Before their game against Clemson on Thursday, McNeese coach Will Wade addressed the speculation of the NC State opening. After only hours, reports came out that NC State would hire Will Wade to lead the Wolfpack in the 2025-26 season. While Wade has been all over the place over his career, this seems like a logical step for Wade and the Wolfpack. NC State desperately needs a coach to bring elite stability, and Wade is searching for another crack at a power-conference job. Overall, this seems like a Pat Kelsey-like hire for NC State, which should be a good sign for Wolfpack fans and the ACC.
NC State to Hire McNeese’s Will Wade: What’s The Grade?
Wade’s Successful Career
The biggest question with Wade revolves around his NCAA violations that led to his suspension. In an era where NIL didn’t exist, Wade made some monetary donations to players. While this was illegal at the time, it certainly doesn’t affect his reputation as much now because players can be paid. NC State will hire Wade because of the dramatic success that he has seen on the court. Any program that hired him would need to examine the same allegations and determine whether one could look past them. McNeese first made that decision, and NC State has decided similarly.
Wade began his career at Chattanooga, where he stayed for two years and won 40 games. He then moved to VCU, where he won 51 games in two seasons and led the Rams to the NCAA Tournament both seasons. After his successful stay, he moved to LSU, where he led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament three times in five seasons (he likely would have led them to the tournament in 2020 as well). Following his suspension and removal from LSU, he moved to McNeese. He has led McNeese to 57 wins in just two seasons, earning NCAA Tournament berths in both seasons. He has a 253-106 record in 11 seasons as a coach.
NC State Gets an Elite Talent
McNeese is certainly not Duke, yet he has turned them into a team that’s capable of beating most teams in the country. They gave stiff tests to Alabama and Mississippi State earlier this season and even finished 58th in the NET rankings. The numbers aren’t flashy, ranking in the 60s in both offensive and defensive efficiency. In Wade’s last season at LSU, he led the Tigers to the sixth-best defensive efficiency in college basketball. The season prior, LSU finished with the fifth-best offensive efficiency and ranked fourth in 2020. The moral of the story is that he will bring an elite offense to Raleigh and has proven to bring elite defense to the table as well with the right group around him.
NC State Hires Will Wade: The Grade
Will Wade was a popular name. He will probably be watched closely while at NC State. Big programs may look to steal him from the Wolfpack. He has the coaching ability to lead a strong program. Wade brings wins with him wherever he goes. It should be no different in Raleigh. With the hire of Wade, NC State is venturing into the territory of elite coaching. This is not only an elite hire, he may just change this program around following Kevin Keatts’ firing. He may not be the next Pat Kelsey, but Wade can turn this program around quickly. It will be easier in such a dysfunctional ACC.
Grade: A
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