Will Wade’s legacy in Baton Rouge will be overshadowed by controversy despite the successful turnaround he led the program to in five short years. Wade helped the Tigers grow into a prominent figure in the SEC basketball world, and he will be remembered as the trailblazer to LSU’s success in hoops. The first year under Wade, the Tigers were off to a slow start as they only posted an 18-15 regular season record. Conference play was not much better for the Tigers as they were held to an 8-10 record against SEC opponents. As Wade recruited more and developed a stronger scheme, the Tigers grew into a force of nature in the SEC.
The tide turned quickly as the following year LSU went from not making the tournament to being one of the better teams in it. Wade led LSU to victories in their first five conference games, the first 5-0 start in conference play since 2005. The Tigers also made history by beating two teams ranked in the top five, Kentucky and Tennessee, which had not been done since 1980. The Tigers finished the 2018-2019 campaign with a 28-7 record, which led them to first place in the SEC and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. LSU advanced as far as the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by No. 2 seed Michigan State.
The following three seasons were more of the same as the Tigers finished in the top five in the SEC each year. LSU was hit with a Notice of Allegations on March 9, regarding Head Coach Will Wade and his involvement in an ongoing FBI investigation. The allegations string back to the 2019 suspension Wade received regarding a recruiting scandal. Investigations were looming around LSU and Wade is subject to another consequence yet again. However, this time the consequence wasn’t just a simple suspension, as LSU cut ties with its head coach after the reported violations.
LSU players have spoken out after the firing of Will Wade, expressing support and emotions towards losing their coach.
“This hurts worse than ten ACL injuries,” said Adam Miller, guard for the LSU Tigers. Miller was recruited by Wade and developed a personal relationship with the head coach. The dismissal of Will Wade also hit close to home for senior Darius Days. In a video with WAFB, Days showed support for his former coach by telling the camera, “Shoutout to Coach Wade man. We love you, we miss you man. That’s my guy.”
The general consensus around Baton Rouge regarding the firing of Will Wade is a mixture of disappointment and confusion. Many were confused at the timing of the firing as it came right before the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, Will Wade will be remembered as a winner who helped evolve the image of LSU hoops. The young coach gained attention for the Tigers at a national level after their impressive tournament run, but he also gained attention through the scandals reported throughout the media. There is no doubt that Will Wade is vital to the Tigers’ overall development. Wade has an overall record of 105-51 with LSU through his five seasons and a 55-33 against SEC opponents. Even though LSU has been clouded with allegations as of late, the overall image of the program is light years ahead of where it was before him. There’s no doubt that Wade established a sense of legitimacy around the SEC for his Tigers, and most importantly he led the Tigers to three out of four possible NCAA Tournament appearances.
