Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey has quickly become one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel. Georgia Tech did reportedly show strong interest in Gainey, and with Will Wade leaving NC State for LSU, all signs are pointing toward the Wolfpack potentially making a serious push to bring him in as the new leader of the program.
NC State brought in one of the hottest names this cycle, Sainy Louis's Josh Schertz, for an interview for their head coaching job, but Jon Rothstein has reported that he is no longer a candidate to land the job in Raleigh. This means that all signs point towards NC State to potentially hire Justin Gainey away from Knoxville now.
Source: Saint Louis' Josh Schertz is no longer a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at NC State.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 29, 2026
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has publicly addressed this and wants Gainey to get the job. Barnes said, "If NC State knew what I knew they’d be begging him to be their coach."
Losing Justin Gainey would hurt Tennessee
Well, if Tenensse does lose Justin Gainey it would be a major blow to the coaching staff. Gainey has been the defensive coordinator on Tennessee’s staff, and that’s a huge reason why the Vols are almost always one of the toughest defensive teams in the country. Seeing him go to his Alma Mater would be bittersweet. He deserves his chance to run his own program, but it will be a big loss for Barnes.
I think it's pretty clear that NC State is likely zoning in on the Tennesse assistant. He is going to have to take over a program that has a tough road to bring in Duke and North Carolina's backyard. The Wolfpack could benefit from Gainey's defensive philosophy and exemplary recruiting. Not to mention, he would be a head coach who's an alum of the school, so he won't just run away for a "better job" like Will Wade did.