Will Wade is the talk of college basketball. The McNeese head coach is reportedly heading to NC State after the Cowboy’s season comes to an end. However, that flight to Raleigh will have to wait at least a few days after Wade led a first-round upset of his alma mater, fifth-seeded Clemson, on Thursday afternoon. After the win, Wade took the moment to fan the flames of another prominent coaching search.
Will Wade postgame: “Villanova’s trying to buy a coach out who’s in the NCAA Tournament right now!”
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 20, 2025
Wade has handled the rumors of his departure with nearly unprecedented honesty. Earlier in the week he admitted that he was in talks with NC State before the reports surfaced that he’s expected to take the job. Yet, it hasn’t derailed the Southland champion’s season.
Despite speculation that he and his team may be looking to the future, Wade’s team was certainly motivated on Thursday. Then, in what appears to be an attempt to show reporters that he’s not hte only coach in the field of 68 with one – or both feet – out the door, Wade sparked rumors about Villanova’s next head man.
Miami, NC State, Indiana, and Villanova have been the three biggest job openings so far in this coaching carousel. The Hurricanes landed Jai Lucas off Jon Scheyer’s staff at Duke, Wade is the answer in Raleigh, and the Hoosiers settled on Darian DeVries after his West Virginia Mountaineers were left out of the NCAA Tournament field, but Villanova hasn’t found its replacement for Kyle Neptune. According to Wade, their top priority is still coaching.
One coach rumored to the Wildcats is VCU’s Ryan Odom, but he was eliminated by BYU shortly after McNeese’s upset win, and could be heading to Virginia. Other names rumored to be heading to the Main Line in Philadelphia that are still in the tournament are Maryland’s Kevin Willard, UCLA’s Mick Cronin, New Mexico’s Richard Pitino, and Northwestern’s Chris Collins. Northwestern is not in the field, so if Wade is to be believed, Collin’s name can be eliminated from the search.
Not every head coach is as forthcoming as Wade, so as the Terrapins, Bruins, and Lobos exit the tournament, we’ll likely learn which coach Wade was referring to.