The NCAA suspended former LSU head coach Will Wade 10 games and levied a two-year show cause for the new McNeese State head coach, hired by the school in March.
McNeese included a five-game suspension for Wade as part of his contract due to violations committed while at LSU. The 10-game suspension replaces the five meted out by McNeese.
“We accept and respect today’s decision by the IARP in regards to Coach Wade,” said McNeese director of athletics Heath Schroyer. “We are all happy this is finally behind us and we have clarity moving forward.
“We have been proactive from the beginning in respecting the NCAA’s process and in regards to protecting the integrity of our institution. That will not change moving forward.”
In addition, the penalties that came out of the Independent Accountability Review Process included:
–a reduction of official visits by four through the 2025 season;
–a limit on recruiting conversations and unofficial visits for the next two seasons;
–a ban on off-campus recruiting during any applicable April or summer contact period.
The LSU football and men’s basketball programs were given three years of probation.
LSU fired Wade on March 12, 2022 after five seasons amid NCAA allegations of major recruiting violations. The university said he was fired with cause four days after it received a notice of allegations. Wade was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing an illegal offer made to a recruit, Javonte Smart.
The notice of allegations highlighted 11 alleged violations, eight of which were Level I (the most severe), seven of which were pinned to the men’s basketball program. Wade was connected to six of the seven Level I violations.
Wade was hired by McNeese in March exactly one year after LSU fired him.
With the Tigers, Wade won the Southeastern Conference regular season championship in 2019 and went to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and 2021. LSU earned a berth in the 2022 tourney as well, after Wade’s termination.
Wade, 40, compiled a 105-51 record through five seasons in Baton Rouge. He previously coached at VCU (2015-17) and Chattanooga (2013-15) and has a career 196-96 record.
At McNeese, he replaced John Aiken, who was fired after two seasons and a 22-45 record. Wade signed a contract worth a total salary of $1.175 million over five years.
–Field Level Media