N.C. State basketball is moving on from head coach Kevin Keatts, the Wolfpack announced Sunday morning.
Keatts spent eight seasons in Raleigh, compiling an overall record of 151-113 with the Wolfpack, finishing 69-84 in ACC play. His teams earned three NCAA Tournament bids, including an ACC Tournament championship and a Final Four run last season.
With NIL and revenue sharing becoming priorities at the college level, the financial commitment from N.C. State and athletics director Boo Corrigan are also major factors as the Wolfpack attempts to land a head coach.
KEATTS BUYOUT: Kevin Keatts fired at NC State after Wolfpack misses ACC Tournament, 1 year after Final Four
The transfer portal opens March 24, following the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, meaning N.C. State would likely want to have a coach in place soon to begin the process of rebuilding the roster ahead of the 2025-26 season.
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So who will replace Keatts as the new coach at N.C. State? With Keatts fired in Raleigh, here are 10 candidates to be N.C. State’s next head coach.
Will Wade, McNeese coach
Probably the top target on this list, Wade is wrapping up a two-season stretch at McNeese that saw him lead the Cowboys to a 55-10 record. The team is on a nine-game winning streak entering the Southland Conference Tournament. Last season, Wade led McNeese to 30 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth. Prior to his time with the Cowboys, Wade led LSU and VCU to the March Madness, including a run to the Sweet 16 with the Tigers in 2019.
Justin Gainey, Tennessee associate head coach
A High Point native and N.C. State alum, Gainey should be another priority for the Wolfpack as the associate head coach at Tennessee. Gainey has been alongside Rick Barnes at Tennessee since 2021, but he was at N.C. State from 2006-09 under Herb Sendek and Sidney Lowe. A proven recruiter nationally and defensive-minded coach with ties throughout North Carolina, Gainey spent time at Elon, Appalachian State and Marquette before joining the Volunteers. He played for the Wolfpack from 1996-2000 under Sendek. He was a team captain in his final season, averaging 8.6 points and 2.8 assists.
Tony Skinn, George Mason coach
A player on George Mason’s Final Four team in 2006, Skinn has led the Patriots to a 44-19 record in his first two seasons as head coach. Duke, one of the favorites to win the 2025 national championship, was limited to 68 points in its win against George Mason earlier this season. Only Wake Forest, which allowed 63 points in a loss to Duke, had a better defensive showing against the Blue Devils. Skinn has George Mason in the mix for a March Madness bid as a contender in the A-10. He also spent time as an assistant at several high-major programs, including Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland.
Richard Pitino Jr., New Mexico coach
The Keatts connection to Louisville and Rick Pitino could hurt the chances of this happening, but Richard Pitino is closing in on his second NCAA Tournament berth in as many years at New Mexico. Following a 13-19 season in his debut year with the Lobos, Pitino has led the program to three straight 20-win seasons. With 51 regular-season wins over the last two years, New Mexico is enjoying its best stretch since 2013-14. Pitino previously coached at Minnesota, where he led the Golden Gophers to a pair of March Madness appearances in eight seasons.
Ryan Odom, VCU coach
One of the hottest names on the market, Odom is more likely to go to Virginia if offered that opening. But you have to make the call if you’re N.C. State. Odom, VCU’s coach, was a high-major assistant at Virginia Tech before leading UMBC to its historic upset of Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. He also led Utah State to the NCAA Tournament and has VCU poised for another run at securing an automatic bid before Selection Sunday. His father, Dave Odom, was a longtime coach at Wake Forest.
Ben McCollum, Drake coach
As a coach from Big Ten country, this might be a stretch, but McCollum is one of the hottest names in the mix for a high-major job. Before arriving at Drake, McCollum led Division II Northwest Missouri State to four national championships. He brought some of those players with him to Drake, where he’s close to leading the program to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Alan Huss, High Point coach
Huss is 55-14 in two seasons at High Point, making the Panthers the premier program in the Big South. The fastest coach in conference history to reach 50 wins, Huss just received a contract extension from High Point. Still, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Huss was an assistant coach at Creighton and spent time at New Mexico before joining the Blue Jays.
Julius Hodge, Lincoln (Pa.) coach
The 2004 ACC Player of the Year at N.C. State, Hodge was an All-American standout for the Wolfpack under Herb Sendek. After three seasons at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Hodge just completed his debut season as a head coach at Division II Lincoln (Pa.), which finished with an 18-12 record. The New York native has previous experience as an assistant coach at San Jose State and Santa Clara, where he was coaching alongside Sendek.
Bob Richey, Furman coach
After beating Virginia in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it looked like Richey was ready to make the leap to the power-conference level. The Paladins have won 69% of their games under Richey, who led the program to 20 or more wins in six of his eight seasons. Following a 17-16 record in 2024, Furman has 24 wins this season under Richey.
Archie Miller, Rhode Island coach
A guard at N.C. State from 1998-2002, Miller was an assistant coach for the Wolfpack from 2004-06 under Sendek. He has head coaching experience at Dayton, Indiana and now Rhode Island. It’s been a rocky road with the Rams, who had a losing record in Miller’s first two seasons, but Miller has seen progress, posting an 18-12 record this season for the program’s first winning campaign since 2020. Sean Miller, Archie’s brother, is the coach at Xavier, but Archie is the more likely candidate if State wanted to go the Miller route.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to[email protected].
