Chuck Amato, a coach who helped build a powerhouse at Florida State University and led North Carolina State University to multiple bowl games, has passed away at the age of 80.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to Syracuse.com, Amato passed away on Monday after a "recurrence of throat cancer." North Carolina State University said that he passed away under hospice care at his home in Raleigh.
A three-year linebacker and wrestler at NC State, Amato enjoyed multiple stops at his alma mater. He began his tenure as an assistant coach in the 1970s while working under head coaches Earle Edwards, Al Michaels, Lou Holtz, and Bo Rein.
Amato spent time at Arizona before joining Florida State University in 1982 to work under Bobby Bowden. He worked as a position coach and then as the assistant head coach while remaining with the program through the 1999 season.
Florida State had a winning record every season that Amato spent working under Bowden. This team posted at least 10 wins every season from 1987-99, and it won the National Championship in 1993 and 1999. The Seminoles won bowl games in 13 non-National Championship seasons between 1982-99.
Amato landed the head coach job at NC State mere hours after the National Championship win in 1999. He returned home and kicked off a seven-year tenure with the Wolfpack.
Remembering the life and legacy of Chuck Amato. pic.twitter.com/IzFIG9inEM
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 19, 2026
This NC State team went 49-37 over seven years, and it won four bowl games. The standout season came in 2002 with Philip Rivers as the quarterback.
The Wolfpack went 11-3 — still the best record in school history — while defeating No. 14 Florida State and No. 11 Notre Dame. This team ended the year ranked 12th in the nation.
A 3-9 season in 2006 led to NC State firing Amato. He returned to Florida State for three more seasons as an assistant and then he joined Akron's staff to close out his career.
"It was awesome to play for him for four years," Rivers said about Amato, per NC State. "It's special and meaningful when you play for a coach that you know has your back and he certainly had mine.
"When I wanted to marry Tiff, I had to ask three people: Tiff's Dad, my parents and Chuck Amato. He was full of energy every day and he lived life with a lot of passion."
