Mark Gottfried was named head coach on April 5, 2011. In his first season as head coach of NC State, Mark Gottfried recorded a 22–12 overall regular season record, including a 9–7 regular season record in the ACC, and reached the semifinals of the ACC tournament. Mark Gottfried recorded the second best season by a first-year coach at State, second only to Everett Case. Gottfried's first Wolfpack team earned a #11 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The Pack won in the tournament over sixth seeded San Diego State and third seeded Georgetown to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where it lost to second seeded Kansas. They finished the season ranked #20 in the AP Poll.