The NC State Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve the hiring of Justin Gainey as the school’s next men’s basketball coach.

Gainey has signed a five-year deal with NC State. The financial terms of Gainey's deal were not immediately available.

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

Gainey, 49, becomes the 22nd head coach in NC State men's basketball history.

"One of our own," the NC State men's basketball team posted to X. "Welcome home, Coach Gainey."

Gainey will replace outgoing coach Will Wade, who left NC State to accept the LSU job.

The NC State basketball program has scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Lenovo Center to introduce Gainey. Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan and Chancellor Kevin Howell are expected to also speak at Wednesday’s event.

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

Howell echoed Corrigan's sentiments.

“Today is a great day for NC State and our men’s basketball program,” Howell said. “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.

“As chancellor, an alum, and a devoted fan, I’m proud of NC State’s legacy in men’s basketball and am even more excited about our future. Our goals are to win championships, put a strong and competitive team on the court, and help our student-athletes become better players, students and people. Coach Gainey’s values reflect who we are at NC State and it’s what equips him to lead our program with integrity, humility and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”

Gainey has been on Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee since 2021. Gainey played in 128 games, starting 103 of them, as a guard for NC State from 1996 to 2000.

“I am so thrilled for Justin Gainey to have this incredible opportunity at NC State, as well as excited for Boo Corrigan and the Wolfpack fans, who are getting a true winner, Barnes said in the release. “There is no doubt in my mind Justin is ready for this role and I have the utmost confidence he will excel as the head coach at his alma mater.

“Justin is an excellent basketball coach who can recruit, develop and maximize talent, as well as truly connect with the young men he leads. He is, most importantly, a wonderful person with a great family. Justin played a significant role in the success we’ve had here at Tennessee and I look forward to watching him do the same at NC State.”

Barnes also spoke about Gainey's NC State candidacy over the weekend.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the country that loves NC State more than Justin Gainey,” Barnes said as part of an endorsement of his assistant.

Barnes continued: "Justin has an incredible feel for the game, really understands players. He works at it. Terrific recruiter. Understands the NIL era today. If NC State knew what I knew, they would be begging him to be their next head coach because he's ready not just for NC State, he's ready to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee or any school in the country. He's that good.”

Corrigan and the NC State administration moved quickly to replace Wade, who signed a six-year contract with NC State last year and brought immediate fan enthusiasm, but bolted to LSU after the Wolfpack’s NCAA Tournament loss in the First Four. NC State lost eight of its last 10 games and finished the season 20-14.

Corrigan met with at least three candidates in person on Saturday: Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz, Gainey and Furman head coach Bob Richey.

Schertz announced Sunday that he was staying at Saint Louis, and reports surfaced late Sunday that Richey was no longer a candidate.

Gainey declined to comment Sunday after Tennessee's loss in the Elite Eight to Michigan. He was a candidate for NC State’s vacancy last year.

Gainey has been the Volunteers’ associate head coach for the last three seasons with a focus on defense. Tennessee ranked No. 15 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency in the regular season. Tennessee has been to the Elite Eight three consecutive years.

Gainey is a High Point native and played at Greensboro Day School, where his No. 12 jersey is retired.

WRAL Sports spoke with Greensboro Day School head coach Freddy Johnson, who has coached at the school since 1977. Johnson has won 13 state championships, including two with Gainey.

“I knew right away from the first I got the opportunity to coach him in practice or a game that he was something special,” Johnson said. “He was a coach on the floor. His basketball IQ was off the charts.”

Gainey was an assistant at several schools, including Elon, Appalachian State and Santa Clara, where he worked for former Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek. He also had stints at Arizona and Marquette before coming to Tennessee. Gainey had administrative roles for NC State’s program in the late 2000s under coach Sidney Lowe.

“Coach Gainey is the kind of leader you would want your son to play for and to represent your university,” Sendek said in a release. “He is an elite recruiter, teacher and strategist, and as a distinguished Wolfpack Alum, he brings commitment, pride and the ability to galvanize the Wolfpack Nation.

“He is a proven winner and I have no doubt that he will elevate the proud and storied Wolfpack Basketball program to national prominence once again.”

Gainey was the lead recruiter for Tennessee star freshman Nate Ament.

"One of the finest people I've ever been around," Barnes said of Gainey.

Wolfpack legends like football great Torry Holt and basketball stars Chris Corchiani and TJ Warren endorsed Gainey.

Bringing in one of their own could help erase some of the sting from losing Wade, who promised a “reckoning," but left wreckage with his hasty exit, late-season swoon and near-constant public rebukes of his team as it stumbled down the stretch.

He seemed to dismiss rumors of a return to LSU at the ACC Tournament. After the season-ending loss to Texas, Wade said, “This will be the worst team we have at NC State right here.” Nine days later, he was on a plane heading to Baton Rouge.

The transfer portal opens on April 7.

Paul McNeil would be NC State’s leading returning scorer should he come back, but Gainey would be his third coach in three seasons in Raleigh. At the moment, Cole Cloer and Trevon Carter-Givens are committed to play for State as incoming freshmen.

Wade replaced Kevin Keatts, who led NC State on a miraculous run to the 2024 Final Four but missed the ACC Tournament in 2025.

Gainey is one of several former NC State men's basketball players who have come back to be the head coach of the program for which they played. It includes:

  • Harry Hartsell (1916-1918, 1921-1923)
    • Tal Stafford (1918-1919)
      • Bob Warren (1940-1942)
        • Leroy Jay (1942-1946)
          • Norm Sloan (1966-1980)
            • Les Robinson (1990-1996)
              • Sidney Lowe (2006-2011)

                Warren (1942) and Lowe (2007) both took NC State to the championship game of their conference tournaments. Sloan won two ACC regular season titles (1973, 1974), three ACC Tournament championships (1970, 1973 and 1974) and the 1974 NCAA Championship.