McNeese State made history this season under second-year coach Will Wade, even if it had a tough ending Saturday.
Wade and McNeese State fell 76-62 to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Providence, R.I. Shortly afterward Wade accepted NC State's six-year deal per CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein.
McNeese State finished 28-7 this season and went 50-9 during his two-year stint, including going 36-2 in the Southland Conference. The Cowboys shocked Clemson 69-67 on Thursday in the first round, which is where Wade attended college. He was a team manager and then a graduate assistant for the Tigers.
NC State will be Wade's fourth college stop as a head coach, with the Wolfpack joining Tennessee-Chattanooga, Virginia Commonwealth, LSU and the Cowboys. Wade has a 244-105 career record.
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.
Wade took the LSU job in 2017 in light of not going to NC State. LSU went 25-5 overall mark and 15-2 in the SEC in his second year in 2018-2019.. LSU reached the Sweet 16 behind star guards Tremont Waters, Skyler Mays and Javonte Smart, and post player Naz Reid.
LSU defeated Yale and Maryland, before getting knocked out by No. 2-seeded Michigan State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The FBI scandal broke out and ensnared Wade and LSU for three years. 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. HIs show cause is expected to end June 22, 2025, which will prevent him from certain recruiting functions this spring.
Wade was hired at UT-Chattanooga in 2013-15, and then took over for his previous boss Shaka Smart at VCU, when the latter was hired at Texas. 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 will have at least four scholarships available this spring, though it is expected to have attrition.
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