Will Wade Reportedly Linked to LSU HC Return, NC State Contract Buyout Info Revealed

It sounds like the LSU men's basketball team could be on the verge of a reunion with a familiar face.

According to Noah Fleischman of On3.com, while NC State coach Will Wade publicly said he plans to return for a second season with the Wolfpack, "signs have pointed to an early departure to the Tigers."

Wade coached at LSU for five years from 2017 to 2022 and reportedly has a contract buyout of $5 million before April 1. Fleischman noted that his buyout drops to $3 million if he leaves for a different program after that date.

LSU hasn't fired head coach Matt McMahon, but he's undoubtedly on the hot seat after leading the team to a 15-17 record and a fourth straight year without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

In Wade's first season at NC State, the team went 20-14 and lost to Texas in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. After the season ended, Wade emphatically declared that he was committed to continuing to build with the Wolfpack.

"I wouldn't worry about us. We'll be hell next year," Wade said. "This will be the worst team we have at NC State right here. You just watched it. This is the floor of our program, and we will be much better moving forward. We know what's got to get fixed. I've got a very clear mind on what we need and how we need to go about attacking and doing it. That's what we're going to do. As soon as the plane hits the ground in Raleigh, we're going to work. There's no vacation, there's no time off. We're getting to work and we're going to get this thing turned around."

However, Fleischman reported that "the tide has seemed to change over the past 24 hours," with a source close to the situation saying that the "buzz around Wade to LSU picked up late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning."

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported on Wednesday that LSU is "working to hire" McNeese's Heath Schroyer as a senior administrator. Schroyer and current LSU president Wade Rousse had hired Wade as head coach of the Cowboys before he took over at NC State, and Rothstein noted that the duo is "on the verge of bringing him back to Baton Rouge."

Wade went 105-51 in his five seasons at LSU with three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2019. He was fired due to allegations of recruiting violations.

McMahon is still leading LSU for now, but as Fleischman noted, "the momentum appears to be on Wade's side in a return to the Tigers."