No 'BS': What Will Wade said about NC State basketball coaching search

N.C. State basketball's coaching search continues into March Madness and the start of the 2025 men's NCAA Tournament.

McNeese State coach Will Wade, one of the Wolfpack's targets, was asked about the job opening Wednesday as his 12th-seeded Cowboys (27-6) prepare for an opening-round matchup with No. 5 Clemson (27-6) on Thursday (3:15 p.m., truTV) in Providence, Rhode Island.

"Yes," Wade said when asked if he or someone close to him has been in contact with N.C. State.

In an effort to limit distractions, Wade added he told his team about the rumors before Selection Sunday.

"Just tell it like it is," he said. "You may not always like what I'm going to say, but I'm going to tell you what I think. I've always kind of been like that, and there's no need to hide it. The guys are reading it on social media; it's no secret. I'm not going to ask them to do something I'm not willing to do."

Wade has led McNeese to a 57-10 record in his two seasons and has previous experience as a successful coach at the high-major level. LSU made the Sweet 16 under Wade in 2019. When N.C. State fired former coach Kevin Keatts on March 9, Wade soon emerged as a top candidate to lead the Wolfpack.

"It's no good if you don't address it and if you sit there and BS them," Wade said of the rumors swirling around N.C. State. "(Players) can read right through the BS, so you might as well, hey, this is what it is. Here we are, and we'll figure it out."

N.C. State won the 2024 ACC Tournament before advancing to the Final Four, but that success didn't carry over into this season. The Wolfpack finished with a 12-19 record, including a 5-15 mark in the ACC, and were one of three teams that didn't qualify for the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Will Wade talks NC State basketball coaching search before NCAA Tournament

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