A Quick Thought on the news that NC State may be keying in on Wade & Gainey as their finalists

As I just posted, The OG Podcast’s Joe Giglio is reporting that NC State donors want Will Wade and Boo Coorigan wants Justin Gainey.

BREAKING: @giglio_OG reporting that NC State met with Justin Gainey and is apparently meeting with Will Wade right nowhttps://t.co/GdvNgv9K9o

— Pack Insider (@PackInsider) March 13, 2025

Giglio stated that Gainey met with NC State already and the meeting with Will Wade is happening now.

Before everyone jumps to conclusions and questions why this is between Wade (a coach who has won at multiple levels) vs. Justin Gainey, a former NC State point guard who has no head coaching experience, you have to understand the full situation.

To me, this tracks really well.

The early word coming from the donor class was that Will Wade was the guy. However, everyone familiar with Boo Coorigan was telling us there is no way he would touch Will Wade because of a former FBI investigation about paying players. That led many to believe Boo wanted Ryan Odom (VCU) or Mike White (Georgia).

First it’s important to understand Boo Coorigan. This is an old-guard ACC lifer. He’s part of the NCAA selection committee and the way he navigates tells you that he’s a career guy. While being AD of NC State is nice, that’s obviously not his final destination. The fact that he might not be at NC State for a long time isn’t some secret.

Because of that, I think Boo is wanting to protect his reputation. He’s clean as a whistle. There’s no risk in hiring or working with Boo Coorigan. And while that’s good for him, it’s likely putting him in a weird spot with this coaching search.

Face it, NC State isn’t getting an elite basketball coach who is clean, has a flawless resume and is an established and current dominant Power 5 coach at the top of his game. Those guys aren’t taking a job at NC State.

So NC State can keep trying to catch lightning in a bottle with Mid-Major up-and-comers, or they can get an established guy who may have a flaw or two. With Wade the flaw isn’t in his coaching style or his personality, it’s that he was investigated by the FBI for paying players.

But what are you scared of Wade doing this time around? It’s the NIL era. So why would Boo be hesitant here when the donor obviously want the guy, and the crimes he allegedly committed are now basically legal.

Well, I think this is more about keeping Boo’s reputation in check and his career on trajectory. At least that’s my take.

The donors funding the buyout of Keatts, the money for a new coach and a big, new, juicy NIL budget want Will Wade. So Boo is kind of caught in a tough spot. Which is why I think you see the NC State side likely leaking the Wade news in this calculated manner.

From two different sources: it won’t be Mike White or Ryan Odom.

The money/collective side has pushed hard for Will Wade. That is their choice and have made it known to Boo.

Boo has talked to Justin Gainey and that would be his choice.

— Joe Giglio (@giglio_OG) March 13, 2025

Again, this is my take, this is not verified. But if I were Boo Coorigan, and I had my sights set on jobs with much higher rank than AD, I wouldn’t want the first revenue hire as NC State’s AD to be a guy with an FBI investigation on his resume. But money is talking right now, and while I think Boo would rather go with Odom, White, or someone he believes can get the job done and has no character questions, the donors are saying “Get us our guy.”

So to sidestep this, I’d leak that “While I’m going to pull the trigger on Wade, he wasn’t my first choice. Justin Gainey was.”

Gainey floated as the #2 option is perfect in my opinion.

I don’t think you were ever going to fire Keatts, pay $10 million in buyout costs, and then hire a former player who has never been a head coach in his life. As much as I love Justin Gainey, and even though Rick Barnes and Tennessee has made him the ‘coach in waiting’, NC State needed a big splash, a big name to infuse massive NIL giving and offer a jolt into an apathetic fanbase.

But floating Gainey as #2 works because he’s a former NC State guy, he’s clean, he’s safe and no one can fault you for wanting to bring in an up-and-comer who was homegrown.

Now, Boo’s resume may end up with Wade on it, but it’s on the record (in the public’s perception) that Boo wanted to play it safe and stay with the cleaner option, while NC State donors forced his hand on Wade.

I think this is a great outcome for everyone.

Boo Coorigan should not be making a hire that is beneficial to his career and against NC State donor’s wishes. And in this scenario he doesn’t have to. State donors and fanbase get their guy. Boo gets cover-fire for the hire. Gainey gets his name as a finalist for an ACC job.

It just makes too much sense.

That said, maybe Boo really did want Gainey as his #1. And maybe he hires Gainey. Or Maybe none of his was curated at all and I’m overthinking it. Maybe the intel isn’t even good to begin with.

Who knows. This is just my first reaction to the news.

Nothing is final until someone signs on that line, and that hasn’t happened yet.

I just thought it was pretty interesting how this played out and how all the intel along the way seems to fit right into the puzzle we’re seeing put together at this moment.