NC State Basketball

Will Wade Is Leaving NC State For LSU

Multiple sources have confirmed that NC State head coach Will Wade will leave after one season and accept the head coaching job at LSU, whenever it becomes available in the near future.
By James Henderson
March 26, 2026
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886 Comments
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Photo by Steve Murphy/Inside Pack Sports

Multiple sources have confirmed that NC State head coach Will Wade will leave after one season and accept the head coaching job at LSU, whenever it becomes available in the near future.

Wade posted a 20-14 record in his lone season at NC State, finishing 10-8 in the ACC with a loss to Texas in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Stay tuned for more shortly from Inside Pack Sports!

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Will Wade Is Leaving NC State For LSU (Locking at 3PM)

13,015 Views | 886 Replies | Last: 25 days ago by BP Cox
Wufpack17
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9:18a, 3/26/26
I was always on the fence about this guy knowing he'd likely jump. F him. Mistake we made was hiring him to begin with.
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Wearestate13
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9:19a, 3/26/26
Back to likely irrelevancy we go.

Going to hire a good coach I am sure but then underfund him and go cheap on admin resources I am sure.
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vannjamin
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9:19a, 3/26/26
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FLWolf
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9:19a, 3/26/26
I am disappointed because I do think he is a good coach with an edge to him-I think he would of worked at NC State if he stayed

Move on to the next person
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wolfme
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In reply to Wearestate13 • 9:19a, 3/26/26
Wearestate13 said:
Back to likely irrelevancy we go.

Going to hire a good coach I am sure but then underfund him and go cheap on admin resources I am sure.


100% of this is a reflection of Wade. Come on man
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kbdavis33
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9:19a, 3/26/26
Just my read on the situation. I'm thinking that NC State is looking to get theirs here.

I'm guessing James was told to post this. Have it be picked up nationally soon, which really puts LSU in a pickle where they have to do something publicly soon, in which case they have to pony up or at least settle on the buyout.

Good on us for taking control of a ****ty situation
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PackBacker07
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In reply to Wearestate13 • 9:20a, 3/26/26
Were we relevant this year? I feel very strongly we can find another coach to go 10-8 and make the First Four.
Y'all means ALL.
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wolfme
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In reply to FLWolf • 9:20a, 3/26/26
FLWolf said:
I am disappointed because I do think he is a good coach with an edge to him-I think he would of worked at NC State if he stayed

Move on to the next person


Good coaches don't check out half way through the season and get blown out repeatedly
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Wufpack17
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In reply to wolfme • 9:20a, 3/26/26
wolfme said:
NashvillePackFan said:
FLWolf said:
Disappointing-

back to the drawing board


Only person I'm disappointed in is myself… I fell hard for the WW shtick and wanted him bad last offseason. This search I'll simply sit back and trust that Boo is going to find the right guy.


It really started to wear thin with me with his press conferences, JG issue, our brand person getting the spotlight. The guy ****s on his players and has never played basketball. I always kind of wondered how tf he is so convicted on something he's never done. Anyway, onto the next


He's never taken responsibility for anything.
That's who he is.
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PackPA2015
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9:21a, 3/26/26
Need a "pissed off at Will Wade" NIL drive ASAP
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HMPacker40
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In reply to kbdavis33 • 9:21a, 3/26/26
Agreed. Lost in all this is that James getting this out earlier than it may have otherwise might end up making us some $.
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pman27
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In reply to Mr. Wuf • 9:21a, 3/26/26
Mr. Wuf said:
Never trust a man who marries a UNC grad. We shoulda known
Ouch, guilty as charged. But my wife is a good one, other than men's college basketball season. Spent most of her college years hanging out at Trolls, has the heart of a state girl until baby blue meets hardwood.
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flotownq
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9:21a, 3/26/26
Hopefully the national media gets this rolling in the next hour
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Wolfvet
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9:22a, 3/26/26
No doubt this POS was a carpetbagger in a previous life in the post Civil War era.
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LoboRojo
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9:23a, 3/26/26
I don't understand why people wanted Boo to fire this man. If this is how Wade chose to handle this situation, then LSU had better pay me my money for him.
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Wufpack17
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In reply to FLWolf • 9:23a, 3/26/26
FLWolf said:
I am disappointed because I do think he is a good coach with an edge to him-I think he would of worked at NC State if he stayed

Move on to the next person


He doesn't have and edge. It's fake. He proved that this year
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packojs
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9:23a, 3/26/26
Losers pout and cry victim, winners see opportunity. Let's see who we are.
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SchneiderPhoenix fan club
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9:23a, 3/26/26
Lying POS snake oil salesman. I could've coached a $7 million roster to the 1st 4. I hope he gets everything he deserves in that festering shyt hole.
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DiverDownBrian
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In reply to BMacPack • 9:23a, 3/26/26
BMacPack said:
Peace out.

Not wishing anything bad upon WW other than losses & LSU remaining at the bottom of the SEC.




I hope the plane crashes on the way to Cajun country ...
Resident Curmudgeon, Pack Wrasslin' fan
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ncsualum05
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9:23a, 3/26/26
I've seen several posts about the ACC/SEC challenge next year. If I'm State I'd say hell no to that matchup. We are not going to give espn entertainment value for this bull***** I wouldn't agree to play LSU anytime in the foreseeable future.
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Bas2020
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In reply to Tootie4Pack • 9:24a, 3/26/26
Tootie4Pack said:
I'm not going to knock Boo at all. Just a few days ago, Steve, who I think that all of us trust and have great respect for, believed that WW was staying. It sounds like WW was saying and acting one way and cheating on us in the background. If Boo asked WW how is it going every day of the week and WW says it is going well, that falls on the back stabbing liar.



Again - it was an open secret . Several of us posted about the LSU stuff being "real" and we better pay attention months ago and we were laughed off the boards . That part didn't help when nobody took it serious . Cory Smith and others kept posting we had nothing to worry about . It was an obvious worry .
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919beachbum
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9:24a, 3/26/26
One thing i'm hoping is it sounds like Boo got a lot of resources together to retain Wade. With Wade leaving, hopefully some of those resources stay for the benefit of the new coach.
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cdaud
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9:24a, 3/26/26
If nothing else, the hype around Will Wade got us to actually fundraise and demonstrate our capacity to financially back our program at an elite level. That's not insignificant moving forward.
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CardiacPack
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In reply to Mr. Wuf • 9:25a, 3/26/26
Mr. Wuf said:
Never trust a man who marries a UNC grad. We shoulda known

Married one two weeks ago. She hates WW more than I do.. but that might be due to my current mood.
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Wearestate13
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In reply to cdaud • 9:25a, 3/26/26
unless it stops moving forward.

Steve already said it last summer, that initial wave of excitement immediately fell off and people canceled memberships.
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Nate97
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In reply to Quietstorm • 9:25a, 3/26/26
Quietstorm said:
Watch: LSU at NC State in ACC/SEC Challenge.


Better bring that secret service level detail with him
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WolfpackUSC
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In reply to kbdavis33 • 9:25a, 3/26/26
kbdavis33 said:
Just my read on the situation. I'm thinking that NC State is looking to get theirs here.

I'm guessing James was told to post this. Have it be picked up nationally soon, which really puts LSU in a pickle where they have to do something publicly soon, in which case they have to pony up or at least settle on the buyout.

Good on us for taking control of a ****ty situation


Already talking a negotiated buyout
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Pack10
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9:25a, 3/26/26
I think they only reason we were relevant this year is because of his attitude, bravado, etc.

Yes others could have gone mid-road in the ACC but nobody would have cared.

It is back to irrelevancy, like it or not.

This situation sucks because here we are starting over again.

I don't know but I bet if he would have felt like he was going to win big next year, he would have stayed.
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Steelwolf95
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9:26a, 3/26/26
No joke, mail all your Will Wade "Red Reckoning" murch to the LSU Atheltic Dept c/o Will Wade.

Poll: Is Will Wade a more hated name now than Dean Smith? Seriously.
"The whole measuring of Vertical Leap began with David Thompson"- Michael Jordan
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Packgrass
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In reply to Bas2020 • 9:26a, 3/26/26
I'm guessing Wade maybe told state he was happy with $, but I heard direct quotes from as close of a personal relationship to Wade as possible that he raised $ and Boo gave to WPC
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stevenh40
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In reply to hink2 • 9:26a, 3/26/26
hink2 said:
Two things important for our fanbase that may be a little counterintuitive:

1) Do not let him and his camp perpetuate the myth that he didn't have the resources needed to compete. He got arguably the most sought after player in the portal and several other dudes that weren't cheap. There are a lot of coaches out there who could have delivered last season's results, if not better, with the resources in place. The man said himself he had everything needed to win big here and it was the best job he's ever had. DO NOT LET THE FALSE NARRATIVE GAIN OXYGEN when he's going back to a place that fired him and a short while ago would've said was a worse job and basketball situation than what we have in Raleigh.

2) it is also incumbent upon us to collectively step up and make sure that aforementioned myth becomes reality. If you care about this program and have the means to do so, we need to provide our financial support REGARDLESS of who the coach is. It won't make a big difference, but I plan on bumping my monthly payment directed to basketball.

Our program is so much bigger than one person, and NC State basketball will survive. Hell, less than two years ago many of us were packing our bags for Phoenix to watch a team in the Final Four that had comparatively fewer financial resources relative to the competition than we had last year with a coach who understandably was ultimately relieved of his duties.

We have a rich basketball tradition that we can continue to build on - and there are a lot of guys out there who can be successful in this job with our collective support.

Keatts made a Final Four with less than 3 million. I bet he could have gotten out of Dayton this year with 9.7. He would have also represented NC State with class for one more year.
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ecbwolf
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9:26a, 3/26/26
The way he took that picture like Jimmy V..... the curse will finally be gone and will now head to LSU!!!!
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gopack_83
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9:27a, 3/26/26
Is WW and Heath having an affair?
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PackBacker07
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9:27a, 3/26/26
Boo has been a solid AD but this buyout situation is ludicrous. And if he didn't suspect anything re: LSU here, that's borderline firing territory IMO.
Y'all means ALL.
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Pakbackr
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9:27a, 3/26/26
I know this whole situation has the potential to be like a wet blanket over our NIL efforts, but I hope this has served to demonstrate the direct correlation that having a strong Rev Share / NIL package has to bringing in talent required to win at the highest level. Whoever the new coach is will need that same level of support. Otherwise it will be rinse and repeat in a few years!
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