Louisiana State University basketball is expected to dismiss head coach Matt McMahon and rehire Will Wade for another stint leading the Tigers program, multiple sources reported Thursday.
The 43-year-old Wade previously led LSU’s basketball team from 2017 through 2022, taking the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament berths during his five-year tenure. His overall coaching record at LSU was 105-51, including a 56-33 mark in Southeastern Conference play, before the university terminated him in 2022 due to NCAA rule violations.
Following his departure from LSU, Wade coached McNeese State to NCAA Tournament qualifications in both 2024 and 2025, then moved to North Carolina State where he led the Wolfpack to a 20-14 record and another tournament appearance in the 2025-26 season.
The potential coaching change comes as LSU has recently brought in former McNeese State leadership, hiring Wade Rousse as system president and adding Heath Schroyer, the school’s former athletic director, as senior deputy athletic director this Thursday.
When reporters questioned Wade about potential LSU connections on March 12 following NC State’s 81-74 loss to Virginia in the ACC tournament, he appeared committed to his current position.
“Is the job open there?” Wade responded at the time. “No? Listen, let me be very clear. I’m excited at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job. This wasn’t going to take one year. I’ve already met with our administration about next year and some of the changes that we need to make and some of the things that we need to do to put this program where it deserves long-term.”
The 47-year-old McMahon assumed the LSU head coaching position for the 2022-23 season but has failed to achieve a winning conference record, posting 3-15 SEC marks in each of the last two campaigns. This season, LSU finished with a disappointing 15-17 overall record. Before joining LSU, McMahon had success at Murray State with a 153-67 record and guided the team to two Sweet 16 appearances in 2019 and 2022.
