Five candidates to replace Will Wade as NC State's head coach

The chatter is that Schertz could be the leading candidate for the NC State job, at least for the time being. Schertz did a wonderful job in the 2025-26 season at Saint Louis, leading the Billikens to a 29-6 overall record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and a journey to the NCAA Tournament's second round.

Justin Gainey, associate head coach at Tennessee

Gainey is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the country, and he has longstanding ties to the Wolfpack. He played four years at point guard for NC State, and he began his coaching career with the Wolfpack as an administrative coordinator, then as the director of basketball operations.

Tony Skinn, head coach at George Mason

Skinn is an emerging mid-major head coach whose name has come up a lot for high-major vacancies. In 2025-26, he led the Patriots to a 23-10 mark and an appearance in the NIT. Skinn is a combined 70-31 in his three campaigns guiding George Mason. He's also served as an assistant coach at Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland.

Mike White, head coach at Georgia

White is a longtime head coach at the power conference level in the south. He's had stops at Louisiana Tech and Florida before leading the Georgia Bulldogs over the past four seasons, including two straight Big Dance appearances in 2025 and 2026. His career head coaching record is 321-185.

Mark Byington, head coach at Vanderbilt

Byington is another popular name in the head coaching carousel. He led the Commodores to a 27-9 record this past season in the rugged Southeastern Conference, and Vanderbilt made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His career head-coaching record, including stops at Georgia Southern, James Madison and Vanderbilt, is 260-155. In his playing days, Byington was a standout guard at UNC Wilmington.