The McNeese State Cowboys won their first game in NCAA Tournament history on Thursday, and coach Will Wade was absolutely loving it.
12-seeded McNeese State held off a furious Clemson comeback to win 69-67 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. on Thursday. After time expired, Wade was extremely emotional, and celebrated wildly on the court.
Wade enthusiastically embraced multiple staff members, including athletic director Heath Schroyer. He then proceeded to essentially go into the crowd and celebrate before he even did his postgame interview on the court.
Will Wade is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, excited. pic.twitter.com/FmyBAXfVml
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2025
Wade was no less enthusiastic once he got around to his postgame interview with Evan Washburn of CBS.
“We’ve made school history, man,” Wade said. “We’ve never won a game. We didn’t have much history when we got there. We’ve broken almost every record. I’m just so proud for our guys, for our university … This changes our university.”
Will Wade and @McNeeseMBB make history.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2025
The incredibly excited coach joins @EvanWashburn after the remarkable win. pic.twitter.com/JEOdb4zvwd
Beyond being a big win for the school, this represents a personal triumph for Wade as well. He lost his job at LSU in 2022 over recruiting violations and more or less had to rebuild his career and reputation. He has certainly done that, and has a new job waiting for him when McNeese State’s NCAA Tournament run ends.
McNeese State’s win means they will advance to face Purdue on Saturday.
