Is McNeese coach leaving for the NC State? A look at Will Wade’s future plans

McNeese coach Will Wade has been the man of the hour of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This is following the 12th-seeded Cowboys' 69-67 stunner victory over No. 5-seed Clemson in the Midwest Regionals on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.

The win helped the Southland Conference regular season and tournament champions make the second round of March Madness for the first time in program history. The victory also gives them a chance to make the Sweet 16, but the Cowboys have to get past No. 4 seed Purdue in the second round on Saturday.

The two-point stunner over Clemson also extended Wade's coaching career with McNeese, as he is reportedly leaving the Cowboys to handle NC State next season.

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Is Will Wade leaving McNeese?

In a media availability session before the Cowboys' game against Clemson, Will Wade admitted talking with NC State about the vacancy. This came after former coach Kevin Keatts was fired after finishing the 2024-25 college basketball season at 12-19 (5-15 in the ACC).

He also directly addressed the situation with his players, who have read the initial reports on social media, which could affect his team's game against his alma mater, Clemson.

After the game, reports surfaced that the Nashville, Tennessee native has agreed to coach the Wolfpack next season although the contract is yet to be finalized.

Wade has piloted McNeese to the top of the Southland Conference in two seasons. He took advantage of the program's financial commitment to contend in basketball by recruiting quality transfers, who helped him go 50-8 (36-2 in Southland) during his tenure with the Cowboys.

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Will Wade coaching history and record

Will Wade initially served as a graduate assistant for Clemson where he stayed from 2005-2007. After his service with the Tigers, he was hired as an assistant coach for Harvard and had a two-year stint before transferring to VCU in 2009.

He worked as an assistant for the Rams for four seasons and finally gained his first crack as head coach in Chattanooga in 2013. Wade guided the Mocs to two winning seasons, with a combined 40-25 record.

In 2015, Wade was hired by VCU and he coached the Rams to the Atlantic-10 regular season championship in the 2015-16 season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, making the second round.

VCU also qualified in the 2017 March Madness after a 26-9 season, but it failed to make it past the first round. Wade finished his stint at VCU with a 51-20 record.

Wade was hired by LSU in 2017 and had a five-season tenure with the Tigers. He helped Louisiana State enter the NCAA Tournament three times, including a Sweet 16 finish in 2019. He was 105-61 in LSU.

McNeese signed Will Wade as coach on March 12, 2023, replacing John Aiken. However, he was suspended in the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season for his recruiting and bribery violations at LSU.

As a coach, Wade has a 244-104 record and an all-time winning percentage of .701 in 11 seasons with four teams.

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Potential replacements for Will Wade

#1. Bill Armstrong

College basketball insider and Field of 68 host Jeff Goodman posted on X that McNeese might target Baylor assistant Bill Armstrong as a replacement for Will Wade following his impending departure to NC State.

Armstrong had ties with Wade as he used to work at LSU before Wade transferred to McNeese. He also coached a Tre Johnson-led Link Academy to a national championship in 2023 (per On3).

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#2. Kevin Keatts

His removal from NC State might lead him to McNeese next season. Keatts has NCAA Tournament experience guiding UNC Wilmington and NC State to five separate stints, including the 2024 March Madness where he led the Wolfpack to a Final Four ticket.

He was fired after the 2025 season where a dismal ACC stint put them in 16th place.

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#3. Ben McCollum

Four-time Division II national champion Ben McCollum has continued his magical run to Division I, helping No. 11-seed Drake beat higher-ranked Missouri in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. McCollum and the Bulldogs will be back on Saturday as they take on No. 3-seed Texas Tech.

McCollum has a combined record of 426-94, including 31-3 in Drake. It shows in his record that he's a winner and he likes pressure-packed situations, so Ben McCollum could be fit for McNeese's vacancy.