Photo courtesy of McNeese athletics
Former LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade was introduced today as the new head coach of the McNeese Cowboys. LSU fired Wade a year ago after the NCAA alleged he helped supply impressible cash payments to recruits and their families. Wade is excited for the chance to turn around a program in an area of the state still in hurricane recovery.
“This area needs a rebirth and my career needs a rebirth after everything that’s gone on, my career needs a rebirth,” said Wade.
Wade takes over a program that went 11-23 this past season. The 23 losses were the most ever for a McNeese basketball team. Wade is predicting at least 23 wins next season.
“We are going to turn it around and turn it around quickly, this is something that is going to be done quickly, next year we are going to be ready to roll,” said Wade.
Wade re-energized a dormant LSU men’s basketball program team when he was hired in 2017. In five seasons in Baton Rouge, held the Tigers to an SEC regular season championship and LSU made three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Wade is looking to bring excitement to McNeese basketball and do it in a way that makes southwest Louisiana proud.
“We’re going to be a blue collar hard working group, we’re going to have unbelievably high standards to get the results we want, we’re going to show up on time, we are going to be respectful and we are going to give unbelievable effort in everything we do,” said Wade.
McNeese State AD Heath Schroyer believes Wade is the best man to fix Cowboys basketball. Schroyer and Wade used to be college coaches at different schools in Tennessee and have known each other for several years.
Wade’s contract is worth a reported five years. The Cowboys have not made the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since 2002.
Comments