NC State has changed its head coach after the 2025-26 season. Will Wade left to rejoin the LSU Tigers and he was replaced by Justin Gainey. There’s a stark contrast in their salary figures.
With NC State, Gainey has signed a five-year deal worth over $14 million with a base salary of about $1.78 million per year. He’ll receive additional compensation of $565,000 per year, taking his annual earnings to around $2.3-$2.4 million.
This is a relatively low salary, but it is expected since Gainey has become the head coach for the first time in his career. He served as associate head coach at Tennessee and Marquette.
At the same time, Wade’s salary at NC State was much higher and more lucrative. He was on a six-year contract worth around $17.25 million, excluding incentives and bonuses. Some projections even had his yearly pay rising toward more than $3 million (per year) over time. The reason behind such pay was his past NCAA Tournament success and strong track record at LSU, VCU, and McNeese before joining the Wolfpack.
Now with LSU, Wade is enjoying a much higher package. The reported deal is around $30 million in total, with around $5 million per year. This places Wade among the higher-paid coaches in college basketball.
Justin Gainey Calls Joining NC State “Full-Circle” Moment
After Will Wade surprised NC State with the move to LSU, former Wolfpack player Justin Gainey has joined the program as head coach. Gainey played four seasons from 1996 to 2000 with the Wolfpack. He was also an administrative coordinator at the school from 2006 to 2008.
At the introductory press conference, Gainey shared how special it was for him to become the head coach of his alma mater.
“I’m humbled and honored to be the head coach of the NC State men’s basketball program,” Gainey said in a statement. “This university helped build me as a player and as a person. To now lead it as head coach is truly a full-circle moment. There’s a responsibility that comes with leading your alma mater, and I embrace it fully. We’re going to honor our tradition, represent this university the right way, and build a program our Wolfpack family can be proud of. This place means everything to me. I wore the jersey with pride, and now I’ll lead this program with that same passion, toughness and commitment to winning that defines the Wolfpack.”
Gainey will have to take Wade’s team forward from next season, hoping to take the program to newer heights.
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