NC State announces hiring of former Wolfpack player Justin Gainey as men’s basketball coach

N.C. State moved quickly to hire one of its own to lead the Wolfpack men’s basketball program.

The school announced the hiring of Tennessee assistant coach and former Wolfpack player Justin Gainey as head coach. That came after the departure of Will Wade after one season for a second stint at LSU.

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N.C. State had an agreement in place with the 49-year-old Gainey, then its board of trustees approved the deal in an emergency meeting to make the hiring official. The school will hold its introductory news conference Wednesday for Gainey, who signed a five-year deal.

“This university helped build me as a player and as a person,” Gainey said in a statement. “To now lead it as head coach is truly a full-circle moment.

“There’s a responsibility that comes with leading your alma mater, and I embrace it fully. We’re going to honor our tradition, represent this university the right way, and build a program our Wolfpack family can be proud of.”

Athletic director Boo Corrigan passed on hiring a search firm to assist on his second coaching search in as many years, promising to hire someone who “wants to be at N.C. State for a long time.” Ultimately, that meant bringing in an instate native and Wolfpack guard from 1996-2000.

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“Not only are we welcoming back one of our own, but we are welcoming a tough, tenacious and experienced coach who I am confident is the right fit for our program and will continue to position the Pack for success on the national stage,” Corrigan said in a statement.

N.C. State also talked with Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz, who guided the Billikens to the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. Schertz and athletic director Chris May both told local reporters that Schertz had talked with N.C. State, though Schertz posted a statement on social media saying he was returning.

Gainey served as the Volunteers’ associate head coach under Rick Barnes since the 2022-23 season, when he also took over as the team’s…

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Publish date : 2026-04-01 14:47:00

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