Justin Gainey is the 8th former Player to Become the Head Coach at NC State

According to NC State history guru Tim Peeler, Justin Gainey is the 8th former Wolfpack player to go on to become the head coach at their college Alma mater.

Harry Hartsell (1916-18, 1921-23)

Hartsell attended NC State from 1908-1912, playing basketball, football and baseball, and came back to be the head coach at his alma mater in all three sports. He served two stints as the men’s basketball coach (1916-18 and 1921-23), finishing with an overall record of 32-32.

Hartsell did go on to play 4 professional baseball seasons in the minor leagues after graduating from NC State. He also was the head baseball and football coach at his alma mater.

Tal Stafford (1918-19)

Stafford was a student at NC State from 1909-13, also playing basketball, baseball and football. He went on to play two professional baseball seasons in the minor leagues. Stafford, like Hartsell, came back and served as the head coach in all three sports he played in Raleigh.

In Stafford’s lone season as the men’s basketball coach, NC State went 11-3.

Bob Warren (1940-42)

Warren earned All-Southern Conference honors in 1929, and went on to become the head coach at NC State from 1940-42, finishing with an overall record of 21-16 in two seasons. In 1941-42, Warren led the Wolfpack to an overall record of 15-7, and a conference record of 9-4. NC State would go on to lose to Duke in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament.

Leroy Jay (1942-46)

Jay was the head coach in Raleigh for 4 seasons, compiling an overall record of 28-45.

Norm Sloan (1966-80)

Out of all the former players to return as head coach, no one did it better than Norm Sloan. Sloan played guard for legendary Wolfpack head coach Everett Case from 1946-49, winning Southern Conference Championships all three seasons.

He would return almost two decades later to become the head coach of the Wolfpack.

Sloan’s first season wasn’t a projection of his future success, finishing with an overall record of 7-19 in 1966-67. After that, NC State went on to compile an overall record of 266-127 under Sloan.

The Wolfpack won 2 ACC Regular Season Championships (1973 & 1974), 3 ACC Tournament Championships (1970, 1973 & 1974) and a National Championship (1974) under Sloan. He earned ACC Coach of the Year three times (1970, 1973 &1974), and National Coach of the Year twice (1973 & 1974).

Les Robinson (1990-96)

Robinson played basketball for the Wolfpack from 1962-64, and went on to become the head coach in 1990. In 6 seasons, NC State went 78-98 under Robinson. In his first season, the Wolfpack went 20-11 overall, finished 4th in the ACC and won their first game in the NCAA Tournament.

Sidney Lowe (2006-11)

Lowe is easily the most successful former NC State basketball player to go on to coach the Wolfpack. As a player, he was instrumental in leading the Cardiac Pack to win the 1983 NCAA Championship. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors in 1991, and 1st Team honors in 1983. The Chicago Bulls drafted Lowe with the 25th overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft. Lowe went on to play 4 seasons in the NBA.

Almost a quarter-of-a-century later, Lowe returned to Raleigh to be the head coach of the Wolfpack. In 5 seasons at the helm, NC State compiled an overall record of 86-78, and an ACC record of 25-55.

Lowe’s best season was his first, finishing with an overall record of 20-16, climaxing in an appearance in the ACC Tournament Finals against Duke.