N.C. State Hires Justin Gainey as New Basketball Coach

0:00It's March 31st. Welcome to Durham News Today, powered by AI. NC State just locked in Justin Gainey as their new men's basketball head coach. The Board of Trustees approved his contract Tuesday afternoon and an emergency Zoom meeting unanimously after about 40 minutes behind closed doors. He's stepping into a replace will-weight with a reported five-year deal and an official announcement should drop soon. Earlier this week, news hit that Gainey was the top pick, coming over from his role as associate head coach at Tennessee. The athletic department moved fast after narrowing it down from a short list, where the other two candidates from St. Louis and Ferman pulled out. Sunday, Gainey's got deep roots with the Wolfpeck. He played for them back in 2000, then worked on staff under Cine Low as an admin coordinator and director of operations. Fans and former players are hyped, praising his loyalty to the school and how he turned Tennessee's defense around over the last five years. He even interviewed for the job last season and met with NC State brass Saturday in Chicago

1:04for three hours before Tennessee's Elite 8 game. Athletic director Boo Corrigan stressed they wanted someone committed long-term who fits the modern college game. Gainey gets formally introduced Wednesday afternoon in a private press conference at Lenovo Center, so keep an eye out for how he lays out his vision. To get this program back on track...