Former NC State point guard Justin Gainey gave his heart and soul to the Wolfpack program as a player.
Gainey, who played for NCSU from 1996-00, became the first player in ACC Tournament history to play all 40 minutes in four straight games his freshman year.
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Gainey was a standout player at Greensboro (N.C.) Day, where he played for prep coaching legend Freddie Johnson, who is still the Bengals coach and the all-time leader in victories in North Carolina.
Gainey was recruited by former NC State coach Les Robinson, and played for ex-Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek. He later worked for ex-NC State coach Sidney Lowe, and also was hired by Sendek at Santa Clara.
Gainey also has worked at Marquette, Arizona and most recently Tennessee, learning under coach Rick Barnes since 2021.
The 47-year-old Gainey is poised to become a head coach, sooner rather than later. The Volunteers are 25-6 overall and ranked No. 8 in the country.
Click below to listen to the analysis of The Wolfpack Central's Jacey Zembal on Gainey’s career path.
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