The McNeese Cowboys are a men's basketball program representing McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They have qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament thrice in 1989, 2002, and 2024. In 2024, under head coach Will Wade, the team earned 19 wins from the previous season and went on to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over two decades with a 30-4 record.
McNeese Cowboys Basketball Head Coach 2024-2025
Will Wade is the head coach of the McNeese Cowboys for the 2024–2025 season. Wade guided his team to a 30-4 record in his first season in 2023-2024 and was honored with Southland Conference Coach of the Year and Louisiana Coach of the Year. He was also awarded the NABC District 23 Coach of the Year award.
Will Wade Physical Attributes
| Age | 48 years old (November 26, 1982) |
Will Wade Age
As of January 2025, Will Wade is 48 years old and was born on November 26, 1982.
McNeese Cowboys basketball Head Coach year by year
Here is the list of McNeese Cowboys men's basketball team head coaches year by year:
| Name | Tenure | Record |
| Ralph O. Ward | 1952-1971 | 282-194 |
| Wayne Cusic | 1945-1952 | 124-58 |
| Bill Reigel | 1971-1974 | 55-20 |
| E. W. Foy | 1974-1977 | 52-26 |
| Glenn Duhon | 1977-1987 | 155-136 |
| Steve Welch | 1987-1994 | 75-122 |
| Ron Everhart | 1994-2001 | 92-104 |
| Tic Price | 2001-2006 | 74-68 |
| Dave Simmons | 2006-2018 | 155-211 |
| Heath Schroyer | 2018-2021 | 34-53 |
| John Aiken | 2021-2023 | 22-45 |
| Vernon Hamilton | 2023 | 5-0 |
| Brandon Chambers | 2023 | 3-2 |
| Will Wade | 2023-Present | 22-2 |
McNeese Cowboys Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff 2024-2025
Here is the list of all the coaching staff of the McNeese Cowboys men's basketball team for the 2024-2025 season:
| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Will Wade |
| Assistant Coach | Brandon Chambers |
| Assistant Coach | Vernon Hamilton |
| Assistant Coach | Shawn Forrest |
| Director of Basketball Operations | Nick Flory |
| Special Assistant to the Head Coach | Reed Vial |
| Video & Analytics Coordinator | Brady Jones |
| MBB Strength & Conditioning | Steven Soltysiak |
| Associate Athletic Trainer (Men's Basketball) | DeVante Frazier |
| Graduate Assistant | Joseph Anderson |
| Graduate Assistant | Isaac Stansbury |
| Manager | Landry Donham |
| Manager | Mitchell Eder |
| Manager | Jake Forbes |
| Manager | Amir Khan |
| Manager | Jordan Romero |
Assistant Coach
Brandon Chambers, Vernon Hamilton and Shawn Forrest are appointed as the assistant coaches of the McNeese Cowboys men's basketball team as of January 2025.
Brandon Chambers was an assistant coach at LSU under Will Wade during the 2021-22 season and joined Wade after spending the 2023 season at Texas Southern. Vernon Hamilton joined the Cowboys staff in 2023 and Shawn Forrest also joined Wade in 2023.
McNeese Cowboys Men’s Basketball Support Staff 2024-2025
| Name | Position |
| Matthew Bonnette | Senior Associate AD for Communications and Digital Media (Football, Men's Basketball) |
| Ryan Carlson | Assistant Director of Student Athlete Services (MBB, WBB, Cross Country, T&F) |
| Tara Grindol | Administrative Assistant - Men's and Women's Basketball, Track and Field |
| Bridget Martin | Deputy AD - SWA - Sport Administrator for Men's and Women's Basketball, Indoor Volleyball, Softball |
FAQs on McNeese Cowboys
A. The McNeese are called Cowboys.
A. The McNeese Cowboys first competed in 1952.
A. The McNeese Cowboys made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
A. McNeese Cowboys head coach is Will Wade.
