A story brewing in Louisiana for weeks became national news on Wednesday when CBS College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein reported that LSU is working to hire McNeese AD Heath Schroyer as a senior administrator.
What's the significance of LSU hiring Schroyer? Schroyer is the man who took a chance and hired Will Wade in March of 2023 to lead the McNeese men's basketball team. A year earlier, LSU fired Wade for committing NCAA recruiting violations.
Wade revitalized the Cowboys basketball program, leading the Pokes to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2024 and 2025.
It's been reported that an effort was made to bring Wade back to Baton Rouge following the 2025 season, but for a variety of reasons, it never happened.
But the potential hiring of Schroyer is a sign that many power brokers want Wade to lead the LSU men's basketball program.
Yahoo Sports reported that Governor Landry pushed former LSU athletics director Scott Woodward to bring back Wade. It's a reason why Landry was not a fan of Woodward.
Wade's other allies include current LSU president Wade Rousse and LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Mallett. Mallett is a successful Lake Charles area businessman, and Rousse is the former president at McNeese.
Some influential donors also want to see Wade back.
Donor fatigue is a real issue after buying out Brian Kelly, hiring Lane Kiffin, and paying for a new football roster. There is apparently enough money to buy out current head coach Matt McMahon, roughly $8-million, and give Wade a good contract and provide him with the NIL dollars to succeed.
Wade just led North Carolina State to a 20-14 record and a short appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack lost to Texas in a First Four matchup.
Wade has said he's not happy with his first season in Raleigh and is committed to taking the Wolfpack to greater heights.
But Wade also enjoyed his time at LSU, leading the Tigers to 20 or more victories in three of his five seasons for the Bayou Bengals.
He won an SEC regular season championship in 2019 and made LSU men's basketball fun and relevant, something the program has not been since he was fired.
It would be an amazing story. You don't see many coaches get fired but return to the place that gave them their walking papers.
The late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fired Billy Martin as his manager five times.
Bobby Petrino left Arkansas as a disgraced football coach in 2012 after getting into a motorcycle accident. The passenger was a female staffer for Petrino, and the two were having an affair.
Petrino eventually returned to Arkansas in 2023 as an offensive coordinator and was the interim head coach of the Razorbacks for much of the 2025 season.
Speculation will continue to swirl for the next few days because Wade's buyout drops from $5 million to $3 million on April 1st.
Many people thought it was far-fetched that Wade could return to LSU; now it seems like a reality.
