The Gainey Era Begins: Inside NC State's New Coaching Staff and What Comes Next

April 11, 2026

Twelve days ago, Justin Gainey was on Tennessee's bench watching the Volunteers lose in the Elite Eight. Today, he's the 22nd head coach in NC State men's basketball history, and he just announced a coaching staff that might be the most qualified group assembled in Raleigh since the Valvano era.

The circumstances that brought Gainey home aren't ideal — Will Wade's one-year tenure ended with a late-season collapse, an unceremonious departure to LSU via an agent's email, and a roster headed for the exits. But what Gainey is building in response has the makings of something real.

Let's break down everything we know.

The Head Man: Justin Gainey

Gainey isn't just a coach returning to his alma mater. He's a North Carolina native (High Point), a Greensboro Day School legend (his #12 jersey is retired), and a four-year starter at NC State from 1996-2000 who helped win an ACC Tournament. His coaching career started in Raleigh as the program's director of basketball operations under Sidney Lowe, and he's spent the last five years at Tennessee working under Rick Barnes.

At Tennessee, Gainey ran the defense and worked with the guards. The results speak for themselves: the Vols reached the Sweet 16 all four years he was on staff, including three straight Elite Eights. Tennessee ranked #15 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency this past season. Gainey was the lead recruiter for five-star freshman Nate Ament, who earned Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman honors.

Rick Barnes' endorsement was unequivocal: "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."

Wolfpack legends — Torry Holt, Chris Corchiani, TJ Warren — all publicly endorsed the hire. This is a coach who has the program's DNA in his blood.

The Staff: Championship Pedigree Top to Bottom

Gainey's first five hires, announced yesterday, tell you exactly what kind of program he's building.

Alvin Brooks III — Assistant Coach (from Kentucky)

Brooks comes from Mark Pope's staff at Kentucky, but his resume runs deeper than Lexington. He spent eight seasons at Baylor, including the 2021 national championship season. During his time with the Bears: 194-72 overall, three consecutive lottery NBA Draft picks (Davion Mitchell, Jeremy Sochan, Keyonte George), and the #4 recruiting class in program history. Brooks was the lead recruiter for VJ Edgecombe, the #3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

At Kentucky, Brooks worked with the big men and recruiting. He brings elite-level talent evaluation and a national championship ring.

Anthony Goins — Assistant Coach (from Georgia)

Goins is the offensive mind. At Georgia this past season, he coordinated the highest-scoring offense in the country. He's a Greensboro native with NC roots, and his background includes developing backcourt talent at Clemson (Tevin Mack, Al-Amir Dawes, Nick Honor). If Gainey is the defensive architect, Goins is the guy who makes the offense hum.

Matthew Driscoll — Assistant Coach (from Kansas State)

Driscoll brings 20 years of head coaching experience, including 16 seasons at North Florida where he's the all-time winningest coach in program and Atlantic Sun history (248 wins). He built one of the most dynamic and efficient offenses in the country at UNF, consistently ranking among national leaders in three-point shooting and scoring. He's also a proven program builder — exactly what NC State needs right now.

Riley Collins — Assistant Coach (from Tennessee)

Collins followed Gainey from Knoxville. He spent four years at Tennessee — two as a graduate assistant, two in player development — during the Vols' sustained run of Sweet 16 and Elite Eight appearances. He's a skills development specialist with ties to NBA trainer Alex Bazzell. Collins is the youngest member of the staff and represents continuity with Gainey's Tennessee system.

Bill Comar — Director of Operations (from Cincinnati)

Comar worked as Wes Miller's Chief of Staff at Cincinnati. He brings operational expertise and organizational structure — the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a program running smoothly during a rebuild.

Reading the Staff Tea Leaves

Backing The Pack's analysis of the staff breakdown is instructive:

Defense: Gainey-led. Tennessee was elite defensively under his leadership, and that identity will define this program from Day One. Brooks also has defensive experience from Kentucky.

Offense: Goins runs the show. His Georgia offense was the highest-scoring in the nation. Driscoll's North Florida teams were perennial leaders in three-point shooting and scoring efficiency.

Guard development: Gainey's calling card at Tennessee. The Vols finished top-25 nationally in assist rate every year under his watch, including twice placing top-six. Goins also developed backcourts at Clemson.

Big man development: Brooks worked with Kentucky's frontcourt players.

Recruiting: Gainey recruited Nate Ament. Brooks recruited VJ Edgecombe and helped land Baylor's #4 nationally ranked class. These aren't coaches who talk about recruiting — they produce results.

The Roster Reality

Here's where it gets complicated. Wade's departure triggered a mass exodus:

Paul McNeil Jr. — would-be leading returning scorer — entered the portal
Terrance Arceneaux — entered the portal
Matt Able — entered the portal
Cole Cloer — entered the portal
Alyn Breed — entered the portal (seventh player to leave)

The roster is essentially gutted. Incoming freshmen Trevon Carter-Givens remains committed, but Gainey is inheriting a near-total rebuild.

The Will Wade Factor

We're not going to dwell on this, but context matters. Wade signed a six-year contract, promised a "reckoning," publicly criticized his own players as the team lost eight of its last 10 games, dismissed LSU rumors at the ACC Tournament, and then bolted to Baton Rouge via his agent's email nine days after a First Four loss to Texas. Boo Corrigan confirmed Wade skipped a scheduled meeting.

The 2025-26 season under Wade was a roller coaster that ended badly: an NCAA Tournament appearance via the First Four, but a late collapse and a coach who was mentally already in Louisiana for the final month. That's the mess Gainey inherited.

What Does a Successful Year One Look Like?

Let's be realistic. Gainey is building a roster from scratch in April. The portal opened on April 7 — four days ago — and his staff was just finalized yesterday. Here's what a successful first season looks like:

Compete in every ACC game. NC State doesn't need to win the ACC in Year One. They need to show fight, play the defense Gainey is known for, and avoid the kind of quit-on-the-coach moments that defined the end of the Wade era.

Win 16-18 games. That range keeps NC State in the NIT conversation and shows progress. Anything above .500 in Year One of a total rebuild would be impressive.

Lock down two or three impact portal additions. Gainey and Brooks have the recruiting chops to land difference-makers. If they can add a starting-caliber guard and a big through the portal, the timeline accelerates.

Develop the young guys. Carter-Givens and whatever freshmen Gainey brings in need to get minutes and develop. This staff's player development credentials — Collins, Driscoll, Goins — are elite.

Establish defensive identity. If NC State is a top-50 defensive team by February, that's a massive win regardless of the record. Defense travels, and it's the foundation Gainey will build everything on.

The Bigger Picture

NC State basketball has been through three coaches in three years: Keatts (Final Four in 2024, missed ACC Tournament in 2025), Wade (one chaotic season), and now Gainey. The program needs stability more than anything else.

Gainey offers that. He's not using NC State as a stepping stone — this is his dream job, his alma mater, the place where his jersey hangs and his career began. The staff he's assembled says he's not just here to hold the fort — he's here to build something that lasts.

The talent will come. The portal will provide. The recruits will follow the coaching pedigree. But the most important thing Gainey brings to Raleigh isn't X's and O's — it's authenticity. He loves this place. And after a year of Will Wade's transactional approach, that might be exactly what NC State basketball needs.

Welcome home, Coach Gainey. The Pack is ready.