NC State coach Will Wade introduced, sets tone: 'We’re here to win'

Will Wade walked into Reynolds Coliseum with a wide grin on his face, holding hands with his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Caroline. Clad in a gray suit with a red and white candy striped tie, Wade seemed to take in the moment as those in attendance rose to their feet to greet NC State’s 21st men’s basketball coach. 

It was a moment that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get to experience again after being fired at LSU due to recruiting violations in 2022. A year off from coaching followed by a two-season stint at McNeese — featuring two Southland Conference titles and an NCAA Tournament win — allowed Wade to reinvent himself in the current college basketball landscape. 

He also got a second chance to hold a power conference job. And NC State, who reached out during his postseason run, was the perfect opportunity for Wade to continue his ascent on the national landscape. 

“I’m appreciative of this opportunity,” Wade said in front of 200-300 people at his introductory press conference Tuesday afternoon. “I’d be lying if I told you three years ago that I knew an opportunity like this would come again. I did not. I’m thankful and I want the people in our program to be thankful to be at NC State.”

Wade appears to be a different person than when he was at LSU. He’d be the first to tell you. And it’s what NC State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan noticed during the hiring process. He’s more mature and, quite frankly, has more fun coaching now. 

So as Wade stood in front of the Wolfpack faithful clad in various combinations of red and white, he made his mission clear — he’s at NC State to win. That’s the standard that the Pack has for its program and Wade is more than up for the challenge. 

“Our time is right now,” Wade said confidently. “This is the first time in a while, I think, the fans, the administration and the program were all on one accord. … When that happens at NC State, it’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC. It’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball. It’s coming.”

“I want to be very clear,” Wade added, “this is not a rebuild. We’re going to be in the top part of the ACC next year and we’re going to the NCAA Tournament. … This is going to be done the right way and this is going to be done quickly. We’re here to win.”

Wade has yet to have a losing season in his 11 years as a Division I head coach between his time at Chattanooga, VCU, LSU and McNeese. He holds a career winning percentage of .699 with eight trips to the NCAA Tournament. 

The 42-year-old was exactly what NC State was looking for to help revamp the Wolfpack’s program to the top of the ACC once again. 

“He understands the expectations of the program and he knows what it means to compete in the ACC,” Corrigan said. “NC State men’s basketball has the resources we need for the future. We don’t just want to compete, we want to win. We want to win consistently and we want to win big.”

Consistency was stressed throughout Wade’s press conference and his off podium question and answer. He doesn’t want to be a “flash in the pan.” Instead, he wants to be among the top teams in the country every season. 

“My charge is to build a consistent program and a consistent winner that is not reliant on crazy runs and that sort of thing,” Wade said. “We need to be consistently and reliable in the top four [of the ACC].”

What does a Wade-coached team look like to get to that stage? The program will be built on three pillars, he said: Aggressive, committed and thankful. 

The Wolfpack will be aggressive on both ends of the floor, especially on defense, which Wade called “the staple of what we do.” McNeese was the 15th-most efficient defense by Bart Torvik in the nation this past season. 

While aggression will be there, Wade wants people who genuinely want to be a part of what he is building. He truly believes that, if maximized the right way, NC State can compete with any program in the country. It doesn’t matter who lines up across from the Pack, Wade is confident he can build a consistent winner that is competing in the NCAA tournament every year with 100 percent buy-in from his players and staff. 

Finally, thankfulness is a given in Wade’s program. He has a second chance to lead a storied program and he isn’t going to take that for granted. His players and staff won’t either. 

As Wade approaches the next month, which will be focused on building his staff and roster before generating a competitive schedule for the future, he will be looking to build an elite culture. One that breeds winning every single day, whether its on the Dail Basketball Center practice floor or inside the Lenovo Center. 

“When we’re all working together, we’re going to be a force,” Wade said. “We’re going to talk like a top team, we’re going to act like a top team, and most importantly, we’re going to win like a top team. That’s what we’re here to do.”

By the time the season rolls around on Nov. 3, Wade wants his passion and desire to win to appear in the Wolfpack’s home arena just off Wade Avenue. He’s expecting a raucous environment with all 19,500 seats filled with NC State fans. 

“We need to send a message,” Wade said with a matter-of-fact tone. “We need to let the state, the ACC and the nation know the Pack is back, and we’re not to be messed with.”