The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534227
MAY/JUNE 2025 ■ 23 BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN ill Wade patrolled the court as Mc- Neese State shot around for 40 min- utes inside Amica M u t u a l P av i l i o n in Providence, R.I. Donning a black Under Armour "Bayou Bandits Bas- ketball" shirt with matching shorts and white shoes, the Cowboys' leader seemed comfortable. The prospect of a matchup against No. 5 seed Clemson, which was looming a little more than 24 hours later, didn't seem to faze him. Nor did the speculation about his next career stop. For Wade, it appeared to be just another Wednesday afternoon. He walked around the court, keeping an eye on his players and student manager Amir "Aura" Khan, a viral internet sensation who seemed to draw more media attention than anyone on the roster. By the time the second-year McNeese coach reached a row of univer- sity administrators sitting on the bench, he cracked a smile. "This never gets old," he said. Wade was speaking from experience. He had led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament, with this season marking his seventh trip in an 11-year head coaching career. He turned a McNeese program that lost 23 games during the 2022-23 campaign into a Southland Conference juggernaut. The Cowboys went 40-2 in two years of conference play under Wade, which is the best league record in the country over that span. Wade was one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel before NC State hired him on March 23. And his ability to win games in bunches — right away — is what set him apart. "He understands the expectations of the program, and he knows what it means to compete in the ACC," NC State athlet- ics director Boo Corrigan said. "NC State men's basketball has the resources we need for the future. We don't just want to compete, we want to win. We want to win consistently, and we want to win big." All About The Details When McNeese athletics director Heath Schroyer, a former basketball coach at the school, was looking for someone to run the Cowboys' program two years ago, there was only one name on his short list: Wade. "He was the No. 1, the No. 2 and No. 3 option for me at that point in time," said Schroyer, who joined Wade in Providence prior to the Cowboys' fourth-ever Divi- sion I NCAA Tournament appearance. Schroyer wanted to take a big swing on Wade, who didn't coach during the 2022-23 season after he was fired by LSU amid an FBI investigation into recruit- ing violations. The two talked at length, with Wade being as transparent as pos- sible about what happened and how he wanted to move forward. McNeese saw a mutually beneficial opportunity. Wade would have a chance to resume his coaching career, while the Cowboys' program would benefit from his obvious talent after going 22-45 in two seasons under Schroyer's successor, John Aiken. If all went well, both parties would soon find themselves in a better position than when they started. Wade jumped at the opportunity and immediately began working on his roster. He and his staff looked at their returning players, then began tackling the transfer portal head-on. A revamped roster was one of the keys to the immediate turn- around that Wade was envisioning. He didn't want this process to take time, and it was going to be important to show rapid signs of progress. "The easiest way to change your cul- ture is, first and foremost, change the people," said McNeese assistant Brandon W Wade was drawn to NC State by its national championship potential. One of his title- winning predecessors, Jim Valvano, is immortalized in bronze outside of Reynolds Coliseum. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS " This is not a rebuild. We're going to be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we're going to the NCAA Tournament. … This is going to be done the right way, and this is going to be done quickly. We're here to win." Wade