Head coach Will Wade was fired by the LSU Tigers in March 2022, marking the end of one of the most controversial tenures as a head coach in college basketball history. Unlike general firing, it was not because of wins or losses that he got fired; his reason was different and illegal.
Before his firing, a whole controversy happened involving recruiting violations and FBI wiretaps.
Inside the Controversy That Ended Coach Will Wade’s Tenure at LSU
The controversy dates back to 2017-2019 when the FBI was looking into the recruiting violations in college basketball.
Through a wiretap, the authorities found that Wade offered money to recruit, which at the time was not permissible per NCAA rules. Wade was heard saying to recruit that it was a “strong-a**” offer and added:
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m fucking tired of dealing with the thing. Like I’m just fucking sick of dealing with the shit. Like, this should not be that fucking complicated.”
The next day, the FBI revealed the wiretap, leading to the Tigers suspending Wade in 2019. However, he was reinstated after denying wrongdoing upon meeting with school officials. Moreover, in terms of lifting suspension, Wade had to forfeit $250,000.00 in bonuses, allow being fired for cause in case of Level I or Level II NCAA violation. That’s exactly what happened three years later and we’ll get there.
The NCAA continued its investigation into Wade. Meanwhile, the head coach led the program to the championship game of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Finally, after the NCAA accused Wade of multiple Level I violations, including impermissible payments and recruiting misconduct, the head coach was terminated on March 12, 2022.
LSU received formal notice from the NCAA regarding the allegations and within days, they fired Wade “for cause,” in line with amendments made to his contract in 2019.
The following year, Wade once again became a head coach after McNeese State University chose to hire the controversial coach in March 2023. However, he was suspended for the first ten games, given his two-year show-cause penalty for his recruiting and bribery violations at LSU.
Just last year, he left McNeese State to sign a six-year contract with NC State University, replacing Kevin Keatts as head coach.
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