Kevin Keatts earns a Coach of the Year award after NC State’s magical run

Jadyn Watson-Fisher
·2 min read
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Kevin Keatts added one more piece of hardware to the Wolfpack trophy case.

The National Sports Media Association announced on Friday the N.C. State head coach earned the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Division I College Basketball Coach of the Year award.

Keatts led the program last month to its first ACC championship since 1987, winning five games in five days and earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. His team continued that success with a deep run to its first Final Four appearance since 1983.

N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts and the team celebrate the Wolfpack’s 76-64 victory over Duke in their NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, March 31, 2024.
N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts and the team celebrate the Wolfpack’s 76-64 victory over Duke in their NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Sunday, March 31, 2024.

The team won nine straight games before its season finally ended to Purdue, 63-50, in the national semifinals. N.C. State struggled to hit shots in the national semifinal, but its defense held the Boilermakers to their lowest offensive output of the season, second-lowest field goal percentage (40%) and second-highest number of turnovers (16).

“I think it’s hard to sum up what this team was able to accomplish, with so much adversity,” Keatts said before the team left Phoenix on Sunday. “Just fought through it, stuck together. ... They never wavered in their commitment to one another.

“These memories will never fade. It’s just a special run.”

Keatts’ recognition and postseason run came after Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 17-14 overall record and 9-11 in conference play.

The major turnaround led to an automatic two-year contract extension, which is now set to end on April 15, 2030. He received an automatic $500,000 pay increase, which starts next season and stays in place until his contract expires.

Keatts earned $300,000 in bonuses for the ACC title and multiple wins during the NCAA Tournament.

In seven seasons at the helm, Keatts has recorded five seasons with 20 or more wins. The Wolfpack, despite finishing the regular season No. 10 in the ACC standings, landed at No. 10 in the nation just one month later in the final Associated Press Top 25.

The Gaines Awards will be presented at the NSMA’s awards ceremony on July 1 in Greensboro. The award is given to the top Division I and Division II head coaches who may not receive other recognition. For example, UConn’s Dan Hurley won the Naismith Coach of the Year award. NSMA committee members vote on the award recipients at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.