RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Some Wolfpack fans may rejoice at recent events on Saturday during March Madness, as the coaching position for the men’s basketball team is almost filled.
McNeese State University, coached by Will Wade, was taken down by Purdue in Saturday’s matchup in the second round of the national tournament, the score 62-76.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Wade has signed a 6-year deal to be N.C. State’s next head coach.
A potential Cinderella run for the Cowboys, who earned the 12th seed in the Midwest region of the 2025 NCAA national tournament, is over.
The loss brings McNeese’s head coach Will Wade one step closer to becoming the new head coach at NC State, as it has been confirmed by Wade and other sources that the university has been in talks with him about the new hire.
Sources told CBS 17 on Wednesday that NC State and Will Wade reached a deal to begin coaching for the Wolfpack next season. No details within the contract have been revealed at this time.
When asked about any talks with NC State about the job, Wade smiled and simply said “yes.” He did not go into detail about what was talked about.
Wade said he’s been transparent with his current players and staff at McNeese since the beginning of the talks. “Just tell it like it is. You may not always like what I’m going to say, but I’m going to tell you what I think. I’ve always kind of been like that, and there’s no need to hide it. The guys are reading it on social media. It’s no secret. I’m not going to ask them to do something I’m not willing to do. It’s no good if you don’t address it and if you sit there and BS them. They can read right through the BS, so you might as well. Hey, this is what it is. Here we are, and we’ll figure it out.”
In Saturday’s loss to Purdue, McNeese seemed to have lost steam before the first half ended, only scoring 20 to Purdue’s 38.