Breaking Down NC State Head Coach Candidate Josh Schertz

NC State is on the hunt for a head men’s basketball coach for the second straight year. As the search gets underway, Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz appears to be at the top of the Wolfpack’s wish list. Earlier today, NC State was in Saint Louis to interview Schertz.

Schertz just wrapped up an incredible second season as head coach of the Billikens. Saint Louis finished the year with an overall record of 29-6 and a 15-3 conference record, winning the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. The Billikens were upset by Dayton in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament and went on to earn a No. 9 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. In the first round, Saint Louis demolished No. 8 seed Georgia 102-77, securing their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2013-14. They ultimately fell to No. 3 seed Michigan in the second round, ending their historic season. Schertz led Saint Louis to the most overall and conference wins in school history.

What Schertz has accomplished in just two years at Saint Louis is truly astounding. Before he arrived, the Billikens went 13-20 in 2023-24 and finished 14th in the Atlantic 10 standings. In his first season, he turned the program around immediately, leading Saint Louis to a 19-15 overall record and an 11-7 conference mark.

Saint Louis is no dummy-they don’t want to lose a good thing. On March 13, Schertz signed a six-year extension worth $22 million. He is now making an annual salary of approximately $3.67 million, up from the roughly $2 million he was earning previously. For comparison, Will Wade made $2.5 million at NC State this season.

Schertz’s buyout is reportedly $5 million. NC State, meanwhile, received a $4 million buyout from LSU after Will Wade left for the Tigers.

Prior to arriving at Saint Louis, Schertz spent three seasons as head coach at Indiana State, where he also quickly turned around a struggling program. After going 11-20 in his first year, Indiana State improved to 23-13 in Year 2. In Year 3, he elevated the Sycamores to a 32-7 overall record and a 17-3 conference mark, winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.

Schertz spent his first 13 seasons as a head coach at Lincoln Memorial in Division II, where he was a dominant force. He won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship five times and the regular-season championship nine times. Lincoln Memorial advanced to the Division II NCAA Tournament in 10 of his 13 seasons, advancing past the first round eight times. He led the program to three Final Fours and one national title game.

Raleigh isn’t foreign territory for Schertz. He previously had two assistant coaching stints in North Carolina, coaching at Queens from 2001–03 and at High Point from 2003-08.