Flight Tracking NC State During the Coaching Search
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RALEIGH — The hunt for the next men's basketball coach at NC State is officially underway, with athletic director Boo Corrigan and other power brokers for Wolfpack athletics hitting the road Saturday to interview candidates for the opening left in the wake of Will Wade's ugly exit.
Two candidates jumped to the top of the list in the days since Wade submitted his resignation letter via email, later announcing his intention to return to LSU. NC State fans were some of the first to try flight tracking as early as 2006 and the trend is back in full swing. A private jet owned by "Seven Wolves LLC" has been on the move throughout Saturday, with NC State On SI monitoring the situation thoroughly.
Where has the jet been?
Josh Schertz meeting: ✅
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) March 28, 2026
Now, the NC State plane is bound for Chicago, presumably to meet with Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey, as the Vols prepare to face Michigan in the Elite Eight. pic.twitter.com/A4i7LL8noY
The Cessna departed from the Raleigh Executive Jetport at approximately 8:42 A.M. on Saturday, bound for the Spirit of St. Louis Airport later in the morning. It landed in Missouri, where later reports confirmed that Corrigan and his team went to meet with Saint Louis University head coach Josh Schertz about the open position.
Several reports about the interview rolled in over the next few hours, with one indicating that no financials were discussed between Corrigan and Schertz. The Saint Louis coach recently agreed to an extension and will be difficult to pry out of his current role, but NC State wants him badly by all accounts.
Josh Schertz says after talking with NC State that no financial particulars were discussed and he will wait to see if an offer comes with numbers that are significantly better than SLU’s.
— stu durando (@studurando) March 28, 2026
Corrigan and his team weren't done yet. They returned to the jet at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport and immediately plotted a course to Chicago, landing at Chicago Midway International Airport at approximately 2:18 P.M. later in the afternoon. The trip north was built around visiting with NC State alumnus and current Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey.
The Volunteers are in the midst of an impressive run through the NCAA Tournament, with their next game scheduled for Saturday night against the top seed in the Midwest region, Michigan. Gainey, a popular candidate amongst some fans and former Wolfpack players, has expressed interest in the job in the past and was in the mix before Corrigan and NC State hired Wade a year ago.
NC State is still ironing out some of the financial ramifications of Wade's exit, including his buyout. The University Board of Trustees hosted an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the negotiations with Wade and LSU, which Corrigan earlier revealed culminated in a buyout of $4 million. Schertz's buyout is a reported $5 million, making it a bit of a wash for the Wolfpack from that point of view.
NC State completed its due diligence by meeting with Gainey in Chicago, while Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes offered his glowing endorsement of his assistant. Once that was done, the jet took off from Midway at 5:29 P.M. EST.
The NC State coaching search plane appears to be landing in Greenville, S.C. pic.twitter.com/w1qiBGEHut
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) March 28, 2026
After the jet appeared to be heading back to North Carolina, it never ended up making the turn toward Raleigh. Ultimately, the NC State group led by Corrigan landed at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport at 6:42 P.M EST. The stop is presumably to meet with Furman head coach Bob Richey, who was discussed as a target by many.
This story will be updated as NC State's travel plans continue
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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