NC State coach Justin Gainey's initial contract was released. Here are the details
NC State coach Justin Gainey was formally introduced as the Wolfpack’s new leader Wednesday afternoon at the Lenovo Center. The terms of his five-year contract were released to TheWolfpacker.com shortly after, via an open records request.
Gainey, who made $600,000 annually as Tennessee’s associate head coach, will make $2.35 million in total compensation to start with an increase of $100,000 per season for the duration of his initial five-year contract.
The 49-year-old is set to make slightly less than what Will Wade, who left for LSU after one season last week, who hauled in $2.5 million this past season and was due to make more than $3 million by the end of his first deal in Raleigh.
Here’s a look at how Gainey’s contract will pay him at NC State.
Annual pay
| Contract Year | Total annual pay |
| 1 | $2,350,000 |
| 2 | $2,450,000 |
| 3 | $2,550,000 |
| 4 | $2,650,000 |
| 5 | $2,750,000 |
Bonuses
Unlike Wade’s contract, which was bonus laden, including for how many regular season wins the team logged and where the Wolfpack placed in the ACC Tournament, Gainey’s only on-court performance bonuses are a byproduct of the winning the ACC Tournament or the path through NCAA Tournament.
Gainey would receive $100,000 for winning the ACC regular season title, while he would make $50,000 for making the conference championship game and 100,000 for winning the league tournament title
Should NC State make the NCAA Tournament under Gainey, he would make $30,000 for a First Four appearance, $50,000 in the Round of 64, $75,000 in the Round of 32, $125,000 in the Sweet 16, $225,000 in the Elite Eight, $300,000 in the Final Four, a $350,000 bonus for making the title game and a $500,000 bonus winning a national championship.
If the Pack finishes in the Top 25 of either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches Polls, Gainey would be due a $50,000 bonus. If the team is inside the top 10 in either poll, that bonus doubles to $100,000. In addition, Gainey would earn $50,000 for being named the ACC Coach of the Year and $100,000 for winning the National Coach of the Year by either ESPN, USA Today, the AP, Sports Illustrated or the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
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Gainey can max out his on-court bonuses at $950,000 per season. Academically, Gainey can earn up to $300,000 in bonuses through his team’s standing in the federal graduation rate, the graduation success rate and the academic progress rate.
Buyout
If Gainey were to leave NC State with time left on his contract he would owe the university the following:
On or before April 1, 2027: $5 million
On or before April 1, 2028: $4 million
On or before April 1, 2029: $3 million
On or before April 1, 2030: $2 million
On or before April 1, 2031: $0
In addition, if Gainey were to be fired for convenience by NC State, he would be owed his annual salary multiplied by the number of years remaining on his contract.
Other details
Gainey will receive two courtesy cars for the duration of his tenure at NC State or he may receive an automobile allowance of $7,500 per vehicle. He will also get 12 suite tickets at the Lenovo Center for all NC State men’s basketball games, 10 tickets to the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, the reimbursement of the face value for six Final Four tickets and eight tickets at the Dail Club Level for NC State football games at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Gainey will also receive $25,000 for moving and relocation expenses from his home in Tennessee.