Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey addresses being a candidate for NC State job

Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey said Thursday that he was surprised by the North Carolina State job opening this week, but added that his focus remains on the Vols entering the postseason.

Gainey was asked about the NC State vacancy on Thursday in Nashville, ahead of Tennessee playing Friday in the SEC Tournament.

“I was surprised like I think everybody was,” Gainey said. “Being a graduate and former player there, somebody who worked there, I have always kind of kept my eye on NC State. Just watching them play and everything. I love NC State. It is a great place.”

North Carolina State fired former head coach Kevin Keatts on Sunday, less than a year removed from the Wolfpack going on an unlikely run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed. NC State finished 12-19 this season and finished 16th in the ACC. The Wolfpack won 49 games over the previous two seasons and went 151-113 in eight seasons under Keatts. 

“As far as me and my involvement on everything,” Gainey said, “I am focused on what we are doing here. Trying to win an SEC championship. Trying to win an NCAA Tournament. The fact that I am even mentioned, I am flattered.

“That is big and in large part to what we have done here. I credit the guys I have had the opportunity to coach here and I credit Coach Barnes for giving me this opportunity to have me even mentioned in such a great situation like that.”

Tennessee (25-6) is the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament and will face either No. 5 Texas A&M or No. 13 Texas on Friday afternoon (approximately 3:30 Eastern Time, TV: ESPN) in the quarterfinal round. 

The Vols are currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season, after making a run to the Elite Eight as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region last year.

Justin Gainey was a four-year starter at PG at NC State

Gainey was a four-year starter at NC State between 1996 and 2000, starting 103 of 128 career games while averaging 29.9 minutes per game. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.8% from the field and 31.7% from the field over the four seasons. 

Rick Barnes hired Gainey in April 2021, after he spent the 2020-21 season as Marquette’s associate head coach.

Gainey has spent the last two seasons at Tennessee coaching his son, Jordan Gainey, who transferred out of USC Upstate after the 2022-23 season. 

Jordan Gainey is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists as Tennessee’s sixth man this season, averaging 27.5 minutes per game off the bench. He averaged 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 36 games last season, in first year with the Vols. 

Gainey had a career-year as a junior in 1998-99, averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, starting all 33 games for the Wolfpack that season. 

He started his coaching career as an administrative coordinator at NC State in 2006 and was promoted to director of operations in 2008. 

Gainey’s first job as an assistant coach was at Elon in 2009, before moves to Appalachian State (2010-14), Marquette (2014-17) as director of operations, Santa Clara (2017-18), Arizona (2018-20) and then a return to Marquette (202-21) as an associate head coach.

Five former Rick Barnes assistants at Tennessee have been hired as head coaches

Gainey joined the Tennessee staff in 2021 alongside assistant coach Rod Clark after Desmond Oliver left to become the head coach at East Tennessee State and Kim English left to be the new head coach at George Mason. 

Gainey was promoted to associate head coach in 2022, after Mike Schwartz left to become the new head coach at East Carolina. The Vols are 114-33 over the last four seasons, with Gainey and Clark on staff.

Other former Tennessee assistant coaches from the Barnes era to leave and become head coaches include Chris Ogden at Texas Arlington and Rob Lanier at Georgia State. 

Ogden left to join Chris Beard’s staff at Texas Tech in 2016, after one season at Tennessee, and was later hired by UT Arlington in 2018. He returned to the University of Texas, where he played for Barnes from 1999 to 2003, to become an assistant coach and general manager for the Longhorns. 

Lanier spent two seasons at Georgia State before being hired at SMU. He’s now in his first season as the head coach at Rice.