The worst-kept secret in college basketball is finally a reality: Will Wade is heading back to LSU.
NC State’s now-former coach leaves Raleigh for Baton Rouge in one of the messiest ways possible. Wade didn’t even wait for LSU to fire Matt McMahon before openly flirting with his former employer. Now that he’s agreed to take over, the Tigers have fired McMahon, leaving State without a coach.
Wade has made his decision, leaving the Wolfpack understandably frustrated. But the exit underscores a key point: State could come out of this better off.
This move also puts Wade all in. He has burned every bridge only to return to the school that once fired him. If things go poorly in act two, there may not be another opportunity waiting.
Now State can find the right coach through a restarted search. And this time, the Wolfpack are better equipped. Here’s why.
Coming From a Position of Strength
The Wolfpack have shown they’re willing to spend. That matters in today’s college basketball landscape, and it’s even more important at NC State.
This is one of the most unique jobs in the sport. Several schools have one major rival nearby, but few have two within a 30-mile radius, both of them blue bloods. Taking this position means dealing with Duke and North Carolina day in and day out.
It also means meeting the expectations of the fan base. NC State expects a lot because it once saw plenty of success under Norm Sloan and Jim Valvano. Those days are well in the past, but this is still a place that can win consistently with the right coach and the right resources.
The Wolfpack backing that up financially makes a real difference. It shows the support is there to make competing with Duke and North Carolina a more even fight.
The Wolfpack Can Get a Coach Who Wants to Stay
To build in Raleigh, a coach has to want to be there. That’s the nature of the job. At Duke and North Carolina, coaches typically only leave when they’re pushed out. When your rivals have that kind of stability, the only way to compete is to match it.
One option is Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey. He played point guard at NC State in the late 1990s and is ready to take over if given the opportunity. If he succeeds, he could be in Raleigh for the next 20 years.
The same applies to Josh Schertz. He’s young enough to be a long-term fit and has already shown he can build a winner at Saint Louis and Indiana State.
Wade, by contrast, was always looking elsewhere. State may have been caught off guard, but that’s who he is and why it was never an ideal fit. Still, for all his faults, he did stabilize the program, and that gives NC State a chance to find a true long-term solution.
NC State Offers Opportunity
The ACC has been down in recent seasons. This is not the same league that used to chew up and spit out coaches in four or five years. There are more winnable games now. Even Kevin Keatts, for all the criticism he faced, finished .500 or better in conference play five times in eight years.
Yes, taking this role means competing with Duke and UNC. But there are 15 other conference games, and NC State can have the upper hand in many of them. Once a new coach settles in, reaching the tournament annually becomes a reasonable expectation.
That kind of setup appeals to successful mid-major coaches. At Cincinnati, Jerrod Calhoun made a similar point when explaining his move. He recognized that thriving at Utah State was difficult given the Aggies’ league, while Cincinnati offered a clearer path to 20 to 25 wins and strong tournament positioning.
NC State fits that mold. In most years, the Wolfpack should be able to finish in the top third of the ACC with the right leader in place. That’s an attractive situation for a wide range of candidates.
Wade’s Baggage is Now LSU’s Problem
Wade carried a recent show-cause order tied to a recruiting scandal. He has already been fired for cause once, and for all his regular-season success, he is just 5-8 in the NCAA tournament. NC State can find coaches who match that level of performance without the baggage that comes with him.
The reality is Wade has yet to prove he’s worth everything that follows him. He may have been worth the risk if he had stayed, but that door is now closed. The Wolfpack can move forward with a coach who doesn’t bring those off-court concerns.
And if they find someone who wins the right way, they won’t miss Wade at all.
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