LSU Fires Will Wade After Receiving Notice Of Allegations From NCAA

LSU has fired head head men’s basketball coach Will Wade after receiving a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA this week, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Assistant coach Kevin Nickelberry is the new interim head coach.

LSU is now the third SEC school with a coaching opening, after Georgia fired Tom Crean and Missouri parted ways with Cuonzo Martin.

Wade, 39, hung on at LSU for several years despite the school being caught up in the FBI investigation into bribery in college basketball. Wade and former Arizona coach Sean Miller were both subpoenaed in the FBI trial in 2019, but neither ever took the stand. Miller was fired in April 2021.

In taped calls depicted in the two-hour HBO documentary “The Scheme,” Wade discussed with Christian Dawkins, a runner in the basketball world and want-to-be-agent, in colorful language the recruitment of players Naz Reid, Nassir Little and Javonte Smart.

“I went to him with a [expletive] strong-ass offer about a month ago,” Wade said in the call, first reported March 7, 2019, referring to Smart. “[Expletive] strong. It was a helluva [expletive] offer.”

“I think the only way you can interpret someone in a head coaching position saying that they made a strong-ass offer, they ain’t talking about a scholarship offer, bro,” Dawkins said in the film. “One-hundred percent talking about money.”

Dawkins added: “Will Wade is definitely a [expletive] gangster for what he did.”

After the “strong-ass offer” comment became public in March 2019, LSU indefinitely suspended Wade amid the FBI’s probe. On April 14, LSU lifted Wade’s suspension.

As part of his reinstatement, Wade had to make contract concessions, including allowing LSU to fire him for cause if the NCAA infractions committee issued a formal notice to LSU that Wade was involved in a Level 1 or Level 2 violation.

Wade went 105-51 in five seasons at LSU with two NCAA Tournament appearances. After losing to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, he was asked about the Notice of Allegations.

“I can’t comment on any of that — on any of that stuff, so we haven’t been able to comment on it since everything started,” he said. “I certainly look forward to commenting when it’s all over, but until then, they won’t allow us to comment.”

Wade spoke to the SEC Network after the win, adding: “We just focus on what’s in front of us. It has nothing to do with any of the kids in our locker room. The bigger the game and outside noise, the more you have to narrow your focus. We’re here to play basketball and represent LSU.”