Former LSU basketball coach Will Wade was officially named McNeese State’s head coach Sunday morning.
The announcement from McNeese athletic director Heath Schroyer had been expected for days, but the timing was significant as it came one year to the day — and almost to the exact hour — that Wade was fired by LSU officials.
Wade, 40, will be formally introduced in a noon Monday news conference in the Legacy Center, McNeese’s on-campus basketball arena.
Wade coached LSU for five seasons before he was fired after his team was eliminated in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
His dismissal came on March 12, 2022, just minutes after the Tigers returned to Baton Rouge on a chartered flight from Tampa, Florida.
In an on-campus meeting with Tate and A.D. Scott Woodward, Wade and assistant coach Bill Armstrong were immediately fired after school officials received a notice of allegations from the NCAA’s Complex Case Unit of the Independent Accountability Resolution Panel.
The NOA spelled out 11 violations against the LSU football and men’s basketball programs — seven of which were linked to basketball recruiting.
Six of the violations lodged were identified as Level I — the most severe in the NCAA’s eyes.
LSU suspended Wade at the end of the 2019 regular season after the coach declined to meet with school and NCAA officials over alleged recruiting improprieties.
More than a month later, LSU reinstated Wade, who agreed to an amended contract that allowed LSU to fire him if the school received an NOA with Level I or II charges.
Wade replaces John Aiken, who was fired Wednesday after two seasons as McNeese’s head coach.
Aiken had a 22-45 overall record after succeeding Schroyer as head coach. The Cowboys finished 11-23 this season after being ousted in the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament Tuesday night.
McNeese’s new coach reportedly agreed to a five-year deal.
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