NC State reportedly reaches deal with McNeese’s Will Wade as new head coach

The question was simple: Have Will Wade and North Carolina State discussed the Wolfpack’s men’s basketball head coaching vacancy?

“I lay it all out there to my players, and my players have laid it all out there to me regarding the transfer portal,” said Wade, who was asked that question Wednesday afternoon in Providence, Rhode Island, ahead of McNeese’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Clemson. “We are transparent. We’ve shared it all with each other because there’s no need to beat around the bush with this stuff when we’re all out for each other’s successes.”

Approximately three hours later, NC State reportedly reached an agreement with Wade to make him the program’s next head coach.

Wade was hired by McNeese ahead of the 2023 season and has posted a 49-8 record there while guiding the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. McNeese has won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles in back-to-back years and Wade, 42, was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year in both years.

Wade’s last high-major job was at LSU, where he spent five seasons before being fired in March 2022 after receiving a notice of allegations from the NCAA that detailed significant misconduct related to recruiting violations. He was also suspended for the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament back in 2019 after reports showed a wiretap that captured him making a “strong-ass offer” to a recruit.

Wade began his career as a student manager at Clemson and then became a GA until 2007. His previous head coaching stops include Chattanooga (2013-15) and VCU (2015-17), before landing at LSU in 2017.

For Wade, a move from McNeese felt inevitable when he reached the NCAA Tournament last year. He’s 243-104 as a head coach in 11 seasons, and with the violations in his rearview mirror, Wade became a hot commodity in the pay-for-play climate of the sport.

That’s where NC State came into play. The Wolfpack fired Kevin Keatts earlier this month following his eight years at the helm. Keatts led NC State to three NCAA Tournaments during his eight seasons, including a 151-113 overall record and a 69-84 mark in ACC play.

However, just one year removed from leading the Wolfpack to the Final Four, Keats’ team went 12-19 this season, including a 5-15 record in the ACC. 

McNeese and the Cowboys open play in the NCAA Tournament at 3:15 p.m. ET Thursday against Clemson.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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