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Will Wade releases statement on decision to leave NC State for return to LSU

Byington mugby: Alex Byington03/26/26_AlexByington

Shortly after news broke Thursday of his return to Baton Rouge, new LSU head men’s basketball coach Will Wade released a statement directed at NC State and its fans explaining his decision to leave after just one season in Raleigh. Wade reportedly agreed to a seven-year deal to return to LSU earlier Thursday, according to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein.

Wade’s reunion with LSU comes 360 days after he signed a six-year deal with the Wolfpack, which signaled his return to Power Four basketball after serving a two-year show-cause order at mid-major McNeese State. That followed his March 2022 firing at LSU following NCAA sanctions related to recruiting violations that stemmed from the 2017-19 FBI investigation into college basketball.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank North Carolina State University, Athletic Director Boo Corrigan, and the entire administration for the opportunity to be part of something special,” Wade’s statement read via his official NC State-branded X/Twitter account. “… This was not an easy decision, because of how much respect and appreciation I have for this program and this university. But the opportunity to return to Louisiana State University is deeply personal.

“It’s a chance to go home — to a place that means a great deal to me and my family. I’ll always be grateful for my time here, the relationships we built, and the foundation we helped strengthen. NC State is positioned for continued success, and I’ll be cheering them on moving forward.”

Coincidentally enough, Wade now replaces Matt McMahon, who was fired Thursday after four lackluster seasons in Baton Rouge, after he was hired as Wade’s replacement in 2022. McMahon was informed of his firing on Thursday morning after news of Wade’s hiring played out publicly over social media. McMahon was let go after failing to make the NCAA tournament in his four seasons with the Tigers, with his best season coming in 2023-24 when LSU finished 17-16 and 9-9 in SEC play.

Meanwhile, Wade just wrapped his first season at NC State, where he went 20-14 and made the NCAA Tournament as one of the Last Four In before losing a 68-66 heartbreaker to Texas in Dayton. Wade, who went 105-51 in five seasons (2017-22) at LSU, was infamously fired in March 2022 after the NCAA formally served the program with a notice of allegations related to alleged recruiting violations that arose out of the FBI’s 2017-19 investigation into college basketball. In 2019, the FBI released a 2017 conversation in which Wade discussed a “strong-ass offer” he allegedly made to then-LSU freshman Javonte Smart.

Despite that history, Wade has long held support from within the LSU fanbase and the backing of Louisiana governor Jeff Landry, among other prominent state officials. That includes new LSU president Wade Rousse, who was previously at McNeese State and worked with both new LSU senior deputy AD/executive director of external affairs Heath Schroyer and Wade during the NC State coach’s two-year tenure leading the Cowboys basketball program (2023-25), during which he went 50-9 and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Schroyer, the former McNeese State athletic director, was formally hired earlier Thursday in a move seen as a precursor to Wade’s addition.