Monday, July 20, 2026

The Plaza 

JUSTIN GAINEY, Head Coach, NC State
Justin Gainey has returned home to his alma mater.  Gainey has been instrumental in shaping Tennessee's defensive identity. Under his tutelage, the Volunteers led the nation in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency in 2022-23, posting a historically dominant mark of 87.5 points per 100 possessions. Tennessee has also reached the NCAA Tournament each year during his tenure, including Elite Eight appearances in the past three years.

JEROD HAASE, Head Coach, UNC-Greensboro
Haase comes to Greensboro with over 25 years of coaching experience, including stops at Stanford, University of Alabama at Birmingham, North Carolina and Kansas.  His coaching resume runs deep, including being part of two National Championships with the Tar Heels, five Final Four appearances, 12 NCAA Tournament berths, three conference tournament titles and eight regular season championships. 

JASON ZIMMERMAN, Head Coach, Emory
Leading the 2026 UAA Champions and National Runner-Up, Zimmerman is Emory’s all-time winningest coach and has taken his teams to the “Big Dance” 12 times.  In addition, he has taken multiple teams to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Emory held the longest DIII streak with 10 straight NCAA Tournaments from 2013-23.