College basketball analyst gives alarming take on Will Wade firing

After LSU’s decision to fire head coach Will Wade, one college basketball analyst claims that the situation surrounding LSU basketball could get worse. With the Tigers’ basketball program facing potential postseason bans or sanctions, finding a replacement for Wade could be an extremely difficult task.

Replacements available after Will Wade’s firing

“LSU is going to have trouble landing a big-time replacement with the uncertainty about how hard the program will get hit in terms of postseason ban(s),” stated analyst Jeff Goodman on Saturday. “Some early names that could make some sense: Jerome Tang, Buzz Williams, Andy Kennedy, Damon Stoudamire.

“One source close to LSU program on next coach: ‘The issue will be what future sanctions will the program have. I think they would need an experienced coach who can deal with the pressure and also can hold their own with [women’s head coach] Kim Mulkey. She’s got a HUGE ego.'”

As the school fired Wade for cause, all eyes turned onto who will become the next head coach for Tigers basketball. LSU’s football program just underwent a very public coaching search that showed they were willing to pay significant money for a big name to lead the program. While football may have different expectations at LSU, the program has shown that they have the money to spend on talent if it’s available.

The issue then becomes who would be interested in the uncertainty surrounding the Tigers’ immediate future. Wade was released by the Tigers after five seasons as LSU’s head coach, posting a 105-51 record during his tenure. His firing came as a result of official NCAA allegations against Wade stemming from an FBI wiretap that revealed audio of Wade making a “strong-ass offer” to recruit a player.

In the official NCAA Notice of Allegations that was made public by LSU, Wade was cited for four violations that included details about paying money to directly influence player decisions on his school. While LSU had already implemented self-imposed penalties, the NCAA could hand down much more severe sanctions on the program. This uncertainty is what leads analysts such as Goodman to believe LSU’s coaching search will be a difficult one.