Former LSU head coach Johnny Jones leaving Texas Southern to join Will Wade's staff

Will Wade left NC State after just one season following his decision to return to Baton Rouge for his second stint as the head coach of LSU Men’s Basketball.

After being fired from LSU in 2022, Wade landed another job in Louisiana as head coach at McNeese, and he took the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances as the premier program in the Southland Conference.

Wade left McNeese a year ago for NC State, taking the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament before a loss in the final minute to Texas in the First Four.

As NC State turned to Year 2 of the Wade era, LSU worked behind the scenes to bring “The General” home – and the program, with help from a number of power players in Louisiana, pulled off the coup.

On the same day LSU parted ways with head coach Matt McMahon after four seasons with the program, a pair of private planes flew Raleigh to pick up Wade, his family and a handful of staff members to join him at LSU.

“This was not an easy decision, because of how much respect and appreciation I have for NC State, but the opportunity to return to Louisiana State University is deeply personal,” Wade said. “This is our chance to come home — to a place that has shaped me, where the passion for basketball runs deep, and where the expectations match the opportunity.

“LSU represents something bigger.”

During Wade’s first stint as coach in Baton Rouge, the Tigers won a Southeastern Conference regular-season championship (2019), advanced to an SEC Tournament championship game (2021) for the first time since 1993 and the Tigers took part in four postseason tournaments (NIT, 2018; NCAA 2019; 2021; 2022; the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.).

In his four seasons as head coach, LSU won 48 regular-season SEC games – tied for second-most in the conference. LSU won 20 games or more in three-of-the-five-seasons Wade was at LSU, and the Tigers reached 19 wins in one of his other two seasons in Baton Rouge.

Now, Wade is building out his staff ahead of the NCAA Transfer Portal window opening next week.

The Bengal Tiger has learned of a handful of confirmed additions to Wade’s LSU staff. Here’s the rundown, beginning with Saturday’s signed deal to bring a former SEC head coach to Baton Rouge as part of Wade’s 2026-27 staff.

Will Wade’s LSU Basketball Staff: Part II

Assistant Coach – Johnny Jones: The former LSU player out of DeRidder (La.) began his coaching career as an assistant under Dale Brown in 1984. Johnny Jones later became head coach of the Tigers from 2012-17, a stretch of five seasons that included four straight years with a winning record on the season and zero losing records in SEC play. Jones has served has the head coach at Texas Southern since 2018, and his departure from the Lone Star State to return home and join Wade’s staff gives LSU two assistants with SEC head coaching experience.

Assistant Coach – Rick Stansbury: Former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury is back in the SEC after being hired as the associate head coach on new LSU head coach Will Wade‘s staff, according to On3 national college sports reporter Wilson Alexander. Stansbury is the first assistant coach hire Wade has made since returning to Baton Rouge. The 66-year-old Stansbury remains the all-time winningest coach in Mississippi State program history after going 293-166 (.638) over 14 seasons in Starkville between 1998-2012. Stansbury’s 293 career wins with the Bulldogs also rank ninth all-time in SEC men’s basketball history. Beyond his wealth of coaching experience in the SEC, Stansbury is known as one of college basketball’s top recruiters across the past few decades.

Director of Pack Performance – Greg Goldin: He spent the year overseeing NC State’s strength and conditioning program in Raleigh. Before joining Wade this season, Goldin worked under him for all five of his seasons at LSU in the first stint with the Tigers. The strength coach was also at Chattanooga and VCU with Wade, continuing a career-long tenure with the coach.

Special Assistant to the Head Coach – Reed Vial: The former LSU walk-on guard has become Wade’s right-hand man as of late. He spent the previous two seasons in this role at McNeese before following Wade to NC State to be in the same position. Vial runs Wade’s social media accounts on top of other program matters.

Basketball Analytics Assistant – Isaac Stansbury: The former graduate assistant at McNeese served as General Manager Andrew Slater’s right-hand man this past season at NC State. He helped track opposing team’s play calls in game, while working on analytics projects throughout the week. Stansbury is the son of Rick Stansbury, who will serve as an assistant coach on Wade’s staff.

Stay tuned to The Bengal Tiger for the latest as Wade builds out his staff and roster ahead of his second stint as head coach of the Tigers.