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Will Wade is set to become the next N.C. State men's basketball coach, according to multiple reports.
Joe Giglio of OG Triangle Media was the first to report Wade's intentions of making the move to join the Wolfpack. Giglio said the two have reached an agreement, though it still needs to be finalized.
Wade, 42, has led McNeese State to a 57-10 record and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The 12th-seeded Cowboys (27-6) open March Madness against the No. 5 Clemson (27-6) on Thursday (3:15 p.m., truTV) in Providence, Rhode Island. Wade will reportedly join N.C. State at the conclusion of McNeese's tournament run.
NO 'BS': What Will Wade said about NC State basketball coaching search
NCAA TOURNAMENT PICKS: Who will win March Madness? NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, Final Four picks
SURVIVOR POOL: Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!
On Wednesday during pregame press conferences, Wade was asked if he or someone associated with him had been in contact with N.C. State. He smiled before saying, "yes."
In an effort to limit distractions, Wade addressed the rumors with his team ahead of Selection Sunday.
"Just tell it like it is," Wade said. "You may not always like what I'm going to say, but I'm going to tell you what I think. I've always kind of been like that, and there's no need to hide it. The guys are reading it on social media; it's no secret. I'm not going to ask them to do something I'm not willing to do."
When N.C. State fired former coach Kevin Keatts on March 9, Wade soon emerged as a top candidate to lead the Wolfpack. N.C. State followed an ACC Tournament championship and Final Four run with a losing season, becoming one of three teams to miss the ACC Tournament.
"It's no good if you don't address it and if you sit there and BS them," Wade said of the rumors swirling around N.C. State. "(Players) can read right through the BS, so you might as well, hey, this is what it is. Here we are, and we'll figure it out."
A Clemson graduate, Wade has won 70% of his games in 11 seasons as a head coach. He has a 253-106 record, starting his career at Chattanooga before going to VCU and LSU. He's won six conference championships, including back-to-back conference tourney titles at McNeese State. In seven of his 11 seasons, Wade's teams have made the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Wade was fired by LSU after the school received a notice of allegations detailing several violations. He was given two-year show-cause order and 10-game suspension in 2023, after being found to have made impermissible payments. In 2019, Wade was suspended for the postseason after reports revealed that a federal investigation caught him talking about a "strong-(expletive) offer" for a recruit.
One Pack, N.C. State's collective, has reported more than 20% growth since Keatts was fired. Keatts was critical of the program's efforts in NIL (name, image and likeness) support, which has become a critical component in roster construction and retention. On Tuesday, One Pack NIL Collective sent out a social media post that said "300+ new members joined" this past week. On Monday, One Pack wrote it had raised more than $250,000 in the eight days since Keatts was fired.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State basketball to hire Will Wade, reports say
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Joe Giglio of OG Triangle Media was the first to report Wade's intentions of making the move to join the Wolfpack. Giglio said the two have reached an agreement, though it still needs to be finalized.
Wade, 42, has led McNeese State to a 57-10 record and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The 12th-seeded Cowboys (27-6) open March Madness against the No. 5 Clemson (27-6) on Thursday (3:15 p.m., truTV) in Providence, Rhode Island. Wade will reportedly join N.C. State at the conclusion of McNeese's tournament run.
NO 'BS': What Will Wade said about NC State basketball coaching search
NCAA TOURNAMENT PICKS: Who will win March Madness? NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, Final Four picks
SURVIVOR POOL: Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!
On Wednesday during pregame press conferences, Wade was asked if he or someone associated with him had been in contact with N.C. State. He smiled before saying, "yes."
In an effort to limit distractions, Wade addressed the rumors with his team ahead of Selection Sunday.
"Just tell it like it is," Wade said. "You may not always like what I'm going to say, but I'm going to tell you what I think. I've always kind of been like that, and there's no need to hide it. The guys are reading it on social media; it's no secret. I'm not going to ask them to do something I'm not willing to do."
When N.C. State fired former coach Kevin Keatts on March 9, Wade soon emerged as a top candidate to lead the Wolfpack. N.C. State followed an ACC Tournament championship and Final Four run with a losing season, becoming one of three teams to miss the ACC Tournament.
"It's no good if you don't address it and if you sit there and BS them," Wade said of the rumors swirling around N.C. State. "(Players) can read right through the BS, so you might as well, hey, this is what it is. Here we are, and we'll figure it out."
Will Wade coaching record
A Clemson graduate, Wade has won 70% of his games in 11 seasons as a head coach. He has a 253-106 record, starting his career at Chattanooga before going to VCU and LSU. He's won six conference championships, including back-to-back conference tourney titles at McNeese State. In seven of his 11 seasons, Wade's teams have made the NCAA Tournament.
Will Wade NCAA violations at LSU
Prior to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Wade was fired by LSU after the school received a notice of allegations detailing several violations. He was given two-year show-cause order and 10-game suspension in 2023, after being found to have made impermissible payments. In 2019, Wade was suspended for the postseason after reports revealed that a federal investigation caught him talking about a "strong-(expletive) offer" for a recruit.
NC State collective sees boost since Kevin Keatts firing
One Pack, N.C. State's collective, has reported more than 20% growth since Keatts was fired. Keatts was critical of the program's efforts in NIL (name, image and likeness) support, which has become a critical component in roster construction and retention. On Tuesday, One Pack NIL Collective sent out a social media post that said "300+ new members joined" this past week. On Monday, One Pack wrote it had raised more than $250,000 in the eight days since Keatts was fired.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State basketball to hire Will Wade, reports say
Continue reading...
