After a controversial five-year tenure at LSU that ended amidst years of NCAA investigation for illegal payments to players, Will Wade found his way to McNeese State for some career rehab. Now, with two successful seasons, two Southland Conference titles, and two NCAA Tournament appearances, Wade is a hot name for Power Conference openings. He’s entering March Madness with an eye to his future, but the first round of the big dance will give him a blast from the past.
Wade began his coaching career back in 2002 when he became a student manager at Clemson, first under Larry Shyatt, then for Oliver Purnell. Wade then spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Clemson, before departing Purnell’s staff to join Harvard as an assistant coach in 2007. A few years later, Clemson moved on from Purnell and replaced him with Brad Brownell, who has been at the school since.
Now, Wade will face Brownell and his alma mater in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after drawing a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region. It will be the first time that Wade coaches against his alma mater as a head coach, something that could become a common occurrence if recent rumors are true.
Wade has reportedly emerged as the top candidate at North Carolina State. Just a season removed from a run to the Final Four, the Wolfpack fired head coach Kevin Keatts after missing the ACC Tournament with a 12-19 overall record. Keatts saved his job with an unlikely ACC Tournament run last March and rode that momentum through March Madness, but the program appears to be zeroing in on Wade and his stellar record as a recruiter and fundraiser.
Before Wade potentially ends up in the same conference where he began as a student manager two decades ago, he’ll look to take out the Tigers in a 12-over-5 upset in Providence, Rhode Island on Thursday. The Cowboys finished No. 59 in Kenpom, with a 27-6 overall record and despite winning three fewer games than a season ago, that was an eight-spot improvement. Wade and McNeese State were bounced in the first round last season, and this time around he’ll look to delay his seemingly inevitable departure.
To add another element to the drama of this first-round matchup, if Wade ousted Brownell and the Tigers, the longtime Clemson head coach could be heading to Indiana after emerging as a possible replacement for Mike Woodson, who has announced that he is stepping down. If Brownell leaves before Wade heads to NC State, he could change gears and find his way to his alma mater.