Four years after being forced out at LSU amid a recruiting scandal, Will Wade appears to be heading back to the Tigers.
Multiple reports suggested Wednesday that Wade is likely to leave NC State after just one season to return to LSU, where he coached from 2017-2022. LSU is close to hiring McNeese athletic director Heath Schroyer for a senior administration job, and Schroyer was the one who hired Wade at McNeese.
Sources: LSU is working to hire McNeese's Heath Schroyer as a Senior Administrator.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 25, 2026
The Tigers' head coaching job is not open, but LSU President Wade Rousse & Schroyer both previously hired NC State's Will Wade at McNeese & are on the verge of bringing him back to Baton Rouge.
Notably, the LSU job is not even open right now, as Matt McMahon just finished his fourth season in charge. The school appears prepared to dismiss him in order to facilitate Wade’s return.
Wade went 105-51 at LSU and led the team to the NCAA Tournament three times. He was eventually fired in 2022 for a series of alleged recruiting violations that involved both illegal payments to players and payment of hush money to ensure that those payments were not revealed publicly. He eventually had to serve a 10-game suspension and received a two-year show-cause penalty for his role in the scandal.
Wade got the chance to revive his career at McNeese, which he did to great success. He parlayed that into a six-year deal with NC State, and he led them to a First Four appearance in his first season as head coach. LSU, on the other hand, has not reached the NCAA Tournament since Wade’s departure.
The circumstances of Wade’s original dismissal may make his return controversial. In the end, LSU knows he brought results, and that is what they are prioritizing to re-establish their basketball program as a legitimate threat in the SEC.
