Tennessee associate head coach emerges as candidate for ACC opening, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Georgia Tech is in the hunt for a new men’s basketball coach after parting ways with Damon Stoudamire. The former Arizona great and NBA veteran went just 42-55 in three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, including an 11-20 record and 2-16 mark in the ACC in 2025-26.
The Jackets have made the NCAA Tournament just once since 2010. After the firing of Josh Pastner in 2023 after seven seasons, the program turned to Stoudamire, but ultimately pulled the plug on Sunday as it failed to make any meaningful progress. Now, athletic director Ryan Alpert may be zeroing in on a name he’s familiar with to fill the opening.
According to On3’s Grant Ramey, Georgia Tech is targeting Justin Gainey, who has been with the Tennessee program for five seasons and has served as associate head coach under Rick Barnes since 2022. The connection is that Alpert was previously Tennessee’s senior deputy AD before being hired for the top job at Georgia Tech in July.
Now, Alpert is faced with his first major hire as he looks to resurrect what once was one of the top college basketball programs in the country — and one right in the middle of a talent-rich Atlanta area, at that.
For now, the Vols are focused on the SEC Tournament. Will they cut down the nets in Nashville? Kalshi is taking action on predictions!
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
