NC State officially announces Justin Gainey as new men's basketball coach

The Justin Gainey Era has arrived in Raleigh.

NC State officially announced its new men’s basketball coach Tuesday afternoon, shortly after the Board of Trustees unanimously approved his contract and hire.

Gainey, 49, will take over a program that has increased momentum after one season under its former coach, Will Wade. The Wolfpack, which sold out six total home games at the Lenovo Center this past campaign, is looking to capitalize on that progress made with its newest addition to the coaching staff. 

“I am honored to announce Justin Gainey as our new head coach for the NC State men’s basketball program,” NC State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “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.”

For Gainey, it’s a homecoming after spending his four-year collegiate career with the Wolfpack. And he couldn’t be happier.

“I’m humbled and honored to be the head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program,” Gainey said. “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.”

Although Gainey has never served as a head coach in his nearly two-decade career, he was an integral part of Tennessee’s national success over each of the last five seasons on Rick Barnes’ staff in Knoxville. The Volunteers made three consecutive Elite Eight appearances and the 2024 SEC Tournament title in his tenure, while they boasted a top-12 defense in KenPom efficiency in each of the three seasons Gainey has served as the team’s defensive coordinator. 

Gainey’s unique defensive scheme, which relies on a “non-negotiable” level of effort from all five players on the floor, was a critical part of Tennessee’s ability to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons.

Before he arrived at Rocky Top, Gainey served as Marquette’s associate head coach (2020-21) and was an assistant at Arizona (2018-20), Santa Clara (2017-18), App State (2010-2014) and Elon (2009-10). Gainey began his coaching career as an administrative coordinator and later director of basketball operations for three total seasons at NC State under Sidney Lowe. 

While Gainey has worked his way up the coaching ranks, he was a four-year starter at point guard for the Wolfpack. He, at the time, set the record for most minutes played in a single ACC Tournament with 160 minutes during the 1997 iteration of the event as a freshman. Additionally, Gainey etched his name in the record book by the end of his college career, ranking second in career starts (103), fourth in steals (190), tied for fifth in games played (128) and ninth in assists (344). 

Now, after nearly two decades working his way up the coaching ranks, Gainey is ready to embark on the next chapter of his career. And, this time, it’s leading his alma mater.