RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina State Wolfpack will soon have a new leader.
N.C. State University leaders hosted a news conference Tuesday afternoon to formally introduce Will Wade as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program during a private event held at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.
“This is not a rebuild,” Wade said. “We’re going to be in the top part of the ACC and we’re going to the NCAA Tournament.”
The incoming head coach also said “We need to send a message. We want the state, the ACC, and the nation to know the Pack is Back.”
Wade coached at McNeese State the past two years, spearheading the Cowboys to back-to-back Southland Conference titles. He’s led four different programs to NCAA Tournament berths, dating back to his previous stops at Chattanooga, VCU, LSU and McNeese.
The school announced Wade’s hiring on Sunday, one day after his team fell to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This wrapped up an unconventional week for Wade as he was unusually open about his conversations with N.C. State, compared to coaches who typically deflect questions or play word games when questioned about other jobs.
In that respect, the eventual hiring had been an open secret for days. However, N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan finally closed the deal, signing the 42-year-old coach to a six-year contract.
“Will told me that he believes that he can win at N.C. State … and ‘win big,’” Corrigan said in a released statement on Sunday. “It didn’t take me too many conversations with him to believe it too.”
His brief yet successful tenure at McNeese capped off a triumphant comeback for Wade, only three years removed from getting fired at LSU after being accused of committing NCAA recruiting violations. This stemmed from a federal corruption investigation into college basketball that became public in 2017. N.C. State was one of the multiple schools intertwined in the FBI probe.
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Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17) -
Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17) -
Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17) -
Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17) -
Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17) -
Head Coach Will Wade shakes hands, takes selfies and signs basketballs at a FanFest celebration Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jordan Crammer/CBS 17)
Wade arrives in Raleigh during a transitional period for the Atlantic Coast Conference. The league faces a bit of an identity crisis after several longtime coaches — North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton — all departed over the last four years amid a rapidly changing landscape within college sports. This notable shift is highlighted by the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes and free player movement through the transfer portal.
“I am beyond excited and honored to be chosen to lead the Wolfpack basketball program,” Wade said in a released statement on Sunday. “N.C. State’s rich tradition, passionate fan base, and location in one of the best cities in the country make this a destination job and I can’t wait to get started.”
Wade takes over for former N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts, who spent the previous eight seasons at the helm. Keatts was fired less than one year following a magical postseason run for the Wolfpack, culminating in the program’s first ACC championship since 1987 and its first Final Four appearance since the late Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack” accomplished the feat in route to the 1983 NCAA title.
N.C. State finished this season with an underwhelming 12-19 record, effectively terminating any lingering momentum from the end of last year.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report