Skip to main content
Join Now

Will Wade breaks silence on NC State rumors, reveals telling message he told McNeese players

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•about 23 hours•

griffin_mcveigh

Will Wade
Nov 11, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade gives instructions to his players from the bench during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images

NC State has yet to make the hire official but all signs point to Will Wade ending up in Raleigh for the 2024-2025 season. Wade will be alive in the NCAA Tournament for at least two more days after McNeese took down Clemson Thursday afternoon. Purdue is now on the other side waiting, as is NC State to get their next head coach.

Wade has yet to directly speak on taking the job but was quite candid postgame about the situation. He revealed his to the McNeese players about the situation beforehand. Their own future could be improved too with a nice showing vs. Clemson, eventually coming through in a big way.

“We talked about it,” Wade said via The Field of 68. “We were in practice when all of that happened. And you guys know — you interview for a job and then your attorneys deal with their attorneys. It’s not like I’m talking to people… I sat down and talked to the team. We’re honest.

“Shoot, half the kids I recruit — ‘The goal is to go Power Five after this year and some of you guys can go with me.’ We all know what’s up and for our guys, this is great for them. They’re going to have a lot of schools in their DMs tonight, looking to pick them up, pay them.”

Thursday was just the fourth-ever NCAA Tournament game for McNeese. History was made with the victory, finally advancing to the second round. Many outsiders wondered if the NC State rumors would affect their play in one of the biggest moments in program history.

Wade made sure his team was prepared heading into the game, though. Last season was almost too big of a scene for them. This go-round, McNeese did not let anything get in their way.

“Our guys were focused,” Wade said. “We had a good week of practice, good week of preparation. We were shellshocked last year when we got to play Gonzaga, we were just shellshocked. We knew we weren’t going to be that way this year and I knew we were going to play well. I didn’t realize we’d play that well defensively.”

Another opportunity awaits not just Wade but his players too on Saturday. Purdue is another power conference opponent, a level of competition they hope to be playing next season. Wade knows another great performance only opens more doors and makes next season more lucrative for all involved.