Will Wade is back in college basketball.
The former LSU head coach once heard on a federal wiretap discussing a “strong-ass offer” for a recruit was announced Sunday as the new head coach at McNeese State.
Wade was fired by LSU last year for cause after the university received notice of the allegations from the NCAA. The NOA included five Level I violations and one Level II violation.
Back in August 2020, Yahoo Sports reported that the NCAA had information that Wade “made nondisclosure payments, including cash payments to at least 11 men’s basketball prospective student-athletes, their family members, individuals associated with prospects and/or nonacademic coaches in exchange for arranged, offered and/or provided for the enrollment of prospects at LSU.”
Additionally, LSU suspended Wade in 2019 after Yahoo Sports reported that the coach was heard on an FBI wiretap openly discussing a “strong-ass offer” for a recruit. The suspension came just before the NCAA tournament. LSU lifted the suspension a month later, and Wade continued coaching the Tigers for three more seasons.
Despite all this, not to mention a lingering NCAA violations case involving Wade, McNeese State is bringing him in to lead the program.
“I am very excited to welcome Coach Wade, his wife Lauren and daughter Caroline to Southwest Louisiana and the McNeese,” said athletic director Heath Schroer. “It’s a completely different job than it was three years ago. McNeese basketball is one of the best jobs in the country in terms of a one-bid league. We’re top of the league funded, have the best facility, a passionate fan base and many other inherent advantages. I won’t make excuses as to why we can’t win big. Frankly there is no excuse. The days of making conference tournaments or accepting mediocrity in all of our sports, The days of being single in basketball are over.”
Wade has nine seasons of experience as a head coach – two at Chattanooga, two at VCU and then five at LSU. He led VCU to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and won the Atlantic 10 title in 2016. At LSU, Wade’s teams reached three NCAA tournaments and won the SEC regular season title in 2019.
Overall, the 40-year-old Wade has a 196–96 record as a Division I head coach.
McNeese State fired head coach John Aiken on Wednesday after just two seasons. Aiken had a 22–45 record. McNeese, which competes in the Southland Conference, finished the season 11–23 overall with 6–12 points in conference play.
