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Will Wade details 'very difficult' decision to leave NC State for LSU after 1 season

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz05/05/26NickSchultz_7

After taking NC State to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, Will Wade is now back at LSU. He returned to Baton Rouge in late March to replace Matt McMahon, leaving the Wolfpack after just one year.

Wade’s departure was high-profile as he headed back to LSU, which fired him in 2022 after receiving a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA. Speaking with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Inside College Basketball, he recalled that “very difficult” decision.

As momentum built toward a return to LSU, Wade said he put plenty of thought into his next steps. He had to weigh all options for what was ahead for him, and he ultimately chose to run it back with the Tigers.

“Yes,” Wade said when asked if it was hard to leave NC State after one season. “It was very difficult. It was something that I thought about quite a bit. I stayed up that night when I knew that LSU would be a possibility and had to weigh the pros and the cons.”

Wade amassed a 20-14 overall record in his lone year in Raleigh, including a 10-8 mark in ACC play. NC State got into the NCAA Tournament and participated in the First Four, where the Wolfpack fell to Texas in Dayton to end the year.

Will Wade: NC State is a ‘tremendous basketball opportunity’

Throughout his stint at NC State, Will Wade acknowledged the attendance growth as he got a first-hand look at the passion of the fans – both during his time on the sidelines and after his departure, as he pointed out. He also praised the administration and said new head coach Justin Gainey is in a position to succeed.

“NC State was great during the year that I was there,” Wade said. “The fan support’s phenomenal. They’ve got some of the most passionate fans in all of college basketball. To fill up that arena, I think I saw something where NC State, we led the nation in attendance, moving up. … Look, NC State’s a tremendous, tremendous basketball opportunity, basketball job. I know Coach Gainey will do a great job there. They’ve got passionate fans, great fans. I’ve seen both sides of that passion, which I totally understand and totally get.

“But it’s a great place. They’ve got good leadership with Boo Corrigan. I know that they’ll continue to support the program and do everything they can to chase down another national championship at NC State. That’s what we’re going to do here at LSU, as well.”