Report: NC State, Will Wade have reached agreement to become next head coach

NC State has found the next leader of their men’s basketball program. Will Wade has been connected to the head coach vacancy over the past week, and he’s reportedly chosen to move on from McNeese State and take over the Wolfpack when the Cowboys’ time in the 2025 NCAA Tournament comes to an end.

According to Joe Giglio of Ovies and Giglio and Law of the Wolf, the two sides haven’t finalized a deal yet, but an agreement has been reached: “From my sources: NC State has reached an agreement with Will Wade to be its next men’s basketball coach,” Giglio posted on X. “There is still the matter of finalizing the deal, and that McNeese is playing in the NCAA tournament, but plans are in place to move quickly when McNeese’s season ends.”

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports confirmed that Wade is expected to be NC State’s new coach, as well: “Just had a source follow up on [Giglio’s] report to say Will Wade’s deal with NC State is getting close but not entirely done,” Norlander responded on X. “Nothing has been signed, but, barring anything unexpected over the next couple of days, Wade is expected to be the next coach at NC State.”

Alas, reports began to surface connecting Wade to NC State over the weekend, after the firing of Kevin Keatts. Jeff Goodman of The Field Of 68 relayed the interest of the Wolfpack in the coach, adding their administration met with Wade last week. Now, he’ll be heading to Raleigh for the 2025-26 season and beyond.

The Cowboys leader was transparent, confirming he’s been in contact with the Wolfpack during a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of the McNeese State’s NCAA Tournament Round of 64 clash with Clemson: “I lay it all out there to my players, and my players have laid it all out there to me. We are transparent. We’ve shared it all with each other,” Wade told the media, via FOX’s John Fanta.

The former LSU Tigers coach answered yes to a question regarding whether he’s been in contact with NC State specifically. Evidently, things began to move fast with the Wolfpack, and Wade has his next gig lined up.

Prior to his time with the Cowboys, Wade was the in-charge in Baton Rouge for five seasons, and the VCU Rams for two before that. From a strictly basketball perspective, Wade is a phenomenal replacement for Keatts. However, he comes with his fair share of baggage, as he was suspended and dealt with a myriad of issues with the NCAA over the last decade.

All in all, Wade has been tremendous since taking over McNeese State in 2023. He’s amassed a 49–8 record, while winning both the conference regular season and conference tournament championships in both his seasons with the program. This comes after he went 105–51 over five seasons at LSU, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2019.

As for NC State, it’s been a rollercoaster of a past 365 days. Keatts led the Wolfpack to the Final Four in a shocking run last season, but couldn’t bring that success beyond that. This season, the team finished the season 12-19 overall, and 5-15 in ACC play. They ended their crusade losing three of their last four games.

Keatts finished his time in Raleigh with a record of 151-113, including a 69-84 record against conference opponents. He made three NCAA Tournaments during his time as head coach.

Moving forward, NC State will be Will Wade’s team, and the Wolfpack are hoping to get back to making Final Four runs, like they did last season. The future of the Wolfpack as a whole will be something to keep an eye on, as they’ve found their new leader, even if it’s not official yet.