NC State Basketball Parts Ways With Head Coach Kevin Keatts

Kevin Keatts’ tenure as head coach of N.C. State men’s basketball team has officially come to a close. After eight years leading the Wolfpack, the university announced on Sunday that it was parting ways with Keatts following a turbulent season.

The timing of this decision is eyebrow-raising, considering it comes less than a year after Keatts orchestrated an exhilarating run to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and the Final Four. But this season's 12-19 record, including a dismal 5-15 showing in league play, may have made the decision inevitable.

Athletic director Boo Corrigan expressed gratitude for Keatts' contributions in a statement, noting his historical significance in Wolfpack lore. "Coach Keatts will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad," Corrigan said, while wishing him and his family well in the future.

Keatts himself reflected on his time at N.C. State with optimism, calling it "a dream come true" in his farewell social media post. He added that he believed he was leaving the program in a better position than when he started, and expressed confidence in the team's future success.

Keatts leaves behind a mixed legacy. While his teams earned three NCAA Tournament bids and brought home the program's first ACC Tournament win since 1987, his final season saw momentum from the previous year evaporate. The Wolfpack’s attempt to retool through the transfer portal fell flat, sending them spiraling to one of their worst league performances in recent memory.

Challenges were nothing new for Keatts during his tenure. From rebuilding a program that had stumbled under predecessor Mark Gottfried to navigating a federal corruption investigation that loomed over N.C. State basketball, his time with the Wolfpack was never short on drama. The investigation ultimately resulted in a year of probation for the program in 2021.

Keatts arrived at N.C. State in 2017, fresh off success at UNC Wilmington, with a bold promise: "Kevin Keatts is a winner." And for a while, he lived up to the hype, delivering a 21-win debut season that included victories over top-ranked teams like Duke, UNC, and Arizona.

As the Wolfpack now turns the page, fans will remember the highs of Keatts' leadership—like that unforgettable Final Four run—alongside the lows of recent struggles. The question now is who will lead the program into its next chapter.