Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Justin Gainey, who was named head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program this past March. He is returning to the university where he was a four-year starting point guard and team captain. The position is Gainey’s first collegiate head-coaching job after more than two decades working in Division I basketball.
A native of High Point, North Carolina, Gainey attended Greensboro Day School, where he helped the Bengals win consecutive state championships in 1995 and 1996. He was named the “North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Player of the Year” in both seasons before beginning his college career at NC State.
Gainey played for the Wolfpack from 1996 to 2000. As a freshman, he played every minute of NC State’s four-game run through the 1997 ACC Tournament as the eighth-seeded Wolfpack advanced to the championship game. He was selected to the ACC All-Tournament First Team.
During his four seasons at NC State, Gainey appeared in 128 games and made 103 starts. He finished his career with 344 assists and 190 steals. His 190 steals rank fifth in school history. In the 2000 ACC Tournament, he recorded nine steals against Virginia, an ACC Tournament single-game record. Gainey served as team captain during his senior season and helped NC State earn postseason invitations in each of his four years.
After graduating from NC State in 2000 with a degree in business administration, Gainey played professionally in Austria, France and the United States. He later returned to NC State and earned a master’s degree in sport management in 2006.
Gainey began his college basketball career off the court at NC State, first in an administrative position and later as director of basketball operations. He moved into coaching at Elon in 2009 and subsequently worked at Appalachian State, Marquette, Santa Clara and Arizona.
In 2021, Gainey joined Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee. He was promoted to associate head coach before his second season and also served as the Volunteers’ defensive coordinator.
During Gainey’s five seasons at Tennessee, the Volunteers compiled a 134-48 record and reached the NCAA Tournament every year. Tennessee advanced to four Sweet 16s and three Elite Eights while winning the 2022 SEC Tournament championship and the 2024 SEC regular-season championship.
Defense was a major part of Tennessee’s success during Gainey’s time with the program. In 2022-23, the Volunteers were rated the best defensive team in the country and remained among the nation’s top defensive teams over the next two seasons. Gainey also played an important role in developing Tennessee’s guards, including All-SEC selections Kennedy Chandler, Zakai Zeigler and Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
Gainey returned to Raleigh in 2026 as the 22nd head coach in NC State men’s basketball history. His background includes experience in recruiting, player development, program operations and defensive strategy, along with coaching experience under Herb Sendek, Sean Miller, Steve Wojciechowski and Rick Barnes.
Gainey and his wife, Courtney, have three sons: Jordan, Jayson and Jaxson.
Mark Your Calendar
*** TUESDAY 10/6/26 – A Special Guest Speaker
10/21/26 – Steve Wiseman, Sports Editor, Raleigh News & Observer
11/4/26 – A different Special Guest Speaker