BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When Indiana announced over a month ago that coach Mike Woodson would step down after the season, the initial list of candidates mainly included high-major coaches with a few mid-major names sprinkled in.
It’s entirely possible that Indiana’s next coach is an experienced winner from a power conference school, as it may be more risk-averse this time around after the failed Archie Miller hire from Dayton. But look around the country at recent hires, and plucking a mid-major coach doesn’t seem outlandish. In fact, it’s pretty common.
Just last offseason, major programs like Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan hired coaches from BYU (Mark Pope), College of Charleston (Pat Kelsey) and Florida Atlantic (Dusty May), respectively. Year one went about as well as anyone imagined for each.
If Indiana chooses to go that route, McNeese State coach Will Wade could be an option. Here’s a closer look at Wade.
What makes Wade an attractive choice for Indiana
McNeese plays at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday in the Southland Championship, a chance for back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and just the fourth-ever bid. Wade is on a dominant run with the Louisiana-based school, guiding the Cowboys to two Southland Conference titles and a 47-8, 36-2 record across two seasons.
McNeese is ranked No. 58 in the NET and No. 57 overall in KenPom, ahead of several Big Ten schools and other high-major programs. The Cowboys took No. 2 Alabama and No. 25 Mississippi State down to the wire, and they’ve won 22 of their last 23 games. Projected to be a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they’ll be a trendy upset pick, with a balance of good offensive and defensive numbers.
Wade has also had success at other mid-major programs. At VCU, he went 51-20 with two NCAA Tournament appearances in two seasons. At Chattanooga, he fell just short of two trips to the tournament with a pair of second-place conference finishes and a 40-25 record.
If Indiana is wary that Wade’s success at lower levels won’t translate to the Big Ten, it can turn to his five-year run at LSU, where he coached prior to McNeese State. From 2018-22, LSU went 105-51 and reached the NCAA Tournament three times, earning No. 3, 8 and 6 seeds. The Tigers haven’t made the NCAA Tournament in three seasons since Wade left, and it reached the Big Dance just once in the eight seasons prior to his arrival.
LSU’s best season during that run was 2018-19, when it won the SEC title. The Tigers went 28-7 overall, earned a No. 3 seed and reached the Sweet 16. They ranked 12th nationally in offensive efficiency and top 10 in offensive rebounding percentage and steal percentage. LSU finished second in the SEC the following season before the NCAA Tournament was canceled, followed by third and fifth-place finishes. The Tigers ranked top five nationally in offensive efficiency in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and they were sixth in defensive efficiency in 2021-22.
All of that looks strong on paper and makes Wade, 42, a viable candidate. So how’d he end up at McNeese State?
Why Indiana wouldn’t hire Wade
Wade had trouble with the law during his time at LSU. When the Tigers won the 2019 SEC title, Wade was suspended from March 8 to April 14 after an FBI wiretap caught him discussing an offer with a middleman close to a recruit. When LSU reinstated Wade, he agreed to several contract modifications that would allow LSU to fire him with cause if he committed an NCAA Level I or II violation.
In August 2020, there was an investigation into bribery allegations against Wade. He was fired in March 2022 after the investigation detailed Wade offering financial inducements to secure commitments from players. LSU also fired assistant coach Bill Armstrong. The instances caused Wade to be suspended for six total games across two seasons at LSU. He was also suspended for an additional 10 games at the start of the 2023-24 season at McNeese State and received a two-year show-cause penalty.
Indiana might stay away from hiring a coach with previous recruiting violations, given that former Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson put the program in a major hole for similar reasons. Although paying players is legal now, Indiana may be morally opposed to hiring a coach who knowingly broke rules in the past. Indiana would likely look into Wade’s past and determine whether they think he is a risk to break other rules in the future before hiring him.
Indiana could also decide that coaches with more high-major experience are better fits than Wade, who has a strong resume but may not be considered a home-run hire by some.
Is Wade a realistic candidate for Indiana?
Wade came up as a name to replace Kevin Keatts, who was fired by NC State on Sunday, but that appears to be off the table now. According to Brad Crawford of 247Sports, “Will Wade is holding out for a bigger job. He will not be NC State’s next head basketball coach.”
If that’s the case, Wade may have his sights set on Indiana, Miami or Virginia, which are the top open jobs. Utah and Florida State recently hired coaches, though more jobs could become available as the offseason rolls along. The timing of Indiana’s hire will depend on the NCAA Tournament, but keep in mind Louisville hired Kelsey on March 28 and Kentucky hired Pope on April 12.
Indiana has strong NIL resources and is in an advantageous position in the Big Ten with upcoming revenue-sharing opportunities. Jim Larrañaga and Tony Bennett left Miami and Virginia, respectively, citing issues with the transfer portal and NIL. Texas and Villanova could open too, but as it stands Indiana is the best job available in this cycle.
Indiana may also be willing to look past Wade’s recruiting violations as it is now legal to pay players. There could be risk involved, but Sampson showed a coach fired for those reasons can resurrect their career and have success at a national level. Wade has the fourth-best odds to become Indiana’s next head coach, according to BetOnline.
