NC State was able to land a young, successful and proven winner, and shocked everyone by doing so.
NC State hired McNeese State coach Will Wade, who at only 42 years old, will be on his fourth college stop as a head coach, with the Wolfpack joining Tennessee-Chattanooga, Virginia Commonwealth, LSU and the Cowboys.
Wade replaces the coach that beat him out for the NC State job eight years ago — Kevin Keatts. Wade, who was then at VCU, and Keatts were the two finalists for the Wolfpack job, with Keatts getting hired by then athletic director Debbie Yow. Keatts went on to reach the NCAA Tournament three times — reaching the Final Four last year — and NIT twice, and was squarely on the bubble during his COVID year. Keatts also won an ACC Tournament last year, which was the Wolfpack’s first since 1987.
However, NC State went 12-19 overall and 5-15 in the ACC this season, and didn’t reach the ACC Tournament, leading Keatts to find out the news he was being let go before it became public Sunday.
Wade has also had an eventful last eight years. The then 36-year-old pivoted in 2017 to take the LSU job, and got the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19 with a 25-5 overall mark and 15-2 in the SEC. LSU reached the Sweet 16 behind star guards Tremont Waters, Skyler Mays and Javonte Smart. Add in elite prep recruit Naz Reid of Ashbury Park, N.J., and LSU had high hopes.
After wins against Yale and Maryland, Michigan State knocked out LSU in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. However, the program became embroiled when a phone call that the FBI intercepted with agent Christian Dawkins was leaked, and Wade famously said he gave Smart a “strong-ass offer.” Dawkins is now an owner for Lincolnton (N.C.) Combine Academy after spending time in jail.
Wade and LSU battled each other for the next three years before he was fired March 12, 2022, which was the day the Tigers learned they reached the NCAA Tournament. LSU earned 11 alleged violations, with eight of them Level I, including a Lack of Institutional Control charge.
Wade was slapped with a two-year show cause penalty and faced a 10-game suspension at his next job, which proved to be McNeese State a year later, which is in Lake Charles, La.
The Clemson graduate started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Harvard under Tommy Amaker and then landed on Shaka Smart’s staff from 2009-13. He quickly earned the reputation of being able to sell ice to a proverbial igloo.
Wade was hired at UT-Chattanooga in 2013-15, and then took over for Smart at VCU, when the latter was hired at Texas.
VCU was known for HAVOC under Smart, but the Rams featured a physical defensive style under Wade. VCU went 26-9 overall and 14-4 in the Atlantic 10 in 2016-17, and lost to Saint Mary’s in the NCAA Tournament.
Wade has a 243-104 career record going into McNeese State’s game Tuesday in the Southland Conference Tournament. He has gone 47-8 overall and 36-2 in the league, and if you add in the 10 games that Wade was suspended, the program has gone 55-10.
Wade also embraced his role of being the villain by having its players wear T-shirt that had previous headlines and Tweets that spoke negatively about Wade at the NCAA Tournament. Wade became known as “Willy The Kid” with a black hat.
McNeese State bumped up its non-conference schedule this season with losses against Alabama and Mississippi State, plus Santa Clara, Liberty and South Dakota State. The lone Southland Conference loss came against Nicholls State on Feb. 1.
McNeese State is averaging 77.5 points per game, while allowing 64.4. The Cowboys are shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent on three-pointers.
Wade will have at least four scholarships available this spring, though it is expected to have attrition. NC State had an NIL budget of a little over $2 million last year following the Final Four run.
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