NC State Head Coach Justin Gainey Talks Roster Construction, Staff, And More
NC State head coach Justin Gainey met with the media to discuss being the new head coach, roster construction, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
On getting the job...
I didn't know what to expect, and I knew if it wasn't up to the people, I could fill it up with my family. Everybody was excited and ready to go, so we had to cut that off. But no, just, I'm humbled and just blessed for the opportunity, and I'm so glad that people took time out of their schedule to come and speak with me.
Describe the phone call and the negotiation for you. How quickly did all that transpire?
Yeah, negotiation didn't really take long. The phone call was, it was, because I was preparing for an Elite Eight game. And, when the phone call came in, right, because it was right before the game.
So, the call came in, and because of the timing, it was short and sweet. It was absolutely, it was a no-brainer.
What kind of conversations have you had with current players and the other coaches in this program?
Yeah, I've been just really focused on hiring a staff, trying to put a staff together. As the next days come, I’ll spend more time with my current guys. So, the conversation has just been really surface-level, just kind of checking in and gauging the temperature. And, we'll have more extensive meetings this week.
What type of coaching are you trying to get after with the staff, and how do you want that to look and, show how you want basketball to be played here?
Yeah, from a staff standpoint, I want to get experience. I want guys around me with a lot of experience. Also, again, you've got to have someone that is young enough to be able to connect with the guys on the team as well.
So, that's going to be a huge part. So, someone, maybe a little younger, that's still experienced, but can relate to the guys. But, I want to have just a variety of characteristics and guys that I can trust.
In today's era, in NIL and revenue sharing, how important is it to have full backing of NC State fans and the community as a whole?
Yeah, I mean the NIL era has changed things from a lot of different perspectives. But, it's not going anywhere right, and we've all got to be able to adapt to it. And, I'm all for guys, being able to offer up their name, image, and likeness.
But, I do feel like more than anything, it's about relationships. It's about cultivating and developing relationships with guys. And so, from an NIL standpoint, yeah, I mean, it is important that it's fully resourced.
And, that comes from a lot of different pockets, but, the more we can have from our donors and supporters, it's better. It's critical.
On his vision for the team...
Our team is going to, we're going to defend, we're going to rebound, and we're going to take better care of each other. It's that simple. And, when you watch us play on TV, I want you to be able to say that's the hardest playing team in the country.
And so, that's what we're hanging our hat on. From an offensive philosophy, again, there are a lot of different starting personnel that we get.
Justin, piggybacking a little bit off of that, this is your first head coaching opportunity. What advice have you gotten from guys that have sat in that seat, whether it's Coach Barnes or others, as to what to expect in your first year running a program?
The biggest thing is be you. Don't try to be me. Don't try to be Coach Barnes. Don't try to be Sean Miller. Be yourself and be comfortable in that.
You know who you are. You'll be able to pull from all different experiences, but I know what I want my team to look like. I know what I want it to feel like. I know what I want it to sound like. And the biggest thing is don't deviate from that. Don't make concessions from that.
Accountability. Pull guys to the highest level of accountability. So, those things are the messaging that I've gotten.
Is part of that having bigger size players, lengthier players? When you think about, when I think about my roster and what I want it to look like, ideally, I do want to have depth in the front row. I do want to have size in the front. So, yeah, it is my vision that we'll have some depth and we'll have size up front.
You talked about your family. What was their reaction when you first accepted the job? And maybe who had the most, who was the most excited?
I'd say the most excited of my group probably was my middle son, Jason. But he's always, he's the personality of the group. My wife is always cool.
The little guy is always just kind of cool. And then Jordan is cool as well. But Jason was, as I was going through the process, you could tell he was like, he was really excited about the opportunity that presented himself.
And so, and then once we got it, got the news, everybody was excited. But I'd say Jason first and then everybody else. Oh, mom and dad. Yeah, my mom and dad were ecstatic. And, both of them were just, my dad just, he couldn't contain himself. But yeah, they were super excited.
What has the last week been like for you?
It's been well, it feels like you're drinking out of a bottle. You're right, you go from preparing for an Elite 8 game, or a Sweet 16 game, to preparing for your Elite 8 game, to, the meetings and the conversations and everything that goes with it. It was a lot of long nights, a lot of phone conversations, a lot of time on the phone.
Do you have an understanding of your NIL budget or the resources that you can share with us on air product and tell us the exact number? Do you have any kind of understanding of what you're working with when it comes? Well, first, how do you balance it?
I just try to compartmentalize everything. And so when I was talking with Boo on the phone with Boo, I lived in the moment. I felt like I was prepared for the interview, quote unquote, because I've been through it so many times.
I had a clear vision of what I wanted my program to look like and how I wanted it to be. And so it was simple from that standpoint, it just led to long nights. I didn't have to go there.
Just obviously we're not going to tell us an exact number, but do you have an understanding of what resources you have? And how do you kind of feel about that conversation?
We've had initial conversations about it. And look, Boo, everybody is well aware of what we have to do, where we have to be to be competitive from a resources standpoint. And they've made it clear they're willing to do whatever needs to be done.
Hey, Justin, you're a pathway in college athletics with an administrative internship from Lee Fowler. Can you help expand the diversity of athletics administration and coaching?
Full circle to that, you're back here at NC State as an assistant director of coaching. Has that played a huge role in diversifying the sport. Can you talk a little bit about the role or what the intention of that internship was?
Yeah, it, it came about because I wasn't sure if I wanted to coach, but I was trying to find my way. I just finished playing overseas and came back and I was just trying to figure it out. My majority, my oldest was just being born.
And, I decided I didn't want to go back overseas. I wanted to be there for him, with him. And so it was just a matter of like, OK, what am I going to do?
And, I started working at Gold's Gym in Cary. And I was picked up kind of like an assistant job at Cary Academy. And I was coaching eighth grade there. And I was like doing a basketball camp and still playing pick up. I was playing pick up with David West and P.J. Tucker and all those guys.
And so that's what kind of kept the basketball bug going. But I didn't. So I felt like I had it up there. I wanted to do something else. When I went and met with, and actually Coach Sendek was the one that suggested that I talk to Lee Fowler. And so he arranged that meeting.
Lee and I had a great conversation and it led to that internship, which actually, man, it just like it changed my whole view on college athletics. Because, I mean, from a business perspective, like it really changed my view on it. And saw the business behind it while still having the competitive nature of it. And it just, it intrigued me.
On what it was like NC State go on the ACC Championship and Final Four run...
I was proud. I was so proud to see what they had to go through. I talk about toughness, right? I talk about toughness and to watch with that group. Because we played that group in San Antonio earlier that year. And we beat them, but I remember telling myself and the staff, like, that's a good team.
Like, DJ Burns and I think Horne, was it DJ Horne? That was a good team. And, we beat them, but it was a fight. And so to see where they came from that night to, the season, regular season, okay. And the fight they showed in the ACC tournament to keep going. The fight they showed in the NCAA tournament, like, nothing but tough.
And I was so proud of them. I was happy for Coach Keatts. He did a masterful job that season. And as an alum, I went and bought a shirt. I was at the Final Four. And went and bought an NC State shirt.
And I think I still got it in my closet. So, wasn't able to get tickets to the game, but I did have the shirt. I watched it in the hotel, but very proud.
