The LSU men's basketball team still technically has a basketball coach in Matt McMahon, but things sure seem destined for a big-time reunion.
Over the past several days the news cycle has heated up for the Tigers to potentially bring back former head coach Will Wade, who was fired in 2022 amid an investigation into potential recruiting violations and alleged payments to players, a practice that has become commonplace in the NCAA's NIL era. He re-emerged as a coach in 2023 with McNeese State to resurrect that program before landing at NC State last season. WWL Radio's Mike Detillier broke down the subject on SportsTalk this week.
“The ball is really in the hands of Will Wade at this point," Detillier said on SportsTalk, "and we’ve talked about this for weeks, if Will Wade really wants the LSU job, it’s his.”
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The buzz has been there for quite some time as far as a Wade reunion, but it hit a fever pitch in recent days with the program hiring former McNeese AD Heath Schroyer as Senior Deputy AD. Schroyer was behind the hiring of Wade at McNeese.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has also been loudly in support of bringing Wade back to coach the Tigers as he's thrown his weight around in LSU's moves in recent months, most notably the firing or Brian Kelly and former AD Scott Woodward, followed by the hiring of Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss.
“You can say, well, politics shouldn’t be involved in sports," Detillier continued. "Politics in Louisiana has always been involved in sports. You’re not paying attention if you don’t think that that is the truth. It’s always got its way in there and you can go back many, many years.”
There will be some potential monetary hurdles to navigate for LSU. They'll have to account for a significant buyout if and when they fire McMahon. They'd then have to pay Wade a significant salary and cover his buyout from NC State, which will reportedly be in the range of $3 million if the hire is made after April 1. There will then be whatever necessary NIL commitments the program promises to Wade in the process. That would all come before what will likely be the ground-up rebuild of a team that's fallen into SEC irrelevance over the past few seasons.
“Man, LSU is going to find the money to do everything. All this stuff about can you afford to do it, can you afford not to do it? … LSU can find the money," Detillier said, "and I will say this about coach Wade, he is very close to a number of people who can write a check, and it ain’t going to bounce, and also very influential people at LSU today that want him back, but the most important guy is the most powerful man in the state of Louisiana today, and that’s Gov. Jeff Landry.”
If the Tigers do end up with Wade, it would be a step toward returning to what was their most successful men's basketball run in modern history. Wade was 105-51 in his five seasons coaching the Tigers with the team qualifying for the NCAA Tournament three times. They would've also been in the field in the COVID-shortened 2019-'20 season. The most successful season for the Tigers was in 2018-'19 when LSU finished with a 25-5 record and an SEC regular season title. Wade was suspended following the SEC Tournament and the team was led by assistant Tony Benford, with LSU making it to the Sweet 16 before falling to Michigan State. McNeese went 50-9 and made the tournament in both seasons under Wade. He led the Wolfpack to a record of 20-14 in his first season in Raliegh, with his team bounced in the First Four with a 2-point loss to a Texas team that has since advanced to the Sweet 16.
