Rick Barnes believes Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey should be NC State's next coach
Tennessee basketball associate head coach Justin Gainey is a top candidate for the head coaching job at NC State, his alma mater.
CHICAGO — Rick Barnes couldn't have had higher praise for Tennessee basketball associate head coach Justin Gainey. Gainey is a top candidate for the head coaching job at his alma mater, NC State. Barnes talked up his top assistant heading into the Men's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game between the No.
6 Vols (25-11) and No. 1 Michigan (34-3) at United Center on March 29 (2:15 p. m.
ET, CBS). "If NC State knew what I knew, they would be begging him to be their next head coach," Barnes said on March 28. "He's ready not just for NC State, he's ready to be the next head coach of the University of Tennessee or any school in the country.
He's that good. "I've been with him through a lot of these games, and he recruited Nate (Ament). He was the lead recruiter on him.