NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade forcefully addresses swirling LSU Tigers rumors, firmly stating his commitment to NC State.
With the LSU Tigers' Men's Basketball Program in a bad place, finishing dead-last in the SEC and being the first team taken out of the conference tournament, fans are hoping for a change.
Not just a change, though, for many. A large contingent of the fan base is banking on the fact that the school might go back to former head coach Will Wade after a few years of separation from the controversy that started them on their current path.
There were growing rumors that the Tigers would make a push to bring back their former coach if they move on from Matt McMahon. Wade, currently the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack and preparing for an NCAA Tournament run, shut down those rumors in a recent press conference.
When asked about whether or not anyone from LSU had reached out to him, Wade said this in response:
"No, is that job open there? Huh? No. So why would I - Listen, let me be very clear. I'm excited at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn't going to take one year. I've already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes we need to make, and some of the things we need to do to put this program where it deserves to be long-term. So I'm not on social media. I'm not into gossip. I'm not into any of that sort of stuff. But look, we're going to win. And we're going to win big at NC State. And that's what we're going to do moving forward."
While there have been coaches who have denied coaching rumors only to then take the job in the end, this at least doesn't sound like that scenario. At this point, Wade at least shouldn't be viewed as a likely option until something major changes.
There is also the point that he is correct about, in that the job isn't currently open. McMahon is still the head coach of the team, and it is not a done deal that they will move on from him this offseason. The Tigers will be sure that they can secure a better option before they fire him. Wade would have been one of those names.