Will Wade confirms he has had discussions with NC State about coaching job

Will Wade has been connected to the NC State head coach vacancy over the past week. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire — the McNeese State leader confirmed he’s been in contact with the Wolfpack during a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of the Cowboys’ 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 leader answered yes to a question regarding whether he’s been in contact with NC State specifically, as well.

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, adding their administration met with Wade last week. 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 would be 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.

Whether it’s Will Wade remains to be seen, but NC State is hoping to get back to making Final Four runs, like they did last season. Kevin Keatts will likely land on his feet, but the future of the Wolfpack as a whole will be something to keep an eye on. 

— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.