Coaching Staff: Summary

8 Mar 1997: Look at that youngster! (we’ll have new pictures in the fall) | Getty Images

The NC State Basketball staff is looking much better after a busy week. The official roster page had only Coach Gainey listed a week ago, but look at it now.

“I couldn’t be happier to have these five coaches join me at NC State,” said Gainey. “This coaching staff brings championship experience and a mindset towards a relentless commitment to winning. More importantly, they also understand our goal is not only to compete for championships, but to build a program that develops complete student-athletes. We are here to develop our players on and off the court, build strong leaders, and prepare these young men for success in life.”

Coaching Staff

• Justin Gainey – Head Coach: Previously Associate Head Coach – University of Tennessee
• Alvin Brooks III – Assistant Coach: Previously Associate Head Coach – University of Kentucky
• Riley Collins – Assistant Coach: Previously Assistant Director of Player Development – University of Tennessee
• Matthew Driscoll – Assistant Coach: Previously Associate Head Coach – Kansas State University
• Anthony Goins – Assistant Coach: Previously Assistant Coach – University of Georgia

Support Staff

• Bill Comar – Director of Operations: New hire most recently worked for Wes Miller as Cincinnati’s Chief of Staff
• Patrick Stacy – Asst General Manager for Men’s Basketball: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff
• Chris Zupko – Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Business Manager: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff
• Patrick Hart – Assistant Director of Creative Media: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff
• Ben Medland – Assistant Director of Creative Brand Management: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff
• T.P Hutchinson – Equipment Director: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff
• Craig Hammel – Assistant AD / Athletics Communications: Retained from ‘25-’26 Staff

Responsibilities / Strengths – We don’t know officially exactly how the primary responsibilities will break down, but based on the assistant coach’s experience, it appears the Coach Gainey has hired a group with overlapping skillsets.

DEFENSE – This is going to be a ‘defense first’ team reflecting our new head coach. Tennessee was elite during the seasons Coach Gainey led the defense. That will be a nice difference from recent leadership. Coach Gainey will be the architect, but according to his bio, Coach Brooks also worked with the defense at Kentucky and may assist here as well.

OFFENSE – Coach Goins was the driver behind UGA’s high tempo, high scoring offense this season. I covered the stats in the previous article. But also, Coach Driscoll has a background coaching offenses. From his K State bio, “At North Florida, he … built one of the most dynamic and efficient offenses in the country, consistently ranking among national leaders in 3-point shooting and scoring”.

GUARDS – Coach Gainey worked with the guards at UT. From his UT bio, “With Gainey imparting the nuance of point guard play, Tennessee has finished top-25 nationally in assist rate every year, including twice placing top-six, and posted a mark over 60 percent in each campaign.” Coach Goins has also worked with guards, from his UGA bio, “While at Clemson, he oversaw the development of the Tigers’ backcourt standouts Tevin Mack, Al-Amir Dawes and Nick Honor.”

BIGS – Coach Brooks worked with Kentucky’s big men for two seasons.

RECRUITING – We know Coach Gainey helped recruit the players that have kept UT ranked for the last few seasons, including this season’s Nate Ament (5-star, ranked 4th on 247). Coach Brooks was involved in recruiting at UK, and he was the lead recruiter for Baylor when they hauled in the highest ranked recruiting class in program history in 2021 at No. 4 overall by ESPN.

SKILLS – Coach Collins has multiple years of experience as a basketball skills development specialist alongside NBA trainer Alex Bazzell. But also, from Coach Gainey’s UT bio, “Justin has a passion for on-court player development that fits well with our staff. Our players are going to love working with him to grow their game.” Coach Driscoll also has a background of player development. From his K State bio, “Coach Driscoll is a proven program builder and an exceptional teacher of the game. His ability to develop players and implement high-level offensive systems is second to none.“

Now, about that roster …