Will Wade Used Transparency With His McNeese State Players, Who Are All-In During This NCAA Tourney Run

It's rare in college athletics that you see a coaching search that is so transparent from one side that it amazes the people who are watching from the outside. For Will Wade and McNesse State, the drama that has taken over social media for the past few days hasn't put this team in a spot of distress, because of how open the head coach has been about his future. 

When the news broke on Wednesday that Wade had agreed to a deal with NC State, even if the contract hadn't been signed yet, McNeese State players did not have to find out through friends, family or social media. 

Why? Because Will Wade is an open book with his team, along with the administration at the small school based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. On the biggest night in program history, the athletic department wasn’t worried about what the future holds, they were focused on soaking up every moment possible in Providence as Will Wade celebrated with fans who made the long trek to watch their team play. 

So, when the school's president, Dr. Wade Rousse, is embracing the chaos with a massive smile on his face, you know that things have been handled the right way. 

"It's a wonderful thing for us. Biggest day in our school history, or one of them, for sure," Rousse said to reporters postgame.

In the past, coaching searches were done in silence, and most still are. Agents are working behind the scenes for their clients, hoping to keep things quiet, so the news doesn't get out and affect the team, who is most likely to lose their coach. But while that's usually the norm in college athletics, Will Wade has made sure to keep the program that took a chance on him two years ago following the LSU fallout in the loop every step of the way. 

And that goes for the players as well, who pulled off the upset win over Clemson on Thursday night. If you wanted an example of how this has played out behind the scenes, look no further than the comments made by Christian Shumate following the win. 

"I think when you're in a loop and both ends are transparent about things, there's not too much room for conflict. Everybody is aware of everything that's going on, and when there's a clear understanding, everybody keeps the same angle in the front of mind," Shumate explained. "We'll worry about all of that stuff later. Everybody is transparent on both ends and that's something we worry about later. We're just focused on winning these games."

Coaches Aren't This Transparent, But Will Wade Took Different Approach

While this might distract other teams, cause a divide between the head coach and players, or lead to a massive rift between an administration and the coach involved, that's not the case for McNeese State. When the news broke regarding Wade and NC State on Thursday, the team was actually practicing for Thursday's game. 

So, when asked if this would throw his players off, leading to such an important moment for the basketball team, Will Wade did not skirt around the question from Jeff Goodman after the win. 

"We talked about it. We were in practice when all of that happened," Wade explained. "You guys know, look you interview for a job and your attorneys deal with there attorneys, it's not like I'm talking with people everyday. I mean, we were in practice at Brown, and Mike Martin who I've known since I was in the Ivy League came up to me and said ‘Hey you know you’re trending on twitter'.. What the hell am I trending on twitter for? Oh, they said you took the NC State job. 

"Then I go back to my phone and had like 300 text messages. When we got back that night, we sat down and talked with the team.. We all know what's up. For our guys, this is great for them, they've got power-five schools blowing them up in their DM's, looking to pick them up and pay them too." 

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND - MARCH 20: Head coach Will Wade of the McNeese State Cowboys points against the Clemson Tigers during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amica Mutual Pavillion on March 20, 2025 in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

For this relationship to prosper, Will Wade knew he'd have to give everything to McNeese State, who took a chance on bringing him in, especially at another school in the State of Lousiana, where things went sideways at LSU. The school knew what they were getting into when they decided to hire Wade, knowing there would be moments of a public relations backlash at first. 

But this has clearly worked just two years later. Look at the attention McNeese State is getting right now.  President Rousse told reporters that the school has seen a massive uptick in applications, while revenue from ticket sales and merchandise has also risen over the past few years. 

While their first NCAA Tournament win in school history was a special one, this basketball team is not done just yet. They'll get a chance to extend this exciting season on Saturday against Purdue, with a spot in the sweet sixteen on the line. 

Even though we know what the future holds for Will Wade, this team is looking to write another chapter to this incredible story that will be talked about for years. 

NC State will have to wait. For McNeese State and their head coach, everyone is hoping that the introductory press conference doesn’t happen till after the first weekend in April.