The bittersweet reason behind those NC State coaches' beards Posted Dec 6, 2016 You've seen the beards on NC State coaches, such as basketball coach Mark Gottfried -- now meet the man for whom they're being grown. That would be Chris Combs, a former NC State baseball player and now Wolfpack Club associate director. It started when Combs noticed he began having trouble buttoning the top button of his shirts, particularly when he wore a tie. (ABC 11)