One of the biggest job openings early in the college basketball coaching carousel is North Carolina State who fired Kevin Keatts on Sunday just a year after a run to the Final Four.
Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey, who played his college basketball at NC State, is a consistent name on hot boards for the open Wolfpack job.
“I was surprised, like I think everybody was,” Gainey said on Thursday morning. “Being a graduate and former player there and somebody who worked there, I’ve always kind of kept my eyes on NC State just watching them play and everything. I love NC State. It’s a great place.”
Gainey played at NC State from 1996-2000 where he started at point guard in 103 of his 128 games played. The 6-foot guard landed on the 1997 All-ACC Tournament Team when he played all 160 minutes of the Wolfpacks’ Cinderella run to the championship game before eventually falling to North Carolina.
After breaking onto the scene as a freshman, Gainey went on to have a strong college career. His best statistical season came during his junior year when he averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
NC State finished with a winning record in all four seasons Gainey played in Raleigh but failed to make the NCAA Tournament all three seasons.
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For the moment, Gainey is focused on Tennessee as the Vols begin play at the SEC Tournament on Friday and at the NCAA Tournament next week. Both Gainey and the Vols are looking to make their first Final Four and have a team capable of doing so.
“As far as me and my involvement, I’m focused on what we’re doing here,” Gainey said. “Trying to win a SEC Championship. Trying to win a NCAA Tournament. The fact that I’m even mentioned, I’m flattered, and that’s in large part to what we’ve done here. I credit the guys I’ve had the opportunity to coach here. I credit Coach Barnes for giving me this opportunity to be even mentioned in such a great situation like that.”
Gainey got his coaching start at NC State, spending four years on Sidney Lowe’s staff from 2006-09. He was an administrative assistant his first three seasons before becoming the Director of Basketball Operations in 2009. A Greensboro native who starred in high school at the Greensboro Day School, Gainey’s first assistant coach jobs also came in the state of North Carolina at Elon and Appalachian State.
Gainey joined Rick Barnes staff ahead of the 2021-22 season and became Tennessee’s associate head coach a year later when Mike Schwartz left for the head coaching job at East Carolina. Over the last three years at Tennessee, Gainey’s served as the Vols’ “defensive coordinator.”
The Vols have consistently been great on the defensive end under Barnes but ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 1, again, in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency during Gainey’s three years as the “defensive coordinator.”
NC State is replacing Keats after his eight years as head coach. The Wolfpack made the NCAA Tournament three times including last year’s Cinderella run to the Final Four but had an abysmal 12-19 record this season.
Tennessee basketball opens up play at the SEC Tournament in Nashville on Friday afternoon when they’ll face either Texas or Texas A&M at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena. The Vols have been a constant presence in the top 10 this season with the latest bracketology updates predicting them to be a two-seed.
