I can’t believe I’m typing these words: Will Wade is (almost officially) returning to LSU.
While a deal has not yet been signed (and…you know Matt McMahon still works here) all signs point toward Wade, aka The General, The Pear, The American Gangster returning to Baton Rouge.
While there had been smoke about Wade possibly leaving NC State for LSU, the fire really started yesterday when it was reported that McNeese State athletic director Heath Schroyer was being hired by LSU as a senior administrator.
Schroyer, along with current LSU president Wade Rousse, worked with Wade when he was coaching McNeese during the ‘23-’24 and ‘24-’25 seasons.
There are still some i’s that need to be dotted and t’s that need to be crossed before Wade officially returns. For one, he is still employed by NC State and there is a $5 million buyout owed to the university if he leaves for another job; that number is lowered to $3 million on April 1. Maybe everyone holds firm until then, or maybe LSU and NC State reach a settlement.
The other holdup is Matt McMahon and what will it cost to buy him and his staff out. McMahon is still under contract for three more seasons, and the cost to buyout both him and his staff would be about $11 million dollars.
While that’s a steep price to pay, especially since LSU is cutting big checks to Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin, LSU may not have been able to afford running it back with McMahon for a fifth season.
Since taking over LSU, the Tigers have fallen toward the absolute bottom of the SEC. McMahon is 60-70 overall with a paltry 17-55 SEC record. Under McMahon, LSU has finished last in the SEC twice, second to last once, and went 9-9 in his second season.
But more so than that, the program has been completely apathetic. The PMAC is a ghost town compared to women’s basketball games and gym meets and the past four seasons have kind of followed the same pattern: LSU beats up on a bunch of nobodies in the non-conference, then SEC play starts and the Tigers get their teeth kicked in. This season was supposed to be different, and while there were injuries to Jalen Reed and Dedan Thomas, LSU still ended up finishing in last place.
Will Wade’s won everywhere he’s been and, more importantly, he’s the only one who has consistently won here since Dale Brown. Under Wade LSU made three NCAA Tournaments (and it would have been four had the 2020 Tournament not been cancelled), won the SEC in 2019 and also made the Sweet 16 that same season.
At McNeese, Wade won the Southland in back-to-back seasons, and got to the NCAA Tournament this season in Raleigh. The Wolfpack went 20-14 this season, but stumbled toward the end losing eight of its last 10 including a loss to Texas in the First Four.
But I’m not expecting nor do I need Will Wade to turn into John Wooden. What I need is a relevant, competitive basketball program that is playing meaningful games in March. If it was so easy to do that here, how come nobody else has been able to do it?
Kim Mulkey’s Tigers have been top-five in attendance since she got here. Gymnastics constantly puts 13,000 into the PMAC. The people will come fill up the PMAC and make it The Deaf Dome if there’s a reason to be excited, and for the first time since he left we have a reason to care about men’s basketball.
Boot Up, y’all.
