This has been an extraordinarily busy offseason in the ACC. It’s not just that the transfer portal has been in full swing, but five different ACC programs made head coaching changes in recent months. This is a conference that featured a handful of current or future Hall of Famers, but much of that revered talent is now gone from the league. However, we may have seen part of that next wave coming into action.
While we could talk about the potential with new hires at Florida State or Miami, wax poetic on Buzz Williams, or laud the Cavaliers’ move, the best hire made in this conference certainly came in Raleigh. While some would consider it a controversial hire just a few years after an FBI investigation, Will Wade comes to NC State already owning quite a pedigree.
Wade actually began his collegiate career in the ACC as a student manager and graduate assistant at Clemson some twenty-plus years ago. His quick rise through the coaching ranks included a stint at VCU during the Ram’s miracle run to the Final Four in 2011. Two years later his head coaching career began with successful stints at Chattanooga and back at VCU before things went topsy-turvy down at LSU.
We won’t spend too long talking about the recruiting violations at LSU because things are different nowadays. Wade’s moves and other antics cost him his shot in the SEC, but he may have found a better home in Raleigh. He spent the last two seasons building McNeese State from a forgettable mid-major to an absolute power, winning 58 games and scoring an upset win in this season’s NCAA Tournament.
After knocking off his alma mater in the Big Dance, Wade moves back to the ACC and takes over an NC State program in its own interesting position. The Wolfpack made their own miracle run to the Final Four just last year but this past season was horrific. Kevin Keatts was shown the door after the team struggled from beginning to end and the keys are in Wade’s hands.
His hard work is already showing up in the transfer portal, with the Wolfpack landing elite talent like Tre Holloman and Darrion Williams with the hopes that this team can compete in the ACC from the jump. With the way this sport is structured that’s certainly possible, especially with the ACC’s struggles last year. However there’s nearly half a dozen new eras starting in this league and it’ll be interesting to see if Wade truly was the best hire down the line.