By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The transition for former North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Will Wade to LSU after one season in Raleigh, North Carolina, doesn’t appear to be going as smoothly as so many of his adoring and often blind LSU fans have hoped, or as Wade promised when he was hired by the Tigers last March.
Because the baggage keeps collecting.
To begin, Wade’s new roster at LSU has not exactly been anything to write home about. It is currently No. 113 in the nation by 247sports.com as several of his first targets in the portal went to other schools, including those at his last school. And he has had to resort to more overseas recruiting more than originally planned, and some of that group does not appear to be can’t miss.
“We’re going to find 15 players who are willing to lay it on the line for us every night,” Wade said at his introductory press conference inside a rocking Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 30. “LSU and Louisiana deserves a winner, and that’s what we’re going to deliver, and we’re going to deliver that in short order.”
But in early May after struggling to fill out his roster via the NCAA Transfer Portal, he said, “We’re really only going to pay seven or eight guys at LSU this year. We’ll fill out the back half of the roster with some guys who could help us in a pinch.”
At the moment, Wade’s roster has grown to a possible 11 players, but five of those have various potential eligibility issues because of new NCAA rules concerning transfers who have signed with pro teams overseas. And a sixth addition – star signee RJ Luis, formerly of St. John’s – signed with two NBA teams. Some of the 11 do not even make 247sports.com’s list.
And on Tuesday, news broke from NBC affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh that North Carolina State is investigating whether LSU officials improperly persuaded Wade to break his contract with NC State to go to LSU after one season in Raleigh, according to letters between the schools’ lawyers obtained by WRAL News. Major college coaches leaving for new jobs after one season is extremely rare in recent decades.
LSU officials were trying to hire Wade to LSU from McNeese State before he went to NC State last year and may have kept the hunt going after he went to NC State, according to Tiger Rag sources.
NC State is now refusing to release LSU from potential legal action tied to Wade’s acrimonious departure, according to WRAL, while the schools investigates if LSU violated the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. That is a North Carolina law that would allow for damages and the recovery of attorneys’ fees to be paid to NC State by LSU.
“The timing and circumstances of coach Wade’s departure from Raleigh and his resignation, along with the LSU term sheet, and the eventual payment of $4 million to NC State (in a buyout) raise questions about LSU’s potential liability in this matter,” NC State general counsel Allison B. Newhart wrote to LSU General Counsel Carlton Jones.
Jones had no comment on Tuesday night to Tiger Rag, nor did LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who was involved with the hiring of Wade along with Mallett.
Wade resigned from NC State on March 25, which was the day before his hiring at LSU was announced. Wade agreed to pay NC State a $4 million buyout, which LSU wired on May 8. Days later, Jones contacted NC State about a settlement agreement between the two schools.
On May 19, Jones sent a “mutual release and settlement agreement” to NC State’s general counsel, according to WRAL. It said that NC State would release LSU from any potential claims or actions arising from prior contact with Wade, his contract with NC State, the termination of his contract with NC State, the payment of the buyout, or any other matter.
“NC State has not agreed — and does not agree now — to release LSU from any liability,” a statement by NC State said on June 4, WRAL said. Instead, the statement said, “NC State is investigating whether LSU improperly induced Wade to breach his employment agreement, induced him to terminate his employment agreement, and interfered with the timing of termination of the employment agreement to result in lower liquidation damages — all to NC State’s detriment.”
Newhart wrote that “based on Wade’s actions prior to his departure and other information regarding LSU’s pursuit of Wade, NC State has reason to suspect LSU may have influenced efforts to avoid or delay notice to NC State of LSU’s recruitment of Wade and perhaps even the timing of his employment with LSU in order to avoid larger buyout fees,” Newhart wrote on June 4.
WRAL’s story says that, “Even before the season started, there were reports that LSU wanted to hire Wade — and that speculation only grew as the season progressed. Wade publicly professed his commitment to NC State and he did so privately, as well, according to Wolfpack athletics director Boo Corrigan.”
After NC State was eliminated from the ACC Tournament, Wade said, “I’m excited to be at NC State. I was hired at NC State to do a job. We’re going to win and we’re going to win big at NC State.”
Soon after Wade lost to Texas in an NCAA Tournament play-in game, he was gone after informing NC State via email and skipping a schedule meeting.
“There was no reason for me not to believe the words that I was hearing coming back to me from coach Wade,” NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan said after Wade’s resignation.
“I was surpised and shocked,” Corrigan said later.
When asked how he thought NC State fans felt after Wade left, Corrigan said, “I would commiserate with them in terms of feeling lied to.”
Wade was asked about his departure from NC State at his March 30 press conference at LSU.
“I think some of the things have been mischaracterized on how I left,” he said.
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