC State and in the sport of college baseball, enjoying competitive success while touching so many lives in the process," said McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. "He has been a wonderful representative of our department and university and will forever be a part of our story. I want to thank him for his many contributions and wish him all the best in his retirement."
He has 1,103 wins at N.C. State and 1,327 overall in Division I. He led the Wolfpack to 22 NCAA regionals, six super regionals and CWS appearances in 2013, 2021 and 2024.
Thirty-one of his former players are currently playing professional baseball, including four on Major League Baseball rosters.
Avent, a Nash County native, thanked his coaching and support staff, players and fans in a farewell statement.
"Not many people get the chance to do what they love at a place that means so much to them," he said. "I've been lucky enough to have that opportunity, and I've loved every minute of it. ... It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been such a big part of my life, but I leave with a full heart and so much gratitude. This game is about teammates and memories. My memories will be a constant companion and our players, coaches, staff, and fans are teammates I'll hold in my heart forever. So long from #9."
N.C. State's deepest run in the CWS was cut short in 2021 when the NCAA sent the team home after three games, and one win away from the finals, because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the team.
The Wolfpack beat Stanford and Vanderbilt before several players tested positive for the virus.
The NCAA, which said it was acting on the recommendations of its medical team and the local health department in Omaha, Nebraska, ordered N.C. State out of the tournament hours after it had lost 3-1 to Vanderbilt with only 13 players available.
"Although we're all heartbroken, this team will never be forgotten and will live in the hearts of Wolfpack and baseball fans forever," Avent said at the time.
Avent captured both ACC and National Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and was named USA Baseball's College Coach of the Year in 2021. He was honored by Gov. Josh Stein with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award for significant contributions to the state. The new baseball clubhouse at Doak Field was recently named the Elliott Avent Clubhouse in his honor.
"Coach Avent will forever be a part of the rich fabric of NC State Athletics, having been at the heart of NC State's baseball program for 30 years," said Chancellor Kevin Howell. "We are incredibly grateful for his decades of commitment to coaching and mentoring our student-athletes, so many of whom have gone on to have successful careers in the sport. Not only has Elliott been an exceptional coach, he's been an exceptional member of the Wolfpack community."
The Associated Press contributed.
