University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Gainey on ABIS Coaches Watchlist for Second Year in a Row
March 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee men's basketball associate head coach Justin Gainey is on the Advancing Beyond in Sports (ABIS) Coaches Watchlist for the second consecutive season, as announced Friday afternoon.
Gainey is among 36 individuals who made the cut in Division I men's basketball, including one of 20 on the assistant coach portion of the group.
The ABIS lists include collegiate and professional sports top men's and women's head and assistant coaches from across the country in multiple sports. This year's lists are recognized by their peers as some of the best in the business. Those nominated are considered to be the year's most deserving, qualified and prepared coaches in college and professional sports to elevate their careers to the next level.
The ABIS Coaches Watchlist is shared annually with athletic administrators and executive search firms in an effort to highlight their contributions as the hiring cycle begins for different sports.
ABIS is a non-profit organization with a mission to explore how sports drive equity, build community and shape legacy beyond the game.
Gainey is in his fifth season with the Volunteers, including his fourth as the associate head coach. The program is 131-46 (.740) during that span and has notched five straight 22-win campaigns for the first time ever. He was named to the 2026 Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful High Major Coaches list in January.
Over the last four years, Gainey has overseen the consistently dominant Tennessee defense. The Volunteers finished top-three nationally in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency the last three seasons, including first in 2022-23, and rank No. 13 in the country thus far in 2025-26.
Gainey is in his 20th season at the Division I level, including his 14th at a Power Five institution. Before coming to Rocky Top, he worked at NC State (2006-09), Elon (2009-10), Appalachian State (2010-14), Marquette (2014-17; 2020-21), Santa Clara (2017-18) and Arizona (2018-20).
A two-time NC State graduate, Gainey earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a concentration in marking, in 2000. He added a master's degree in sport administration in 2006.
The High Point, N.C., native played point guard for his home-state Wolfpack from 1996-2000. He finished his career fourth in steals (190) and ninth in assists (344) on NC State's all-time leaderboard.
Gainey and No. 25/RV Tennessee (22-10, 11-7 SEC) continue SEC Tournament competition Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., against No. 22 Vanderbilt. The matchup between the fifth-seeded Volunteers and fourth-seeded Commodores will be televised live on ESPN.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Gainey is among 36 individuals who made the cut in Division I men's basketball, including one of 20 on the assistant coach portion of the group.
The ABIS lists include collegiate and professional sports top men's and women's head and assistant coaches from across the country in multiple sports. This year's lists are recognized by their peers as some of the best in the business. Those nominated are considered to be the year's most deserving, qualified and prepared coaches in college and professional sports to elevate their careers to the next level.
The ABIS Coaches Watchlist is shared annually with athletic administrators and executive search firms in an effort to highlight their contributions as the hiring cycle begins for different sports.
ABIS is a non-profit organization with a mission to explore how sports drive equity, build community and shape legacy beyond the game.
Gainey is in his fifth season with the Volunteers, including his fourth as the associate head coach. The program is 131-46 (.740) during that span and has notched five straight 22-win campaigns for the first time ever. He was named to the 2026 Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful High Major Coaches list in January.
Over the last four years, Gainey has overseen the consistently dominant Tennessee defense. The Volunteers finished top-three nationally in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency the last three seasons, including first in 2022-23, and rank No. 13 in the country thus far in 2025-26.
Gainey is in his 20th season at the Division I level, including his 14th at a Power Five institution. Before coming to Rocky Top, he worked at NC State (2006-09), Elon (2009-10), Appalachian State (2010-14), Marquette (2014-17; 2020-21), Santa Clara (2017-18) and Arizona (2018-20).
A two-time NC State graduate, Gainey earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a concentration in marking, in 2000. He added a master's degree in sport administration in 2006.
The High Point, N.C., native played point guard for his home-state Wolfpack from 1996-2000. He finished his career fourth in steals (190) and ninth in assists (344) on NC State's all-time leaderboard.
Gainey and No. 25/RV Tennessee (22-10, 11-7 SEC) continue SEC Tournament competition Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., against No. 22 Vanderbilt. The matchup between the fifth-seeded Volunteers and fourth-seeded Commodores will be televised live on ESPN.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
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