Indiana Basketball Coaching Search Profile: Will Wade – Inside the Hall

Mike Woodson steps down as IU basketball trainer after the 2024-25 season. Athletic Director Scott Dolson is currently searching for the program’s 31. Head coach.

Inside the hall, many of the candidates will be examined for the job in the coming days and weeks. Our 11 profile looks at McNeese State Coach Wade.

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McNeese State’s Will Wade is possibly the biggest wild map for potential main coach candidates this cycle.

From a purely winning perspective, Wade has succeeded at all four stops during his young career. The 42-year-old boasts a total record of 241-104 between his time at Chattanooga, VCU, LSU and McNeese.

He appeared in six NCAA tournaments for 10 seasons with coaching. Wade was probably on his way to a high profile job before being fired from LSU in March 2022-like before the NCAA tournament-on due to a number of recruitment violations. He was temporarily suspended in 2019 when the reports appeared on him who participated in conversations to pay recruits illegally.

Further accusations date back to 2017, Wade’s first season in Baton Rouge. ESPN reported in August 2020 that Wade had been involved in “unacceptable payments” for up to 11 recruits, including their family members and closely related persons. Wade remained at LSU when a study continued, but the school quickly took action after receiving a message of accusations on March 8, 2022.

In addition to the recruitment violations, Wade was accused of failing to cooperate with NCAA’s investigation. He was fired four days later, less than a week before Tigers squared against Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Wade took the McNeese job exactly a year after he was fired, but NCAA punished him several times before his first season. In addition to a 10-game-pension, Wade had a two-year show year to limit recruitment visits and related activities.

Still guided Wade Cowboys to their first NCAA tournament of 22 years last season. McNeese went 22-2 and won both Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles. Wade was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year.

A native in Nashville, Tennessee, Wade was a student manager at Clemson. Then he served as a candidate assistant and director of basketball operations for two seasons before accepting a job at Harvard in a recruitment role.

After two years, Wade moved to VCU in 2009 to act as an assistant under Shaka Smart. Over the four years, the RAMS NCAA tournament made three consecutive seasons, including one last four performance in 2011.

In 2013, Wade took his first main coach job at Chattanooga. He ended up in second place at the southern conference twice and was named 2014 Socon Coach of the Year. Wade quickly rose through the rows and returned to VCU when the main coach once left Smart left for Texas in 2015.

Rams finished tied to first in Atlantic 10 in Wade’s first season and went on to the second round of the NCAA tournament. They placed number two at the conference the following season and were a first round of March. But after gathering a 51-20 record and 28-8 brand in conference games in two years, Wade-so became only 34 years old-an attractive candidate with high major.

He was named LSUS 22. Head coach in 2017, and Tigers won the SEC title in regular season in just his second season. LSU went on to Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2006 as a No. 3 seed and eventually fell to Michigan State.

The Tigers finished in second place at the conference the following year, although postal seasons were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wade guided LSU for tournament performance in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, but did not pass 32 rounds.

Now Wade is probably on its way to coaching back to a big role. McNeese, 25-6 and 19-1 in the Southland conference, locked another consecutive regular seasonal title and appears to be due to another NCAA tournament appearance. Cowboys Check in at No. 59 in Kenpom, which ranks 62. In adjusted offensive efficiency and 67. In adjusted defensive efficiency.

Indiana is unlikely to have a significant interest in Wade, and he may need another year at McNeese before programs feel comfortable with overlooking his violations at LSU. IU may be particularly nauseated by Wade’s earlier because of the similarities to Kelvin Sampson, who retired in 2008 and received a penalty on the show reason due to recruiting violations originating from a number of unacceptable phone calls.

Wade’s show reason runs through June 21, 2025, and although he is able to turn programs around and coach at a high level, Indiana is likely to choose a more secure candidate.

(Photo Credit: McNeese State Athletics)

Category: Coaching Search

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