Exactly 345 days ago, NC State was celebrating its first ACC tournament championship in decades, the precursor to a miraculous Final Four run. That postseason surge earned Kevin Keatts a contract extension and an automatic raise, seemingly setting him up for future success in Raleigh.
But not even a full calendar year later, the ACC’s second-longest-tenured head coach is out.
NC State announced the firing Sunday morning, after a disastrous 12-19 season that stymied any momentum the Wolfpack had from last year. Not only did the Wolfpack fail to qualify for the ACC tournament, despite the conference’s worst year maybe ever, but fan apathy had reached new heights at record pace. Keatts, 52, ends his tenure 151-113 with three NCAA Tournament appearances. His buyout is roughly $6.75 million.
All of which is a long way of saying: NC State needs a new men’s basketball coach.
How good is the job?
Despite the shocking way it happened, Keatts proved that NC State can make the Final Four in the modern era, which isn’t something that can be said of every high-major program. Of course, that the run was such an anomaly — the Wolfpack’s first in decades — speaks to how the program’s infrastructure is sorely in need of some updates.
On one hand, the job has built-in perks that can’t be bought. Residing on Tobacco Road, down the highway from North Carolina and Duke, means this is one of the few regions in the country — and especially the South — where basketball reigns supreme over football, at least in terms of fan interest. If you build it, people will come. Additionally, let’s not forget that NC State is one of just 15 programs in America with multiple national championships: 1974, when David Thompson helped end UCLA’s streak of seven consecutive titles, and 1983, when Jim Valvano’s Cardiac Pack dropped Houston at the buzzer in the national title game.
But on the other hand, how much is NC State living in the past? And how much does it actually want to invest in becoming a top-tier program again? Industry scuttlebutt has been that the Wolfpack will be one of the few high-major schools not to go all-in on revenue sharing once it becomes official this summer. If so, that’s a concern about the program’s resources, or at least its willingness to spend them. What makes that even more curious is that, per US Department of Education data from 2022-23 (the most recent year for which data is available), NC State was 18th among public institutions in men’s basketball spending at about $12.6 million. That’s second in the ACC behind only rival North Carolina, with less than a million dollars separating the two. Is NC State willing to pony up like its Tobacco Road peers? Or is it trying to operate on the cheap? The answer to that determines this job’s upside.
Call list (in alphabetical order)
Justin Gainey, associate head coach, Tennessee: The soon-to-be 48-year-old, a former Wolfpack point guard and North Carolina native, comes with an inherent understanding of the job and the region, a key asset when competing (and recruiting) against top ACC powers. As Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, he’s been integral to the Vols finishing top five in adjusted defensive efficiency the past four seasons, not to mention top 20 in assist rate. Both would be welcome changes in Raleigh. Gainey’s never been a head coach before, but his connections to the program are overwhelming.
Alan Huss, head coach, High Point: NC State went the mid-major route when it hired Keatts from UNC-Wilmington, so there may not be as much appetite for the same strategy. But if the Wolfpack are looking at that level, Huss deserves consideration. He’s led High Point to a 55-19 record in two seasons with consecutive Big South regular-season titles, and High Point won the league tournament Sunday. This might be too big a jump too soon for the 46-year-old, but as an up-and-comer in the state, he bears inclusion.
Joel Justus, associate head coach, Ohio State: One of the best recruiters in the nation who was part of Keatts’ Final Four staff, Justus has intimate knowledge of the program — but is hiring one of Keatts’ former assistants a non-starter? It shouldn’t be, because the 43-year-old North Carolina native (who played at UNC-Wilmington) could make immediate inroads in the state. Justus also has vast high-major experience, having previously worked under John Calipari at Kentucky and Bobby Hurley at Arizona State. It’s only a matter of time until Justus gets his first head coaching gig.
Sean Miller, head coach, Xavier: The Wolfpack first went after Miller — an NC State assistant under Herb Sendek from 1996-2001 — in 2011, but the program ultimately hired Mark Gottfried. Miller’s younger brother, Archie (now the head coach at Rhode Island), also played in Raleigh, so the ties run deep. But would this be a step down for Miller? His Musketeers are right on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and the Big East has been a better top-to-bottom league than the ACC for several seasons. If the 56-year-old were in a more tenuous position at Xavier, maybe, but the timing doesn’t seem right.
Luke Murray, assistant coach, Connecticut: A key cog in UConn’s consecutive national championships, Murray, 40, is an offensive expert who comes with the highest coaching pedigree possible. (Like Sean McVay in the NFL, teams could do a lot worse than to hire off Dan Hurley’s staff.) UConn’s offenses the past three seasons have been top 15 nationally in adjusted efficiency. A bright up-and-coming mind — and a high-level recruiter — NC State would be getting ahead of the pack by hiring Murray now, although he would need veteran coaches around him. It doesn’t hurt that he also has ACC ties from his time under Chris Mack at Louisville.
Ryan Odom, head coach, VCU: One of the hottest names this coaching cycle, Odom is a strong candidate at Virginia. But should the Cavaliers go in another direction, Odom should vault up NC State’s wishlist. The 50-year-old engineered the greatest NCAA Tournament upset ever at UMBC, becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, and also led Utah State to the Big Dance. Now he has VCU as the best team in the Atlantic 10. Beyond his obvious coaching bona fides, Odom has deep ACC ties (and admiration) dating back to his father Dave’s tenure at Wake Forest. He’s a natural fit as a North Carolina native who spent seven seasons as an assistant at Virginia Tech.
Richard Pitino, head coach, New Mexico: Also strongly in the mix at Virginia, Pitino seems destined to get another high-major job, and he’s more than deserving. He just led the Lobos to the Mountain West regular-season title and is in line to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in Albuquerque. Pitino, 42, also has ACC experience from his time on his father’s staff at Louisville. Pitino went 141-123 in eight seasons at Minnesota, posting four losing records — including in his final two seasons — but he did make the postseason twice. Virginia got a head start on its hiring process, but that doesn’t mean NC State is too late.
Tony Skinn, head coach, George Mason: Skinn has built one of the stingiest defenses in America at George Mason this season, which would be a welcome change in Raleigh. The Patriots are top-25 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, keyed by their top-five 2-point defense. The 42-year-old was a star for the Patriots during their 2006 Final Four run and now has his alma mater on the brink of the NCAA Tournament in only his second season as head coach. Skinn has ample high-major experience as an assistant at Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland. He might be better off biding his time for a Big Ten job, but he’s considered a rising star.
Will Wade, head coach, McNeese: The biggest fish on this list, Wade would bring instant credibility to NC State, but is he interested? Strictly in terms of coaching and recruiting chops, Wade is easily the best candidate available — for any high-major school — and should have his pick this spring. Wade does have ACC experience — he got his start at Clemson — but is best known for going 108-54 in five seasons at LSU, where he posted three top-12 offenses, made one Sweet 16 and lured three top-10 recruiting classes to Baton Rouge. Of course, how he lured those recruits — by making many a “strong ass offer,” per FBI wiretaps that eventually cost Wade his job — was the more prickly issue. But with the advent of NIL, one could argue Wade is as well-positioned as any coach to thrive. If NC State can land Wade, it would send shock waves through Tobacco Road and the conference.
And the hire is …
Wade, if NC State can get it done. He’s a proven winner at the sport’s highest level, and his recruiting acumen could flip the program quickly. But it’s fair to wonder whether the Wolfpack — with the various questions about their level of resource commitment — are the best fit for him. In that case, either Odom or Pitino would be a slam dunk: someone with NCAA Tournament and head coaching experience, both of whom have ACC ties. It seems unlikely, but not impossible, that NC State would go the mid-major route again, but if NC State is looking to find someone on the cheap, any of Gainey, Justus, or Murray is a worthwhile gamble.
(Photo of McNeese State coach Will Wade: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
