Will Wade taking North Carolina State job while McNeese is still in NCAA Tournament feels rotten
McNeese State head coach Will Wade has reportedly found himself another Power Four conference job. According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Wade has accepted the North Carolina State head coaching job.
There's just one problem: Wade's current team, the McNeese State Cowboys, is still in the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys kick off their NCAA Tournament on Thursday, when they face Clemson.
If that leaves you feeling a bit gross, it should.
RELATED: March Madness 2025: Previewing every 1st round matchup
To his credit, Wade was forthright with reporters on Wednesday about being in talks with the Wolfpack about their vacancy.
"There's no need to hide it," Wade said. "The guys are reading it on social media. It's no secret and I'm not going to ask them to do something I'm not willing to do. It's no good if you don't address it and if you sit there and B.S. 'em. They know. They can read right through the B.S. So you might as well just [say] 'This is what it is.'"
While Wade's candor is refreshing, making a move like this before your team has played an NCAA Tournament game is a pretty massive faux pas, and an actively bad look for you as a coach.
Look, I'm not naive enough to suggest that a coach shouldn't be talking to other teams about jobs before his team gets knocked out of the NCAA Tournament; we all know that happens all the time, especially for mid-major and low-major coaches looking to make a move up.
But taking a job while your team is still alive and dancing? At the very least, the optics of that are less than ideal, if not outright repugnant.
Think about it: how do we know Wade is focused on this game? Is he prepping the way he should, or is his mind on what needs to be done at NC State?
Sure, Wade will likely take a couple of players with him to the Wolfpack, but let's not act like he's bringing his whole team. Three of Wade's top five scorers at McNeese this season are seniors, meaning this is it for them. This is the run, this is what they've been working towards. Now you're just going to sell them out for a shot to get back to the Power four?
Let's be realistic: McNeese isn't winning a national title. But this is a good team who could win at least a couple of NCAA Tournament games, and blow up a fair number of brackets in the process. If they get their doors blown off by Clemson on Thursday, is it because Wade and his team are distracted by the prospect of going east next year?
Again, I'm not saying coaches can't talk to schools about other jobs before their season ends; in the modern college basketball landscape that's just not how it works. But imagine the outcry if Boise State's head coach had taken the Illinois job before their matchup with Penn State in the College Football Playoff. That's essentially what Wade is doing here.
Given Wade's track record and reputation, we shouldn't be surprised that he's bailing like this. Prior to taking the LSU job, Wade didn't stay at any school for more than two years, and during his time with the Tigers, he was on the bench for just two NCAA Tournament wins (he was suspended for their Sweet 16 run in 2018-19). He's always been a mercenary coach, eager to jump to the next, bigger gig.
Wade is right, being open and honest with your team is important. They'll see through your lies, and acting like you have no interest in a job when you do is disingenuous and deceitful. But there's a difference between wanting a job and taking a job. If Wade was the guy NC State wanted, they could wait a few days, or a week, until the Cowboys were out of the tournament. Taking the job now is just bad optics.
Of course, given how Wade's career has gone to this point, that should come as no surprise.
MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
NFL: Mock Draft 14.0(!): New QB in the mix
MLB: League says 25 million Japanese watched Cubs-Dodgers
CBB/SPORTS MEDIA: Lady Gaga is the new voice of March Madness
NBA/SPORTS MEDIA: LaVar Ball tells SLAM all about his health issues