New LSU basketball coach can go home again - he's returning to LSU, where he was head coach from 2017-22. (Tiger Rag file photo).
Will Wade is returning to Baton Rouge to coach the LSU men’s basketball team. A stunning development considering it was four years ago that he was fired for committing NCAA recruiting violations.
Wade rebuilt his career with two Southland Conference Championships at McNeese State and an NCAA Tournament appearance with North Carolina State this season.
“We are excited to welcome Will back home as the next head coach of the LSU Men’s Basketball program,” said Verge Ausberry, LSU Vice President/Director of Athletics. “As LSU fans know well, Will is a consistent winner, a diligent program-builder, and a charismatic leader with an incredible ability to connect with his student-athletes and the fan base. Not only does he bring his postseason pedigree and an energetic presence, but he is innovative and strategic at a time in college athletics that requires both. We are thrilled to have Will and his family with us in Baton Rouge again.”
The General returns to Baton Rouge thanks to behind-the-scenes maneuvering by Governor Jeff Landry, LSU president Wade Rousse and newly appointed LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Mallett.
“This was not an easy decision, because of how much respect and appreciation I have for NC State, but the opportunity to return to Louisiana State University is deeply personal,” said Wade. “This is our chance to come home — to a place that has shaped me, where the passion for basketball runs deep, and where the expectations match the opportunity.
“LSU represents something bigger — it’s about competing at the highest level in the best conference in the country, in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in college basketball. The resources, the commitment, and the alignment at LSU makes it a place where we can build something special and sustainable.”
While fans are happy with the leadership change, the move comes at a high cost for LSU and its donors. McMahon and his staff’s buyout is expected to total around $11 million. Several more million dollars are needed to pay Wade and his staff and as mentioned earlier, more than $10 million is needed to put together a roster that can compete.
Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says when there is a will and there is wa(y)de.
“When they (LSU) really want to find the money, they know the people that can get them the money, and they felt they needed it because of how far down the basketball program had gone,” Guilbeau said.
Wade was fired by then athletic director Scott Woodward in 2022. Current LSU AD Verge Ausberry was serving as an assistant athletic director at the same time Wade was fired. Guilbeau says Ausberry was very supportive of Wade and believes his firing wasn’t as significant as many made it out to be.
“I think Verge and many people at LSU are like a lot of LSU fans, they think the things Wade did wrong that got him fired and penalized by the NCAA are legal now,” Guilbeau said.
A 15-day college basketball transfer portal window opens April 7th. Wade will “Boot Up” as he tries to build a winner in Baton Rouge again.
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