One of the winningest coaches in LSU men’s basketball history is heading back to the Bayou.
Will Wade’s long-floated return to lead the Tigers’ program after four years away is coming to fruition with the 12-year head coach, who recently completed his first season at North Carolina State, confirming his decision just before noon Thursday and arriving to Baton Rouge later in the afternoon.
“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,” he said via a release. “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. I’m incredibly excited about the challenge ahead — about developing young men, competing for championships and representing the state of Louisiana with pride. There’s a standard at LSU, and I’m energized to embrace it fully. I can’t wait to get home and get to work.”
Wade spent five years in Baton Rouge from 2017 to 2022, the longest tenure of his career and one in which his 105-51 record marked the fourth highest win total in program history and the best winning percentage among its last 18 coaches during the past 100-plus years.
LSU reached the NIT in his debut campaign, followed by three NCAA Tournament appearances — still its three most-recent — and another sure-fire selection had the 2020 postseason not been cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a drawn-out saga surrounding alleged recruiting violations stemming from an FBI investigation into the sport led initially to a 2019 standoff, suspension and restructured contract, an eventual referral by the NCAA to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process and a 2022 termination following a formal NCAA notice of allegations.
McNeese State, led by athletic director Heath Schroyer, hired Wade in 2023 after a year out of coaching and kicked off a historic run that included a 19-win turnaround in his first year and the program’s first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and first victory in the tournament.
Wade departed Lake Charles for Raleigh, N.C., last spring, and LSU has since cleaned house in several key leadership positions including succeeding president William Tate with governor Jeff Landry-supported candidate Wade Rousse, a longtime McNeese State administrator who was promoted during Wade’s tenure from executive vice president to president.
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward was simultaneously pushed out in what was announced as a mutual parting of ways and was quickly replaced by longtime administrator Verge Ausberry.
Schroyer was hired early Thursday as the LSU system’s senior deputy athletic director and executive director of external relations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Heath to our senior leadership team, and I am confident that he will have an immediate impact on our department,” Ausberry said in a news release. “He is a seasoned administrator, a former longtime college basketball coach, a former student-athlete and someone well-versed in the culture of Louisiana who will add a new dimension to our team. I look forward to working with Heath, and we welcome him and his family to the LSU family.”
Said Schroyer: “Honored and humbled to join the team at LSU. This place means something special — not just to me, but to the entire state of Louisiana. Grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work. Geaux Tigers.”
And the news of Wade’s return to Baton Rouge and reunions with both the Tigers and Schroyer and Rousse continued to spread throughout the morning.
His predecessor, Matt McMahon, could never rekindle the success of Wade’s tenure at LSU or his own at Murray State.
The well-respected coach led the Racers to a 153-67 mark in seven seasons, including three NCAA Tournament appearances — plus another potential missed opportunity in the 2020-halted spring — and two victories.
But his four years with the Tigers end with a 60-70 record and just one winning season, top-12 SEC finish and national postseason appearance: a 2023-24 campaign in which they finished 17-16 and 9-9 in conference, tied for seventh, before losing in the first round of the NIT.
LSU and North Carolina State agreed to a $4 million buyout, according to Matt Moscona, the host of “After Further Review” on ESPN 104.5 in Baton Rogue and publisher of LouisianaSports.net.
The university is also slated to owe McMahon another $8 million on his deal.
Wade’s new contract will exceed $4 million annually for the next seven years, sources told CBS Sports, which also reported expectations of more than $10 million available in NIL and roster resources and a heavy investment into his coaching staff as additional factors.
North Carolina State athletic director Boo Carrigan meanwhile met with the Wolfpack’s local media Thursday to turn the page in Raleigh and admitted he was “disappointed” and “as surprised and shocked as anyone else as this occurred, based on the previous conversations we had had.”
“Go back to Tuesday night, we talked about everything in the program and what we can do, who are we gonna play,” Carrigan detailed regarding conversations less than 48 hours earlier regarding Wade’s future and the future of the program. “The transfer portal’s not open, so you can’t talk about this person or that person. We talked about last year’s team and who was gonna be back. I asked him what he needed, right? What do we need to be competitive. From there, as far as the resignation letter, it was an email that we received from his agent and talking to his agent.”
