Wade is in his first season at NC State. He previously coached at LSU.
Posted 3/12/2026, 7:12:34 PM Updated 3/12/2026, 11:19:32 PM
NC State's Will Wade dismisses LSU coaching rumors
CHARLOTTE — NC State first-year men's basketball coach Will Wade shot down any speculation that he might be looking to return to LSU.
Wade, who went 105-51 in five seasons at LSU from 2017 to 2022 before being fired as he and the program faced federal and NCAA investigations, has been rumored to be among the Tigers’ top targets — if they make a change – due to his success at the school and his familiarity with many in the school and state.
"Is the job open there? No?" Wade said after the loss. "Listen, let me be very clear: I'm excited at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn't going to take one year. I've already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes that we need to make and some of the things that we need to do to put this program where it deserves long-term."
Wade coached two seasons at McNeese State in Louisiana, leading the school to the NCAA Tournament twice. NC State hired him in April 2025. In his first season in Raleigh, Wade led the Wolfpack to a 20-13 season and a likely berth in the NCAA Tournament.
NC State has lost seven of its last nine games, including Thursday to No. 2 seed Virginia in the ACC Tournament.
"I'm not on social media," Wade said. "I'm not into gossip. I'm not into any of that sort of stuff. Look, we're going to win and we're going to win big at NC State. That's what we're going to do. That's what we're going to do moving forward. We have the resources we need. We have what we need, and it's on me and my staff to get the job done. Look, this year hasn't gone exactly how we wanted it to, but we're going to rally and we're going to work hard and we're going to have a team next year that's ready to roll."
LSU hired former McNeese State president Wade Rousse in November. LSU went 15-17 (3-15 in the SEC) under first-year coach Matt McMahon, who hasn’t been dismissed.
Yahoo! Sports reported in October that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who has become very involved n the school's athletics department, wanted the school to hire Wade to replace McMahon, who is 60-70 in now four seasons at LSU. Wade told WRAL at that time, when asked about the report, that he "chose to be here" at NC State.
Wade signed a six-year contract worth more than $17 million with NC State last year. Wade would owe NC State a $5 million buyout if he were to leave before April 1. That figure falls to $3 million before April 1, 2027.
He promised “a reckoning” during his introductory news conference with the Wolfpack. NC State, despite its late-season swoon, finished seventh in the ACC, beat rival North Carolina and is poised to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“Everybody is singing from the same sheet of music,” Wade said during the introductory news conference. “And, when that happens at NC State, it’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC and it’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball and it’s coming. And, it’s coming soon.”
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