Few college basketball coaches have a track record of rebuilding programs like Will Wade. The new NC State men’s basketball head coach has successfully resurrected three programs in three tries — and now he’ll look to do the same in Raleigh. Additionally, Wade has proven the ability to maintain winning, successfully building on Shaka Smart’s success at VCU during Wade’s stint with the Rams.
After taking the head coaching job at McNeese State in 2023, Wade confidently promised to take the Cowboys from 23 losses to 23 plus wins in his opening press conference.
That quick of a turnaround doesn’t typically happen in college basketball — except it did for Wade and McNeese State. Yet somehow, Wade’s prediction undersold how much success he’d have in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Cowboys posted a 30-4 record, improving their win margin by an NCAA record 19 games. As a cherry on top, Wade led the Cowboys to the Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in year one.
This season, Wade once again dominated the Southland Conference and earned a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. If that wasn’t enough though, Wade continued to make history by winning the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game over Clemson in a 69-67 finish. In just two years, Wade has guided McNeese to a 58-10 record that includes the Cowboys’ two winningest seasons.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more impressive turnaround, but that’s just the latest program Wade has rebuilt.
The most comparable job to NC State that Wade has held was a five-year stint at LSU. Wade took over a 10-21 Tiger squad with a struggling defense and flipped the script in just one year. Improving LSU by eight wins and allowing nearly nine points per game less than the previous season, Wade quickly turned the Tigers into a respectable program. LSU took another leap under Wade in year two, when the Tigers won the SEC regular season title, made it to the Sweet 16 and earned 28 wins — second most in program history.
Building a monster at LSU, a school where football always takes precedence over basketball, is no small feat. LSU remained a powerhouse under Wade until NCAA recruiting violations cut his tenure short in Baton Rouge. With NIL and soon revenue sharing at coaches’ disposal to compensate players, there should be little worry over why Wade was fired from LSU.
Wade now walks into a challenging rebuild, however the potential to build another winner is immense. NC State went an abysmal 12-19 last season, missing the ACC Tournament. Additionally, given the program’s recent Final Four appearance and ACC Championships, expectations are high — as they should be. The good news for NC State is that Wade has never been one to back down from a challenge.
Wade historically is a coach who wins immediately when he arrives. Without a single losing season in his career, there’s no multi-year rebuilding process with Wade. Instead, the expectation is to win from the jump. With the transfer portal, there’s never been a better opportunity to flip a program in year one.
The question with Will Wade shouldn’t be how fast can he flip NC State into a winning program. Instead, the question is just how far will he take the red-and-white. Wade has a combined six regular season and conference titles. The Pack has multiple national championships, albeit in a different era. With proper financial support, Wade’s Wolfpack has a sky-high ceiling.
