In a significant development, Will Wade, currently coaching McNeese, has solidified a six-year contract to become the new head coach for N.C. State’s basketball team, according to an informed individual knowledgeable about the agreement. This information is being shared on the condition of anonymity as the university has yet to officially announce its choice of coach.
Wade’s recent stint with the Cowboys saw them making consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, concluding this time with a second-round defeat against Purdue, following an initial upset of Clemson. His tenure in Lake Charles, Louisiana, over the past two years has been his comeback after parting ways with LSU due to recruitment violation allegations dating back to an extensive college basketball corruption probe publicized in 2017. During that investigation, N.C. State was also implicated.
OG Media earlier reported the consensus between Wade and N.C. State, while CBS Sports broke the news of the contract post-Purdue game. Before the game against Clemson, Wade had acknowledged discussions with N.C. State, a move less common amongst collegiate coaches who often sidestep such queries.
Wade, when questioned about the N.C. State job after their loss to Purdue, remarked that he would address it the following day, stating: “I’ll worry about that tomorrow. Look, I’m an honest guy, but today I want to put a bow on everything with McNeese if we can.”
The appointment of Wade will see him succeed Kevin Keatts, who was relieved of his duties after eight years on March 9. This was despite his recent success in leading the team to its first ACC Tournament title since 1987 and a Final Four appearance, rekindling memories of Jim Valvano’s legendary 1983 championship team.
Keatts had taken the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions and had them on course for another when the pandemic disrupted in 2020. Nonetheless, this season’s 12-19 finish diminished any remnants of last year’s momentum, resulting in his dismissal even though he was under contract until 2030, obligating N.C. State to $6.9 million in base salary.
Wade’s head coaching journey began with a two-year engagement at Chattanooga from 2013 to 2015, followed by leading VCU to consecutive NCAA appearances, which led to his LSU tenure in 2017. At LSU, his greatest triumph was steering the team to an SEC regular-season title and a Sweet 16 berth in his second year.
He transitioned to McNeese in 2023, post his LSU journey, starting off with NCAA sanctions including a 10-game suspension. Under his leadership, the team recorded 58 victories over two seasons, a considerable achievement for a program that had only won 56 games across the previous five seasons.
Reflecting on his tenure at McNeese, Wade expressed appreciation stating, “I think I needed somewhere that was going to embrace me and the town needed somebody to embrace them. It just worked. I can’t explain how. I guess the winning helps, but it worked. Just unforgettable.”
