NC State basketball adds two coaches to Justin Gainey’s staff. Who’s on the bench?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ognjen Vasiljević was named an assistant coach for NC State.
- Matt Holt was named NC State director of scouting after roles at Georgia Tech, Nebraska.
- Vasiljević and Holt join six others on Gainey’s first-year staff.
While N.C. State head coach Justin Gainey was at Amelia Island for the ACC spring meetings, the Wolfpack was busy announcing new hires.
Ognjen Vasiljević was named an assistant coach for the Pack, while Matt Holt will serve as the director of scouting.
Vasiljević spent one season at South Alabama as an assistant coach and director of operations. During his lone year with the Jaguars, the team finished with a 21-12 record and a second-place finish in the Sun Belt. South Alabama received a bid to the NIT.
His resume includes a four-year stop at Life University, an NAIA program in Marietta, Georgia. The Running Eagles recorded three straight 20-win seasons with Vasiljević as an assistant. The program won a conference championship and trip to the Round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament during the 2024-25 season.
Vasiljević was a key piece in the Chaze Harris’ development. Harris earned NAIA All-America honors two seasons ago before following Vasilijević to South Alabama. This year, Harris earned Sun Belt Player of the Year Honors and joined Duke’s Cameron Boozer as the only two players to average 19 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field.
Vasiljević began his coaching career as an assistant at Ohio Valley.
As a player, Vasiljević began his career at Division II University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and helped the Lions win two Heartland Conference championships and a pair of national tournament appearances. He played two seasons at Ohio Valley, where he averaged 12 points per game.
The new head coach also spent time on the Serbian national team. He competed in the EuroBasket U16 Championship and helped win silver and bronze.
Holt, meanwhile, is familiar with the ACC. He spent three years at Georgia Tech under former coach Damon Stoudamire, serving as the team’s director of player personnel. Prior to his stint in Atlanta, Holt spent six seasons at Nebraska in a video coordinator role.
He led film breakdown, including opponent scouting for the Cornhuskers, while also overseeing the team’s managers. Holt overlapped at Nebraska with former N.C. State assistant Adam Howard during the 2022-23 season.
Holt spent three seasons at Northeastern as the director of operations prior to his time in Lincoln. He provided video scouting reports on opponents and the team, monitored academic progress, coordinated with the university for team outreach and events, and handled travel.
He was an assistant coach for three years at New Haven, which was previously Division II. It moved to Division I during the 2023-24 season.
Vasiljević and Holt join Alvin Brooks, Riley Collins, Matthew Driscoll, Anthony Goins, Bill Comar and Patrick Stacy on Gainey’s staff.
