The NC State Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, where Justin Gainey was officially approved as the new men’s basketball coach.
Gainey, 49, who has spent five seasons as an assistant with Tennessee, played for the Wolfpack from 1996 to 2000 and later began his foray into coaching as an administrative coordinator at the school from 2006 to 2008.
Advertisement
He will replace Will Wade, who left the Wolfpack last week after just one season to return to LSU.
“I am honored to announce Justin Gainey as our new head coach for the NC State men’s basketball program,” said McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan. “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. Justin understands what this program means because he has lived and breathed it, and I am very excited that he is our basketball coach.”
Gainey was on NC State’s short list last year and was believed to be one of the final candidates before the Wolfpack hired Wade.
Longtime assistant coach Justin Gainey is expected to get his first head coaching job at his alma mater, NC State. /Rick Scuteri
“I’m humbled and honored to be the head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program,” said Gainey. “This university helped build me as a player and as a person. 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. This place means everything to me. I wore the jersey with pride, and now I’ll lead this program with that same passion, toughness, and commitment to winning that defines the Wolfpack.”
Advertisement
Gainey has spent the past five seasons on Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee, including the last four as associate head coach. Gainey also has served as an assistant at Elon, Appalachian State, Santa Clara, Arizona and Marquette.
NC State got off to an 18-6 start (and 9-2 in the ACC) under Wade before losing six of its final seven games to end the regular season. The Wolfpack were ultimately placed in the First Four on Selection Sunday and lost to Texas, finishing the season with a 20-14 mark.
Originally from High Point, Gainey was a four-year letterman for the Wolfpack under head coach Herb Sendek and served as team captain during his senior season in 1999-2000, the first year the Wolfpack played in what is now the Lenovo Center.
“Today is a great day for NC State and our men’s basketball program,” said Chancellor Kevin Howell. “I could not be more proud that Justin Gainey is our new NC State head men’s basketball coach. The Wolfpack is bringing home one of our own.”
The university will hold an event at the Lenovo Center at 2 p.m. on Wednesday to officially introduce Gainey.
NOTE: Video is from a previous report and will be updated.
