The Facts the Justin Gainey Critics are Ignoring
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RALEIGH — The new face of NC State men's basketball is Justin Gainey, who took over after just one year of the ill-fated Will Wade era. The former associate head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers is fresh off a trip to the Elite Eight and ready to return home to the Wolfpack, a program he played for from 1996 to 2000.
Unlike local programs like North Carolina and Duke, NC State hasn't been committed to keeping its coaching hires in the proverbial family over the years. For fans, two major criticisms are being lobbed in the direction of Gainey throughout the hiring process. However, there is no reason for such overblown concern.
Gainey is not Sidney Lowe
Because of Gainey's existing connections to NC State and his relative inexperience as a collegiate head coach, many fans have expressed concern that he will be the next version of Sidney Lowe. After winning the national championship under Jim Valvano in 1983, Lowe went on to a lengthy NBA career as a player. Eventually, he made his way into coaching.
After several roles as an NBA assistant and two poor head coaching stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Grizzlies, who completed their move from Vancouver to Memphis during his tenure, Lowe threw his name in the hat for the NC State head coach job after Herb Sendek's departure in 2006. He got the job, with the Wolfpack bringing home one of its glorious sons from the greatest moment in program history.
As a head coach in the NBA, Lowe put together a record of 79-228, failing to make a single NBA postseason. He had some successful periods as an assistant, even delaying his arrival at NC State to finish his work with the Detroit Pistons during the 2006 NBA Playoffs. Lowe's Wolfpack tenure went similarly to his head coaching work in the NBA.
Lowe finished with an 86-78 record with the Wolfpack over five seasons, winning 20 games twice and missing the NCAA Tournament in every year leading the program. He ultimately resigned from NC State following the 2010-2011 season. Lowe did have a season in which he defeated Duke, UNC and Wake Forest in the same year, but that was the extent of his career highlights in Raleigh.
Because of his status as an alumnus and former player like Lowe was, Gainey has been compared to the former NC State coach by fans on social media out of fear of a similar level of success for the program. There are some key differences between the two coaches. For starters, Lowe never had any experience at the college level prior to accepting the Wolfpack job.
Gainey is a career college coach, grinding for 20 years in various assistant roles at mid-major and high-major programs, including Santa Clara, Arizona, Marquette and Tennessee. During that time, established himself as a strong recruiter, something that likely appealed to current NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan as the program tries to compete more with Duke and UNC.
In many ways, Gainey has paid his dues for long enough and likely held out for the NC State job. Lowe was a connection to a bygone era and an attempt to regain some of the magic of the 1983 season, still deeply engrained in the memories of many Wolfpack fans and administrators. Gainey's goal would be to ushed the program into a new era, rather than recreate one.
Being an assistant creates a different point-of-view
Gainey's lack of experience as a head coach is another popular criticism. It's not unfair, but his impact on the Tennessee program is massive. Before he arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee's defensive numbers were far from elite. Some point to the rise of NIL as the major change in fortune for the Volunteers, as they were able to get more talented players. However, the improved statistics aren't just due to players. They're Gainey, too.
In his five seasons with the program, Tennessee finished ranked fifth, third, first, third, third and 14th in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. After a year of disastrous defensive schematics under Wade, Gainey's approach on that end of the floor being his specialty, should be welcomed by Wolfpack fans with open arms, rather than used as a criticism.
Most top assistants are assigned to one aspect of preparation and coaching, with Gainey being a defensive expert. That makes developing an identity easier in some ways for assistant coaches because they are inclined to fall back on what they know best. This proved to be a massive win for the Miami Hurricanes when they hired Duke assistant Jai Lucas after one of their worst seasons in program history.
Lucas created a brand new roster built around toughness, offensive rebounding and physicality. In his first year, the Hurricanes surged into third place in the ACC behind that identity. Gainey will try to be the same thing for the Pack, bringing his defensive mantra and recruiting prowess over from one of the SEC's steadiest programs.
Losing momentum
Even after leaving the program in a bit of a mess, Wade did do some things that helped modernize NC State men's basketball. He brought the spotlight, for better or worse, back to Raleigh. He galvanized a fan base a season removed from a special run to the 2024 Final Four under Kevin Keatts. There is reason to fear that his exit might kill some of the momentum he built over the last year.
Being a homegrown product and a former Wolfpack player could work in Gainey's favor in this regard. He won't need to make the same boastful promises Wade did, but rather establish himself as a part of the Wolfpack early, winning the crowd. Then, his roster construction, which should be thorough and include some quality recruiting, will do the rest of the work for him. If that all happens, NC State could be in a healthier place just a week after Wade left.
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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