I don't even really remember what happened with Wade but it's popping up.
You have to at least admit that it's funny that LS fires Wade for cause, and then (?) 2 years later hires him back? Crazy stuff.
A lot about Will Wade rushing back to LSU doesn't make sense on the surface. LSU fired Will Wade in 2022 for cause after receiving a Notice of Allegations that included multiple Level I violations pertaining to recruiting and paying players.
The Pièce de Résistance: An FBI recording in which WW is describing making a "
strong-ass offer" to a recruit in 2019. The case built from there and by 2022 it was too much noise for LSU to keep WW no matter how strongly he denied any wrongdoing. Ultimately the NCAA found WW to be engaging in impermissible payments, failing to cooperate fully with investigators, and not promoting compliance while at LSU. At the time WW had lead LSU to 3 Tournaments in his 5 seasons in Baton Rouge.
As part of the NCAA's "show-order" order against WW, a ten-game suspension was enforced, which he served upon being hired by McNeese. In both years coaching there, WW led McNeese to the Tournament, the latter included last season's first round upset win over Clemson, his alma mater.
WW was hired by NC State next. But after only one season, WW is jetting back to LSU. So, why would either LSU or WW want each other back?
Answer: Shamelessness. On both sides.
For LSU, he produced winning results. But still, to jubilantly welcome WW back to LSU after having to fire him once his pattern of violations were impossible to ignore - is
shameless. But let LSU homers be quick to point out that the core of WW's past violations are now permitted thanks to the NIL.
For WW, to bail on NC State after one season, after using NC State to rehabilitate your image, and return to the place where your image needed to be rehabilitated in the first place - is
shameless. NC State is the more historically stronger basketball program, but LSU is paying more.
Outside of his five years at LSU, WW is tied more to the East Coast, having played at Clemson and worked his way up the coaching ranks at Harvard and VCU. NC State likely thought they were hiring an ACC mainstay. Besides the pay increase, I'm guessing WW knows that LSU will stay out of his way when it comes to running a program however he wants.
Both parties haven't learned anything.