NC State basketball coaching search 2025: Candidates, hot board, names to watch by Wolfpack insiders

The NC State Wolfpack announced the firing of basketball coach Kevin Keatts. He led the Wolfpack to the Final Four just a season ago, but was ousted after a 12-19 regular season in which NC State finished 16th out of 18 teams in the ACC. Keatts spent eight years at the helm in Raleigh and led the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances, but now the program will go in another direction with the ACC landscape shifting dramatically over the last year.

Athletic director Boo Corrigan will now lead the North Carolina State basketball coaching search, and there have already been a handful of prominent names linked to the job. Who are some of the top NC State coaching candidates and what direction will Corrigan steer the program? If you love the Wolfpack, or just want to know who will be calling the shots for North Carolina State in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Pack Pride, the 247Sports affiliate that covers North Carolina State.

Pack Pride’s NC State insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Keatts firing and the future of the NC State basketball program, including insights from R. Cory Smith and Bryan Pirtle, both of whom have deep-rooted ties inside the NC State program. Get all the inside scoop on the basketball program, plus and VIP intel on NC State football, recruiting and more, as well as access to The Pack Pride’s VIPs forums, where you can connect with other NC State fans and insiders.

And right now, Pack Pride is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Pack Pride already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to Pack Pride now to see them all.

Top NC State basketball coach candidates

One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the NC State basketball coaching hot board is former Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. A current assistant coach in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, Brey spent 23 seasons as the head coach of the Fighting Irish and was also the head coach at Delaware for five seasons before that. Over 28 years as a Division I head coach, Brey compiled a 582-332 record.

Brey’s teams made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and he had one Sweet 16 team and two Elite Eight runs as the head coach in South Bend. Brey is 65 now, but the former Duke assistant certainly knows the state of North Carolina well both for his time with the Blue Devils and while recruiting for Notre Dame as a fellow ACC member. Corrigan was also a long-time associate athletic director at Notre Dame and he’ll certainly know Brey well from his time with the Irish. See more candidates at Pack Pride.

How to get insider North Carolina State coaching staff search updates 

The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including one of the hottest college basketball coaching prospects, as well as multiple other current collegiate head coaches. You can only see who they are at Pack Pride.

Who are the top names in the NC State basketball coaching search, and which red-hot coaching prospect could be in the mix? Go to Pack Pride to see their NC State coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Wolfpack, and find out. 

And reminder, Pack Pride is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it’s too late.

*Terms: This offer is only available for new members who sign up for an annual subscription to Pack Pride. After the first year, subscription will re-bill on an annual basis at the regular rate. 247Sports.com reserves the right to alter or cancel this promotion at any time. Please write support@247sports.com with any questions you may have.