North Carolina State has fired men’s basketball coach Kevin Keatts. The school announced the dismissal on Sunday morning, one season after the Wolfpack advanced to the Final Four.
“I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with class,” athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement.
“He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his family the best in the future.”
Corrigan added that a national search for a new head coach would begin immediately.
Keatts compiled a record 158-113 (69-84 in ACC play) at NC State, which included five 20-win seasons and three NCAA tournament bids. Last season, the Wolfpack won the ACC tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Final Four as a No. 11 seed by beating conference and in-state rival Duke.
However, NC State slid considerably this season after stars DJ Horne and DJ Burns Jr. moved on, finishing 5-15 in the ACC and 13-19 overall, failing to qualify for the ACC tournament after winning it the previous year.
The 2024 Final Four run triggered a two-year contract extension for Keatts through the 2029-30 season. But NC State ended up buying him out for $8 million just under a year later.
Keatts responded to the decision on social media, saying that he is “officially entering the portal.”
“I am extremely proud of what we accomplished during my time here,” Keatts wrote in his statement. “Prior to my first season, the NCAA informed us that we were being investigated due to the actions of the prior staff.
“We were able to guide the program through five years of investigations and penalties and came out on the other side with back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, and for the first time in 37 and 40 years, an ACC Championship and a trip to the Final Four.”
Before coming to Raleigh, Keatts coached at UNC Wilmington for three seasons, winning two Colonial Athletic Association tournament championships and earning two NCAA tournament bids. Upon taking over at NC State, he faced recruiting violations tied to previous coach Mark Gottfried that resulted in the program being placed on probation for one year in December 2021.
NC State is the fourth ACC men’s basketball program to make a coaching change during the 2024-25 season, joining Virginia, Florida State and Miami.
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