The NC State Wolfpack are the latest Power-5 conference team looking for a new coach after dismissing Kevin Keatts earlier today. Keatts dismissal comes one year after the 52-year-old led the Wolfpack to an improbable Final Four berth and eight seasons in Raleigh. So, why did the school make the choice?
Keats has done an admirable job at NC State. However, NC State is a proud program located in a prosperous basketball state and part of arguably the best basketball conference of all time—even if it is not currently seen as that—and the Wolfpack really haven’t had much success under him.
Why NC State Fired Kevin Keats and Possible Candidates For Next Wolfpack Coach
Keatts went 151-113 (.572) with three NCAA tournament appearances. His eight seasons at the helm of the program make him the sixth-longest tenured coach in Wolfpack history. He also ranks sixth in all-time wins, though his winning percentage is just 10 on the program ledger. The Wolfpack won 20 games five times and finished with a losing record twice.
While it may be surprising that Keatts was fired, he had been on the hot seat before. It appears that missing the ACC tournament was something he couldn’t overcome. Keatts was reportedly on the hot seat heading into last year’s ACC tournament, and then the Wolfpack went on its crazy 9-1 postseason run.
NC State went 12-19 this season, finishing 16th in the conference with a 5-15 record. NC State had a negative scoring margin (-0.8), as 10 of its losses were by double digits. The Wolfpack went winless away from PNC Arena (0-13) and picked up two quality wins (2-16 in QI and QII contests). Perhaps more importantly, they went 1-4 with a -55 scoring margin against North Carolina (0-2), Wake Forest (1-1), Duke (0-1) and Clemson (0-1).
“I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with class,” athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad.
NC State also ranked in the 200s in the nation in offense (227th) and defense (237th) this year. While NC State lost a lot of talent last year, the Wolfpack were a veteran squad. Marcus Hill and Dontrez Styles led three players in scoring with 11.5 points and 11.4 per game.
15 Potential Candidates for NC State’s Next Coach
NC State is the 16th Division I team to make a head coaching change, and the college basketball offseason hasn’t even officially started. Florida State, Utah, Miami, and Stephen F. Austin have filled their vacancies already, leaving 12 jobs currently open. However, Virginia, Louisiana, and South Florida coaches had interim tags this year, and their statuses are unknown.
As a result of NC State’s run postseason run last year, a two-year extension clause kicked in Keatts’s contract. So, the Wolfpack owes Keatts about $6.75 million not to coach the team.
“Corrigan, like most ADs, will prefer stability and high-major coaching experience, Inside The Pack Sports. “It’s the rarest type of hire to be made, but it’s typically the hire with the highest floor as well as a lot of upside.”
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello said VCU’s Ryan Odom and McNeese’s Will Wade are two candidates to replace Keatts. Who else could get an interview?
Ryan Odom, VCU Head Coach
Odom has had success everywhere he has gone and is in the process of leading VCU to the NCAA tournament. The Rams are 25-6 this year and captured the A10 regular season crown with a 15-3 record. The Rams rank 31st in offensive rating and seventh in defensive rating.
Odom is 49-20 in his two seasons at VCU. The 50-year-old has been a head coach for 10 seasons, posting a 196-116 record overall with stops at Utah State, UMBC, and Charlotte. The 2020-21 AEC COY has won 20+ games six times and two trips to the NCAA tournament.
” One of the hottest names this coaching cycle, Odom is a strong candidate at Virginia, Brendan Marks of The Athletic said. “But should the Cavaliers go in another direction, Odom should vault up NC State’s wishlist. The 50-year-old engineered the greatest NCAA Tournament upset ever at UMBC, becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, and also led Utah State to the Big Dance. Now he has VCU as the best team in the Atlantic 10. Beyond his obvious coaching bona fides, Odom has deep ACC ties (and admiration) dating back to his father Dave’s tenure at Wake Forest. He’s a natural fit as a North Carolina native who spent seven seasons as an assistant at Virginia Tech.
Richard Pitino, New Mexico HC
Richard Pitino was also a candidate for the Utah job that ultimately went to Alex Jensen. So, Pitino, at just 42, may get another shot at a power-5 conference job at some point. He is in the process of making his fourth-ever trip to the NCAA tournament and second with New Mexico, as the Lobos claimed the Mountain West regular season crown.
Here is what Marks said:
“Also strongly in the mix at Virginia, Pitino seems destined to get another high-major job, and he’s more than deserving. He just led the Lobos to the Mountain West regular-season title and is in line to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in Albuquerque. Pitino also has ACC experience from his time on his father’s staff at Louisville. Pitino went 141-123 in eight seasons at Minnesota, posting four losing records — including in his final two seasons — but he did make the postseason twice. Virginia got a head start on its hiring process, but that doesn’t mean NC State is too late.”
Will Wade, McNeese HC
As successful as Odom has been, Wade has been even better. Wade has not experienced a losing season in any of his 11 seasons, which includes five years at LSU. He led McNeese to its second straight regular-season Southland title and could reach the NCAA tournament with the Cowboys again. The Cowboys are 25-6 on the year, including 19-1 in the Southland, and they rank in the top 25 in the country in both offensive and defensive rating.
Wade has a 251-106 record, four regular-season titles, and one conference crown. He has also made six trips to the NCAA tournament, compiling a 4-6 record.
Here is what Marks said about Wade:
“The biggest fish on this list, Wade would bring instant credibility to NC State, but is he interested? Strictly in terms of coaching and recruiting chops, Wade is easily the best candidate available — for any high-major school — and should have his pick this spring. Wade does have ACC experience — he got his start at Clemson — but is best known for going 108-54 in five seasons at LSU, where he posted three top-12 offenses, made one Sweet 16, and lured three top-10 recruiting classes to Baton Rouge.”
Justin Gainey, Tennessee Associate head coach
Justin Gainey doesn’t have head coaching experience but is a former NC State player and assistant. He has been Rick Barnes’s right-hand man at Tennessee since 2021.
“Gainey was hired as an assistant coach at Tennessee in April 2021 to fill one of two openings on coach Rick Barnes’ staff,” said Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “He is in his fourth season in Knoxville and is instrumental in Tennessee’s defensive success.
He was promoted to associate head coach following the 2021-22 season when Mike Schwartz was hired as the East Carolina coach. Tennessee has been ranked for all of Gainey’s tenure and has reached the NCAA tournament in all four seasons. It won the SEC regular-season title and reached Elite Eight for the second time in program history in the 2023-24 season. UT reached the Sweet 16 in 2023 and won the SEC Tournament in 2022.”
Ben McCollum, Drake HC
Ben McCollum is a rising head coach. The 43-year-old has Drake back into the NCAA tournament for a third straight year. The Bulldogs set a program record for wins with 30 in its first season with McCollum at the helm after he won four NCAA DII crowns with Northwest Missouri State. He owns a 425-94 record in 16 years as a head coach.
“As a coach from Big Ten country, this might be a stretch, but McCollum is one of the hottest names in the mix for a high-major job,” said Rodd Baxley of The Fayetteville Observer. “Before arriving at Drake, McCollum led Division II Northwest Missouri State to four national championships. He brought some of those players with him to Drake, where he’s close to leading the program to an NCAA Tournament berth.”
Eric Olen, UC San Diego HC
Eric Olen has done a fantastic job guiding UC San Diego’s transition from NCAA DII to DI. UCSD is 28-4 this season, claiming the Big West regular season for the first time. The 2023-24 Big West COY is 78-62 in five seasons as a head coach, though he has compiled just two winning campaigns.
Sam Cassell, Boston Celtics Assistant
Sam Cassell was a candidate for his alma mater vacancy, but FSU went with Sacramento Kings assistant Luke Loucks instead. While Cassell would be an interesting hire, he has never been a college or head coach.
Tony Skinn, George Mason HC
Tony Skinn is in his second season at George Mason. He has done a fantastic job, leading the Patriots to back-to-back 20-win seasons, which is something GMU has accomplished since the early 2010s. He owns a 44-27 record as a head coach but is likely not the right hire for NC State.
More from Marks:
“Skinn has built one of the stingiest defenses in America at George Mason this season, which would be a welcome change in Raleigh. The Patriots are top-25 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, keyed by their top-five 2-point defense. The 42-year-old was a star for the Patriots during their 2006 Final Four run and now has his alma mater on the brink of the NCAA Tournament in only his second season as head coach. Skinn has ample high-major experience as an assistant at Seton Hall, Ohio State, and Maryland. He might be better off biding his time for a Big Ten job, but he’s considered a rising star.”
Alan Huss, High Point HC
Alan Huss, a former player at Creighton, led High Point to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history earlier today. The Panthers have won at least 27 games and claimed the Big South regular-season crown in each of Huss’s seasons at the helm.
Here is what Marks said:
“NC State went the mid-major route when it hired Keatts from UNC-Wilmington, so there may not be as much appetite for the same strategy. But if the Wolfpack are looking at that level, Huss deserves consideration. He’s led High Point to a 55-19 record in two seasons with consecutive Big South regular-season titles, and High Point won the league tournament Sunday. This might be too big a jump too soon for the 46-year-old, but as an up-and-comer in the state, he bears inclusion.”
Julius Hodge, Lincoln (PA) HC
Another former Wolfpack player, Julius Hodge, is in his first season with Division II Lincoln University. The Lions went 18-12 this year and reached the semifinals of the CIAA tournament. Prior to getting the Lincoln job, Hodge had been a college assistant since 2016.
Here is more from Baxley:
“The 2004 ACC Player of the Year at N.C. State, Hodge was an All-American standout for the Wolfpack under Herb Sendek. After three seasons at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Hodge just completed his debut season as a head coach at Division II Lincoln (Pa.), which finished with an 18-12 record. The New York native has previous experience as an assistant coach at San Jose State and Santa Clara, where he was coaching alongside Sendek.”
Bob Richey, Furman HC
Bob Richey and his Furman Paladins continued its 2024-25 season with a Southern Conference quarterfinal victory over Samford on Saturday. Furman, which finished fifth in the SoCo this season, will face Wofford in the tournament semis on March 10.
Richey is in his eighth season at Furman, compiling a 180-78 record. He has led the Paladins to six 20+-win seasons and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2022-23, the Paladins’ first in the modern era.
Here is more from Baxley:
“After beating Virginia in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, it looked like Richey was ready to make the leap to the power-conference level. The Paladins have won 69% of their games under Richey, who led the program to 20 or more wins in six of his eight seasons. Following a 17-16 record in 2024, Furman has 24 wins this season under Richey.”
Archie Miller, Rhode Island HC
Archie Miller had a great run with Dayton from 2011-17, leading the Flyers to four NCAA tournament bids. But Miller has not gone to the Big Dance since his time in Western Ohio, missing the tournament in seven straight seasons. He appears to be in the process of turning around a Rhode Island program that hasn’t won 20 games since 2019-20.
Rhode Island enters the A-10 tournament as the 10th seed with an 18-12 record. The former Wolfpack guard has a 39-54 record at Rhode Island.
Here is what Baxley said about Miller:
“A guard at N.C. State from 1998-2002, Miller was an assistant coach for the Wolfpack from 2004-06 under Sendek. He has head coaching experience at Dayton, Indiana, and now in Rhode Island. It’s been a rocky road with the Rams, who had a losing record in Miller’s first two seasons, but Miller has seen progress, posting an 18-12 record this season for the program’s first winning campaign since 2020. Sean Miller, Archie’s brother, is the coach at Xavier, but Archie is the more likely candidate if State wanted to go the Miller route. ”
Joe Justus, Ohio State Associate HC
Joe Justus doesn’t have college head coaching experience, though he has been a college assistant coach for several seasons, starting with Elon in 2004. He also was an assistant on Keatts staff for two seasons before moving to Ohio State this past summer.
Here is what Marks said:
“One of the best recruiters in the nation who was part of Keatts’ Final Four staff, Justus has intimate knowledge of the program — but is hiring one of Keatts’ former assistants a non-starter? It shouldn’t be because the 43-year-old North Carolina native (who played at UNC-Wilmington) could make immediate inroads in the state. Justus also has vast high-major experience, having previously worked under John Calipari at Kentucky and Bobby Hurley at Arizona State. It’s only a matter of time until Justus gets his first head coaching gig.”
Sean Miller, Xavier Head Coach
Sean Miller is one of the better coaches in college basketball. But Miller has only been to the NCAA tournament once since 2019, though Xavier, 21-10 this season, could give him two trips in three seasons in his second stint at the Cincinnati school.
Here is what Marks said:
“The Wolfpack first went after Miller — an NC State assistant under Sendek from 1996-2001 — in 2011, but the program ultimately hired Mark Gottfried. Miller’s younger brother, Archie (now the head coach at Rhode Island), played in Raleigh, so the ties run deep. But would this be a step down for Miller? His Musketeers are right on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and the Big East has been a better top-to-bottom league than the ACC for several seasons.”
Luke Murray, Connecticut Assistant Coach
Luke Murray has been linked to several jobs over the last few seasons. Murray has been a college assistant coach since 2009-09 and has been in Connecticut since 2021.
Here is what Marks said about Murray’s prospects:
“A key cog in UConn’s consecutive national championships, Murray, 40, is an offensive expert who comes with the highest coaching pedigree possible. (Like Sean McVay in the NFL, teams could do a lot worse than to hire off Dan Hurley’s staff.) UConn’s offenses the past three seasons have been top 15 nationally in adjusted efficiency. A bright up-and-coming mind — and a high-level recruiter — NC State would be getting ahead of the pack by hiring Murray now, although he would need veteran coaches around him. It doesn’t hurt that he also has ACC ties from his time under Chris Mack at Louisville.”
Last Word
It appears that Wade has a lot of momentum going into the process. But I don’t think he is the right candidate for the Wolfpack, but only time will tell. My personal choices, out of these candidates, would be as follows:” 1. Odom, 2. Pitino. 3. Gainey, 4. Wade, 5. Hodge 6. McCollum, 7. Huss. 8. Richey.
Photo Courtesy of Jaylynn Nash, Imagn Images
