LSU Rehires Will Wade, Embracing NIL Era

0:00On March 26, LSU just brought back Will Wade as their men's basketball coach, four years after firing him over NCAA recruiting violations. The 43-year-old coach returns after successful stints at Mignis State and NC State. Is the first time a Division I program has rehired a coach. It previously let go since 2007. Earlier this week, the hire came with no NCAA hurdles, as Wade's two-year show-caused penalty expired last year. Back in March of 2022, LSU dismissed him following serious allegations of improper payments to recruits, which an independent panel confirmed. Fans and observers see this as a sign of shifting priorities in college hoops. What got Wade in trouble before paying players is now routine, through name, image, and likeness deals and school collectives. Enforcement has eased up, letting programs chase talent more aggressively. Unless you struggled without him, posting a 50 wins to 70 losses record over four seasons

1:00under the previous coach, with no NCAA tournament trips. Wade, meanwhile, racked up 50 wins and nine losses in two years at Mignis, earning two tournament bids before jumping to NC State. New leadership at LSU, including a president and athletic officials with ties to Wade's Mignis days, cleared the path. With plenty of NIL cash available, Wade gets a clean shot to turn the Tigers around in this new era of the game.