Former LSU head coach Will Wade is back in the NCAA coaching ranks, and he's not heading too far.
Wade, 40, has signed on as the head coach of McNeese State in Lake Charles, a job that ends a 1-year sojourn following his departure from LSU that was marked with a lot of wins, but also a lot of scrutiny.
"The days of us celebrating making conference tournaments or accepting mediocrity in all of our sports, let alone in basketball, are over," said McNeese Athletics Director Heath Schroyer in a news release announcing the move.
Wade He was fired by LSU in the days prior to the NCAA Tournament last season, with Kevin Nickelberry taking over as the interim. That decision came after LSU received a notice of allegations for multiple NCAA violations. The Tigers were upset by 11th-seeded Iowa State in the first round.
After head coaching stints at Chattanooga and VCU, Wade signed on at LSU in 2017, taking over after multiple subpar seasons led by Johnny Jones. The Tigers had a winning record in each of Wade's five seasons, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times. Two of those instances saw Wade away from the team for tournament play and replaced by an interim, with the most successful run featuring future NBA players Tremont Waters and Naz Reid, with interim Tony Benford coaching that team to the Sweet 16. His LSU record finished at 105-51, and he was replaced by Matt McMahon this past season.
Related
In his new gig, Wade will replace John Aiken, who compiled a 22-45 record in his two-year run with the Cowboys.
McNeese State, which plays in the Southland Conference, has made two NCAA Tournament appearances (1989, 2002), but lost in the first round both times.