Former NC State Assistant, Staffer Take Over UTRGV Program

RALEIGH — After Will Wade decided to leave NC State following one season as the program's head coach, many members of his staff were left looking for new roles elsewhere. Lead defensive assistant Brandon Chambers landed on his feet with his first head coaching job, earning the position at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Chambers won't go alone, either. Support staff and player development coach JoJo Anderson is set to become a full-time assistant for Chambers at UTRGV, marking the end of the Wade era officially. Still, fans were happy to see Chambers get a new chance as a head coach after helping the Wolfpack in his lone season in Raleigh.

What it means for NC State

Please help us welcome @chambershoops to the UTRGV family.

Welcome to the Valley Coach Chambers!#RalleyTheValley #UTRGV https://t.co/CYpDeUxLbG
— UTRGV Athletics (@GoUTRGV) April 3, 2026

Chambers was a longtime associate of Wade's, going back to the coach's days at VCU. He joined Wade at McNeese State, even winning a game against the Rams when Wade was suspended for his show-cause penalty during his time at LSU. The pair eventually made their way to NC State, where they appeared to be settling in for the long haul and a takeover in the ACC.

Things changed over the course of the year as things didn't go according to plan or expectation. Wade opted to return to LSU and only brought a few members of his support staff, while other assistants like Adam Howard landed other roles, in his case, the head coaching position at Troy. Chambers became the next domino to fall, departing Raleigh on good terms with a message on social media to the fans.

THANK YOU Raleigh.
Thank you for accepting us into your community and your family.
We will truly miss this city and the state of North Carolina.

THANK YOU North Carolina State.
Thank you for all of the love and passion that showed throughout my time here.
North Carolina State is… pic.twitter.com/Cz3of8aidl
— Brandon Chambers (@chambershoops) April 5, 2026

Chambers won't be going alone. Anderson was a critical member of Wade's staff at NC State on the player development side of things, working closely with fellow full-time assistant Vernon Hamilton. Anderson worked closely with the players on their developmental processes, with his best project being the improvement of sophomore guard Paul McNeil, who emerged as one of the best shooters in the ACC.

Anderson won't be in the same role at UTRGV, but he'll likely be leaned on for his player development prowess once again. It's a major break for both Chambers and Anderson, while new NC State head coach Justin Gainey is bringing in an entirely new staff for the second season in a row in Raleigh. Riley Collins, a member of the staff with Gainey at Tennessee, is expected to be the first full-time assistant at NC State after being in a similar role to Anderson's with the Volunteers.