SLU’s Josh Schertz withdraws candidacy for NC State coaching job
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- Josh Schertz withdrew from NC State coaching consideration on Sunday afternoon.
- Schertz signed a six-year contract and said he plans to remain at Saint Louis.
- Name was among a small candidate pool that included Justin Gainey and Bob Richey.
N.C. State is moving quickly to secure its next head men’s basketball coach after Will Wade’s abrupt departure, but at least one candidate is already out of the running.
Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz withdrew his name from consideration for the job on Sunday afternoon, and released a statement announcing his intention to stay at Saint Louis. Schertz was one of the Wolfpack’s top targets and met with N.C. State officials, including Athletic Director Boo Corrigan, on Saturday.
SLU athletic director Chris May went on a local radio show Sunday morning and said the university was aware of Schertz’s interview with the Wolfpack, but that he remained the Billikens’ head coach.
Later Sunday, Schertz posted a statement to social media,
“Interest from other programs in our players and staff is a byproduct of team success, so as uncomfortable as it may be, let’s hope that never changes,” Schertz wrote. “While most of these conversations occur as they should in private, on rare occasions it unfortunately plays out in the public sphere. Just know that I along with everyone else inside of the program realizes what a special place this is and appreciate deeply all of you who make it so.”
Schertz’s name was among a small group of possible head coaches reported to be in considerations for the job, including Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey and Furman head coach Bob Richey. Schertz’s name was also dropped as a possible replacement at North Carolina — he previously worked at Queens in Charlotte and High Point — or in the case that Kansas or Arizona open up.
Schertz will stay at Saint Louis for the time being, however. During a different radio interview, Schertz said he had opportunities to leave but chose to stay with Saint Louis. He admitted he’s never 100% on anything, but he planned to stay with the Billikens in 2026-27, and in future years.
“A couple of years ago, if you’re a head coach in the A10 and you get a P4 opportunity, you’re going,” Schertz said on that radio program. ”I think now, are you a climber? Are you a builder? I’ve always tried to be a builder. I think we’re building something here.”
Sunday afternoon, he doubled down on his intentions in his statement.
“I never said I was waiting on anyone to come back with a significantly better offer than SLU,” Schertz wrote. “I don’t think like that, and I have never chased money in my career, I have always chased success. The fact is, I have turned down significantly more money this spring to remain at SLU.”
Schertz signed a long-term contract with the school earlier this month, keeping him with the program for another six years.
The 50-year-old from New York has found success at the Division II and mid-major level, coaching at Lincoln Memorial (2008-21), Indiana State (2021-24) and Saint Louis for the past two years.
At Lincoln Memorial, Schertz led the team to 10 NCAA Division II championships, including a runner-up finish in 2016. Then, Schertz led Indiana State to a pair of non-NCAA postseason tournaments. However, the Sycamores’ absence from the NCAA Tournament field was met with criticism. Fans believed its resume and NET ranking should’ve put it in the field over other bubble teams.
In two seasons at Saint Louis, he has guided the Billikens to one NIT and one NCAA Tournament bid. After going 29-6 and 15-3 in the Atlantic-10, the Billikens closed the 2025-26 season with a 102-77 win over Georgia in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, and a 95-72 loss to Michigan in the Round of 32.
This story was originally published March 29, 2026 at 3:18 PM.
