Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers will play the Duke Blue Devils tomorrow in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Tigers are coming off back-to-back blowout wins in the first and second rounds of the tournament.
Understandably, Mulkey’s entire focus is on getting her team ready for the game tomorrow. But there are some obligations that coaches and players have to fulfill, and interacting with the media before games is one of them.
Recently, Mulkey was asked a question that had nothing to do with her, her team, or their run this season. She was asked about Will Wade’s return to the LSU Tigers men’s basketball team as their new head coach.
Wade previously coached the Tigers from 2017 to 2022. His tenure became highly controversial in 2019 due to alleged recruiting violations. He was fired in 2022 following an NCAA investigation into severe recruiting violations, highlighted by an FBI wiretap recording.
When Mulkey was asked for her thoughts on Wade making a return to LSU, she said:
“I’m just gonna focus on my team.”
Mulkey kept her answer short and blunt and quickly moved on to the next question at the press conference.
The Will Wade scandal, where he had discussed making a “strong-a*s offer” to a recruit, also included allegations of cash payments to players. Following five Level I violations, the Tigers parted ways with the head coach.
Wade’s return has now sparked conversations and has brought back the reason why he was fired to the forefront.
Will Wade’s Statement After Leaving NC State
After being fired by LSU in 2022, Wade joined the McNeese Cowboys program in 2023 and had a two-year run. In 2025, he joined the NC State Wolfpack as their head coach. He went 20-14 overall and 10-8 in the conference in his only season with the Wolfpack.
Now that he’s coming back to LSU, Wade released a statement for NC State and thanked the program for trusting him.
“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank North Carolina State University, Athletic Director Boo Corrigan, and the entire administration for the opportunity to be part of something special. From day one, everything that was promised to me and my staff was delivered-and then some.”
“From the operational support, to the quality of people in the building, to the resources and facilities-we were given every tool needed to compete at the highest level. That kind of commitment is rare, and it speaks volumes about the leadership and vision here at NC State,” he wrote.
Wade said that even though he’s moving on, he’ll always be grateful for the time he spent with NC State and will continue to root for their success.
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