Following McNeese State’s loss in the second round of the 2025 March Madness tournament, Will Wade officially was hired as the new head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Wade led McNeese to their first March Madness in history and pulled off a first-round upset against No. 5 ranked Clemson.
Unfortunately, lightning wouldn’t strike twice as Wade and No. 12 ranked McNeese State fell to No. 4 ranked Purdue in the second round. This was the start of Wade’s next chapter in his life, and he was officially hired as the next head coach of NC State. Wade held his introductory press conference today.
Will Wade Reveals His Vision for NC State Basketball
“Our time is now,” Wade said. “When that happens at NC State, it’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC. It’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball. We’re going to be in the top of the ACC and be in the NCAA Tournament next year. We’re going to be very aggressive.”
NC State went all the way to the Final Four last year but wasn’t able to get past No. 1 ranked Purdue, as the Cinderella-like run came to an end. NC State was led by one of their big men, D.J. Burns Jr. and D.J. Horne. Wade hopes to replicate this and then some as he becomes NC State’s next head coach.
The Will Wade era is here 🔥
(📸 @PackMensBball) pic.twitter.com/h87OWFnJMA
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 25, 2025
“We have to maximize what we have, Wade said. “I want Lenovo Center packed for the home opener. I want the nation to know the Pack is back. We’re going to be a force. We’re going to talk like a top team. We’re going to act like a top team. We’re going to win like a top team. We’re going to build a consistent winner.”
“There’s no doubt that we’re going to be able to compete nationally in NIL… We’re going to be competitive nationally with our NIL package and our revenue sharing. When you have the most, sometimes you buy lemons. We’re going to efficiently use the resources we have.
“The ACC is one of the premier basketball conferences in the country. We’ve got to hold up our end of the bargain. For ACC basketball to be good, NC State basketball has to be good. … I know we’ve got some bully neighbors, but we’re not worried about them. We want them to turn around and be chasing us.”
Wade and NC State fans are very excited about the future of their basketball team. It remains to be seen what the team will look like in 2025-26, as the Wolfpack lost seven players this year, not including those who will choose to enter the transfer portal.
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Despite the players on the team, Wade has a vision he hopes to implement for NC State. If it comes true, NC State will be back in the Final Four soon.
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