Will Wade's Job at LSU Safe Despite Wiretap Video in HBO Documentary, AD Says

LSU head basketball coach Will Wade remains on solid footing following Tuesday's airing of the HBO documentary The Scheme. 

"We are aware of the documentary first aired on March 31, 2020, on HBO," Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward said, per Amie Just of the Times-Picayune. "There is no change to Coach Will Wade's employment status at LSU and we will continue to cooperate with all reviews into this matter."

CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander noted The Scheme included the audio from FBI wiretaps of a conversation between Wade and Christian Dawkins in which Wade discussed illicit payments for a prospective recruit.

Yahoo Sports first reported on the wiretaps in March 2019. 

The FBI taped the 2017 conversation during its investigation into corruption in college basketball. During the call, Wade outlined a "strong-ass offer" for a recruit believed to be Javonte Smart. Smart was the No. 35 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and signed with the Tigers.

"The problem was, I know why he didn’t take it now, it was [expletive] tilted toward the family a little bit," Wade said to Dawkins. "It was tilted toward taking care of the mom, taking care of the kid. Like it was tilted towards that. Now I know for a fact he didn’t explain everything to the mom. I know now, he didn’t get enough of the piece of the pie in the deal."

Following the reporting on the wiretaps, LSU suspended Wade indefinitely effective March 8, 2019. The school reinstated the coach a little over a month later. In a statement, then-athletic director Joe Alleva said Wade had met with officials from LSU and the NCAA and "denied any wrongdoing."

After watching The Scheme, however, some wondered how much longer Wade will be employed at LSU:

Others were more skeptical about the documentary's impact given the fact Wade wasn't let go already:

Woodward's statement seemingly erases any doubt for the time being.

LSU went 21-10 in 2019-20 and likely would've made the 2020 NCAA tournament if the event hadn't been canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported in April 2019 the Tigers amended his contract in the wake of the FBI investigation. Under the new deal, the school can fire him with cause if the NCAA finds Level I or II violations within the program. Wade would also be unable to sue LSU in the event he's fired due to NCAA violations.