NC State fires Keatts a year after Last 4 run
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- 40 “/ > Jeff BorzelloMar 9, 2025, 10:08 AM ET Close Basketball recruiting expert.
- Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.Kevin Keatts has
been fired as the males’s basketball coach at NC State, the school revealed Sunday, making the move less than one year after he led the Wolfpack to the Final Four.Keatts was at the helm for 8 seasons, taking NC State to 3 NCAA tournaments. He finished his time in Raleigh with a general record of 151-113, going 69-84 in ACC play.
“I am extremely happy with what we achieved during my time here,” Keatts said on social networks, noting his tenure began with an NCAA investigation from the previous staff. “… As we enter this brand-new period of college sports, I completely think that I am leaving the program in better position to prosper than when I started– which the basketball program will continue to prosper when supported to the level essential to contend.”
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He concluded his message by saying he was “formally getting in the portal.”
Two possible targets for NC State are VCU’s Ryan Odom and McNeese’s Will Wade, sources informed ESPN.The Wolfpack went 12-19 this season, including a 5-15 record in the ACC. They did not get approved for this year’s conference competition.”I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for constantly representing the university with class,”athletic director Boo Corrigan stated in a declaration.”He will constantly have a valued place in Wolfpack history for the achievements of his 2023-24 team and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his household the very best in the future.”Keatts took over in 2017, leading NC State to the NCAA competition in his
very first season with the program. The Wolfpack were on the bubble the next 2 seasons but most likely would have slipped into the 2020 competition if it had actually not been canceled due to the COVID-19. They struggled in 2021 and 2022, going 25-36 in those 2 seasons.But Keatts turned it around in 2023, directing NC State back to the NCAA competition before last season’s historical run through
the ACC and NCAA tournaments. The Wolfpack ended the 2023-24 routine season on a four-game losing streak and appeared poised to miss the postseason entirely, but they won 5 games in 5 days at the ACC tournament– consisting of success over Duke and North Carolina– to earn the league’s automated bid.As an 11-seed in the NCAA competition, NC State beat Texas Tech and Oakland, then they upset Marquette and Duke to advance to the program
‘s first Last 4 considering that 1983. Keatts’contract was immediately extended by two seasons due to the run, indicating NC State will owe him around$ 7 million.