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The taxi didn’t show up.
Dave Doeren’s late father, Bill, was in Boston on Sept. 11, 2001, his 55th birthday. The former entertainment executive was supposed to take a taxi to the airport and board one of the hijacked flights terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center. He missed the flight. Doeren doesn’t remember which plane his dad was supposed to be on — only that the inconvenience ensured his birthdate and death date didn’t match.
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The family didn’t know that when the attack happened, though. Doeren recalled on Monday being in a position meeting. He was, at the time, an assistant coach at FCS-level Montana. The team’s secretary, Linda Cardinal, knocked on the door.
“Hey, you got to get on the phone,” Doeren recalled Cardinal telling him. “Your sister’s calling.”
They spent four or five hours thinking Doeren’s father was one of the fatalities before reaching someone who confirmed his location.
Doeren said the coaches — like many others that day — stood around the TV as they watched the news, witnessing the second plane hitting the second tower. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 both departed from Boston with an expected arrival in Los Angeles. The hijackers took control and steered the planes toward New York, where they crashed into the World Trade Center, the American flight at 8:46 a.m., the United flight at 9:03 a.m.
“You’re just in shock. How could something like this be happening in our country?” Doeren said. “I try to describe that to the team. When you’re 18 or 19, yeah, it’s a good story. For those of us that witnessed it, it was intense. The things that came out of that with our country, it was crazy — the war that followed and everything else.”
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Bill Doeren lived 21 more years. He died on March 8, 2023, after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
N.C. State hosts Richmond at 7 p.m. Friday, the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Doeren called it a “really cool opportunity” to honor the victims, the first responders and to remember the event — and he’ll get to celebrate his dad’s would-be 80th birthday.
Doeren and his wife come from military families, with both of their fathers and grandfathers serving in the military. In fact, Bill Doeren was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where the Wolfpack often takes offseason visits. North Carolina also has more than 100,000 active troops. N.C. State has made a concerted effort to honor military members, first responders and their families during Doeren’s tenure.
Those days always carry significance, but Doeren understands the weight of this week. The team will wear special uniforms to recognize the anniversary, as well.
“I think we take for granted what we have so often … It’s just a chance for those that are up there (looking) down on us, and for those families that went through it, to know that people care,” Doeren said. “That was a hard moment on everybody, and we’re trying to honor that.”
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