Tennessee staffer Riley Collins following Justin Gainey to NC State

Justin Gainey won’t be alone in making the move from Tennessee basketball to North Carolina State as the new head coach of the Wolfpack. Gainey is adding Riley Collins, Tennessee’s assistant director of player development, to his initial NC State staff, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Volquest.

Collins has been Tennessee’s assistant director of player development since being promoted in July 2024.

Collins joined the Tennessee staff in the summer of 2022 as a graduate assistant. He worked at Division III Marymount University in Arlington, Va., from 2020-22. He was a guard and three-year captain at Division III Drew University in his home state of New Jersey. 

“From the first day he arrived at Tennessee, Riley has made his presence felt within our facility,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said at the time of the promotion. “He is a tireless worker who gives this program everything he can each day.”

Collins worked behind the Tennessee bench alongside Luke Schapker, the director of video and analytics for the Vols. 

Justin Gainey reportedly hired by NC State on Monday

Gainey, a former standout point guard at NC State, interviewed for the job on Saturday in Chicago, before Tennessee faced Michigan in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

It was widely reported Monday morning that he would be the new head coach of the Wolfpack. 

Barnes on Saturday in Chicago addressed Gainey’s candidacy for the North Carolina State job and campaigned hard for him to get the job.

“I hope he gets the job,” Barnes said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in the country that loves NC State more than Justin Gainey. He’s a North Carolina native. He went to NC State, played four years there, started four years. Helped win an ACC tournament. He has just incredible pride in his university. A terrific basketball coach.”

A look at Justin Gainey’s coaching history

Gainey, a High Point, N.C., native, was a standout point guard during his college career at North Carolina State and started his coaching career there in 2006 as an administrative coordinator. 

Gainey finished his NC State playing career (1996-2000) ranked second in program history in starts (103), fourth in steals (190), co-fifth in games played (128) and ninth in assists (344).

He was N.C. State’s director of operations in 2008-09 and got his first opportunity as an assistant coach at Elon in 2009-10.

From there he made stops at Appalachian State (2010-14), Marquette as director of operations (2014-17), Santa Clara (2017-18), Arizona (2018-20) and then back to Marquette as associate head coach (2020-21).