While the i's need to be dotted and the t's need to be crossed, it does not look like Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mike White is all that serious of a candidate to be the next head coach at North Carolina State. Although he does have a friendly relationship with NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan, White is at best the third-most likely candidate to get the gig, along with Mark Byington of Vanderbilt.
This is because NC State has already interviewed Josh Schertz and plans to interview Justin Gainey.
After three hours in St. Louis to interview Josh Schertz, sources tell me NC State is heading to Chicago to interview Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey.
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) March 28, 2026
Keep track of updates: https://t.co/gEALtgQIRt pic.twitter.com/alqe2f044g
Schertz was widely seen as the favorite for the job coming in. His Saint Louis Billikens wiped the floor with Georgia in the Round of 64 in this year's tournament. He may have signed a big extension to stay at Saint Louis, but North Carolina State may want him a little more. As for Gainey, the top assistant at Tennessee is a former NC State basketball player and has been biding his time for his big opportunity.
Assuming the Gainey interview goes well, he may be the guy. What does that mean for White at UGA?
Mike White seems increasingly likely to return to Georgia next season
Right now, the two biggest head-coaching vacancies in the college basketball world are over in The Triangle. Let's be real. We're all hoping for Raleigh that we can get some sleep tonight. Then again, we will sleep in May because that is what Jon Rothstein has instructed us to do! At this time, anything other than White leading Georgia in year five should be seen as a total departure from the status quo.
Why would Josh Brooks want to walk away from this low-key good basketball team he has? Georgia has proven it can win 20 games annually and make the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. Much of the team from this past year should be back. So far only rotational forward Dylan James has elected to hit the transfer portal. Only time will tell in that regard if somebody else will be joining him.
For now, Georgia fans might be getting a little stir-crazy about this team. They know the talent is good enough to potentially get into the second weekend with the right series of matchups. That being said, this past year's Georgia team was not exactly the most fun of watches. They played with way too much pace to realistically keep this thing on the tracks for any extended stretches. It falls on White.
Assuming Gainey does not bomb his interview, either he or Schertz should be leading the Wolfpack.