Should NC State Sue Will Wade?

The Will Wade controversy continues as he undergoes more suspicion. The former one-season NC State Head Coach for the men’s basketball team returned to his previous coaching position at LSU, who fired him for violating multiple Level I NCAA rules. This includes paying recruits before NIL was legal and failing to comply with the investigators. 

LSU hired Matt McMahon in place of Wade in 2022. After an unsuccessful season, LSU reached out to the former coach mid-season with the same job position he was fired from. Mid-March, during the ACC tournament, the former head Coach addressed the LSU rumors, saying, “I’m excited at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job, this isn’t going to take one year.” 

The former coach is no stranger to ignoring policies, as he allegedly violated some of his contract at NC State. In Sections II and XIII, he agreed to give a written notice to the athletic director, Bo Corrigan, before seeking employment elsewhere. Bo Corrigan reported that he felt he had been lied to, as he had recently met with the former head coach about the future of the program. The former coach also agreed to perform his job faithfully and diligently, as stated in Section II. The former head coach had his agent reach out to Corrigan, establishing that his plans with LSU were already in the works. 

There has been talk that NC State could sue the former head coach for his abrupt departure. Did Wade violate his contract when he reportedly discussed a potential return to LSU before the season was even over and if so was he truly able to perform his job as Wolfpack head coach diligently and faithfully?

The jury is still out on if NC State will pursue legal repercussions for Wade, but in the mean time Corrigan has hired a new man to lead the Wolfpack.

The school officially announced Tuesday that former NC State captain, Justin Gainey, will return to Raleigh as the new head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program.  Gainey, who has signed a five-year agreement, will be formally introduced as the 22nd head coach in program history on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Lenovo Center.

“I am honored to announce Justin Gainey as our new head coach for the NC State men’s basketball program,” said Corrigan. “Not only are we welcoming back one of our own, but we are welcoming a tough, tenacious and experienced coach who I am confident is the right fit for our program and will continue to position the Pack for success on the national stage. Justin understands what this program means because he has lived and breathed it and I am very excited that he is our basketball coach.”

“I’m humbled and honored to be the head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program,” said Gainey. “This university helped build me as a player and as a person. To now lead it as head coach is truly a full-circle moment. There’s a responsibility that comes with leading your alma mater, and I embrace it fully. We’re going to honor our tradition, represent this university the right way, and build a program our Wolfpack family can be proud of. This place means everything to me. I wore the jersey with pride, and now I’ll lead this program with that same passion, toughness and commitment to winning that defines the Wolfpack.”

“Today is a great day for NC State and our men’s basketball program,” said Chancellor Kevin Howell. “I could not be more proud that Justin Gainey is our new NC State head men’s basketball coach. The Wolfpack is bringing home one of our own.”

Originally from High Point, Gainey was a four-year letterman (1996–2000) for the NC State men’s basketball team under head coach Herb Sendek and served as team captain during his senior season in 1999-2000, the first year the Wolfpack played in what is now the Lenovo Center.

Gainey appeared in 128 games during his NC State career, making 103 starts. His 344 career assists ranks among the program’s top 10 when he graduated and currently stands 15th in school history.

Gainey brings 20 years of Division I coaching experience to his new role, including 14 years at the power conference level.

He has spent the last five seasons at the University of Tennessee, including the last four as Associate Head Coach under Rick Barnes.