Why Will Wade’s Return May Reveal Deeper Issue With LSU Athletics

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 12: NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade during the ACC Men's basketball tournament between the NC State Wolf Pack and the Virginia Cavaliers on March 12, 2026 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N. C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Just four years after he was fired as LSU’s men’s basketball coach, Will Wade has returned to lead the Tigers once again .

LSU fired Wade in March 2022, after the NCAA served a formal notice of allegations around recruiting violations. And since then, the coach led McNeese to two NCAA Tournaments, and then North Carolina State to a First Four trip this year. But even before the Wolfpack made the tournament field, the rumors about Wade’s return to LSU were already out in the open.

Messy Process Even without the baggage of Wade’s previous dismissal from LSU, the Tigers reportedly did not inform coach Matt McMahon of his future with the program before bringing Wade back. McMahone had signed a seven-year deal with LSU in 2022. While McMahon’s job security was in question given four straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth (and three losing campaigns), he was still the sitting head coach while the school outwardly courted his replacement.

The fact that McMahon’s replacement is his fired predecessor further muddies the process. And though the environments around recruiting, NCAA enforcement and player compensation have changed significantly since Wade was first fired in 2022, it doesn’t change the fact that McMahon ran a relatively clean program in his four years at the helm. This is also just the latest messy coaching situation for LSU, just months after the football program hired Lane Kiffin away from conference rival Ole Miss.