Will Wade didn't just vow to put LSU basketball back on the national radar, he made full assurances that it will happen quickly.
LSU's formerly-former head coach was introduced in front of a large crowd Monday afternoon inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where he coached five seasons before being fired in 2022 amid the fallout of NCAA violations. Wade didn't wait long to make big promises of where he expects the team to go and how quickly he thinks they can be there. He also joked that if he failed, he'd still make history as the first coach to be fired twice by the same program.
"We’re going to build a winning program and we’re going to build this thing quick," Wade said. "This is not something that’s going to take long. We’re going to get in that portal when it opens next Monday and we’re going to put together a winner, because everybody in here deserves a winner.”
Hear Will Wade's full introductory press conference in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Big words, and if Wade can match them it'd mark a much-needed jolt of enthusiasm into the Tigers men's basketball program. The past four seasons, all coached by Matt McMahon, saw the Tigers tumble into the conference cellar with a record of 60-70 overall and 17-55 in SEC play. Three of those years included three or fewer conference wins.
Contrast that to when Wade took over a scuffling LSU team in 2017. The Tigers stumbled a bit in year 1 with an 8-10 conference record and an NIT bid, but then reached the NCAA Tournament three times in a row, excluding the COVID year with no postseason play. Wade's overall record with the Tigers was 105-51 with a 55-33 record in the SEC. The team's best year came in the 2018-'19 season when they won the SEC regular season title and made a run to the Sweet Sixteen. Tony Benford served as the head coach for those NCAA Tournament games with Wade suspended.
Wade spent two seasons at McNeese and one year at NC State before returning to Baton Rouge, but those years of coaching in the SEC are what he says can help him skip the learning curve this time.
"When you’re at a school like LSU, you’re in Louisiana, a lot of it is getting to know the people, getting to know the overall structure and that’s where we’re just way ahead," Wade continued. "It took us probably 18 months to learn everything the first time and now we’re just hitting the ground running. Here’s the keys to the Ferrari, drive it fast."
LSU fans will hope that promise comes true, with a busy season of news ahead. Wade also addressed a host of other topics in his latest introductory press conference that stretched on for nearly an hour start to finish. Here are some of the top quotes.
1. WELCOME BACK
The first quote isn't from Wade himself, but LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry, confirming something most assumed: Will Wade was the guy -- the only guy.
“I was fortunate to be at LSU when Will first arrived and I witnessed firsthand what he meant to LSU basketball and our community," Ausberry said. "Yes, we won a lot, but it went so far beyond the victories. He helped galvanize the LSU community around men’s basketball and that had no happened for quite some time. He helped bring in new fans, new donors and new attention to LSU. At LSU we just believe in winning. We believe in building an entire culture of winning. We believe that success feeds off success. On this special campus, we think momentum builds with wins. Our coaches feel it, our athletes feel it and our fans feel it. Winning is a powerful medicine. We have Kim Mulkey. We have Lane Kiffin. We have Jay Johnson. We have programs that are getting stronger all the time, and now we are bringing Will Wade home.”
This all happened very quickly. Wade said the wheels didn't begin to be set in motion until the previous Wednesday, with him agreeing to the new deal less than 48 hours later. That only happens if the school is all-in on the coach, and vice versa.
2. IT'S HOME
OK, the rest of the quotes are from Wade, who was born in Tennessee. Still, he's multiple times referred to returning to LSU as a homecoming. Here's why:
“[the LSU administration's] belief in me and the belief in me that this was the right time to come home will never be forgotten," Wade said. "And make no mistake, this is home. I wasn’t born in Louisiana, but Louisiana is home for me … and my family. So, you know, we’re coming back to make history. We’re going to make history, one way or the other, we’re coming back ... to try to hang a banner, win a national championship, or I’m going to be the first coach fired from the same school twice, but one way or another, we’re gonna make history. It’s gonna be a fun ride, one way or the other, ain’t no doubt about that.”
Will Wade (re)introduced at LSU:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 30, 2026
"We're gonna make history one way or the other. We're coming back to try to hang a banner and win a national championship, or I'm gonna be the first coach fired from the same school twice. One way or another, we're gonna make history!" 😂 pic.twitter.com/jZOZP9SObN
3. DEFINING THE TEAM
Wade breaks down what fans can expect to see when they watch his team play:
“This program … is meant to be great," Wade said. "This program is meant to compete at the highest levels of college basketball, night in and night out, as we say down here, it just means more. ... We’re going to be rooted in aggression. We’re going to be rooted in toughness. We’re going to be rooted in discipline, and we’re going to recruit competitors that want to play that way.”
4. WHAT'S CHANGED
Wade managed to stay in his adopted home state when he returned to coaching, taking over McNeese State and leading a mid-major team on multiple Final Four runs. He pointed to going down in ranks as a challenge not many coaches have to face and it's made him a better coach. He also worked with LSU president Dr. Wade Rousse and deputy AD Heath Schroyer, the power structure in place at McNeese as they rebuilt that program. He believes their structure, coupled with LSU's brand will be a game-changer.
“These last 4 years have humbled and changed me," Wade said. "You’re getting a better coach, a better leader this time around. I’ve got the same urgency, I’ve got the same fight, same feisty guy that you always know, but we’re going to be better. ... I didn’t come here to reflect and talk about the past ... I came here to win and we’re going to win immediately. LSU and Louisiana deserves a winner and that’s what we’re going to deliver and we’re going to deliver that in short order.”
Will Wade on NC State 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 30, 2026
"I think some of the things have been mischaracterized on how I left, but I'm not gonna get into a back-and-forth. The people who need to know, know. When there's a situation like this, everybody has to cover, let's put it that way. I'm at peace with how… pic.twitter.com/S0M03Ta8m8
5. NO REGRETS
Wade was asked if he had thoughts on being cast as "the villain" in the larger storyline. He laughed off the idea but did address his departure from NC State.
“I long ago quit worrying about my perception, so that part doesn’t bother me too much," Wade said. "Look, here’s what I’m going to say. I’d like to focus more on what’s going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think some of the things have been mischaracterized on how I left, but … I’ve learned long ago, I’m not going to get into a back and forth on all of that. The people who need to know know, and ... when there’s a situation like this, everybody has to cover ... let’s put it that way. I’m at peace with how I left. I’m at peace with what we did and look, they’re pretty mad for a coach they didn’t think was very good, so, you know, that’s the way it goes. But look, I wish NC State nothing but the best."
It's unlikely Wade addresses his NC State departure often from this point forward, but he is clearly suggesting that the narrative from the other program's side might not be entirely accurate. Either way, Wade is back "home" at LSU, and it sounds like he intends to stay a while.
