N.C. State fans lost faith in the program before the school’s administration did, and that’s one critical reason the school made a change Tuesday. Wins matter, athletics director Debbie Yow said, but wins are only part of the equation.

State averaged 13,779 per game this season, about 6,000 under capacity, and you could see hundreds of empty seats at many Wolfpack games. Yow, according to The News & Observer, said those unsold seats add up to between $3.5 and $4 million in lost revenue.

That means, of course, you have to make a change.

How N.C. State tried to couch that is a bit ironic. Even Yow, in a message to Wolfpack fans from the athletics department, refused to say Lowe was forced out.

“It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that Sidney Lowe has stepped down from his position as head men’s basketball coach,” Yow wrote. “Sidney is, and will always be, an important and valued member of the Wolfpack Family.”

He’s just not at the head of the table any more. And who will be? Yow said she keeps a list of names for potential coaches, and that list is “not long.” In fact, she said, the list is in single digits.

She made an interesting point about how certain coaches seem to win regardless of their level. And one coach to watch is Chris Mooney, a 1994 Princeton graduate who is having a great run at Richmond. Mooney, according to his bio, Has been a part of setting the school record for single-season wins at every stop in his playing and coaching career since high school. The Spiders’ 27-7 record is a school record for wins.