Mar 26, 2026 - News

Will Wade abandons Wolfpack

RALEIGH, NC - FEBRUARY 17: Head coach Will Wade of the NC State Wolfpack questions the referee during the college basketball game between the UNC Tar Heels and the NC State Wolfpack on February 17, 2026 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Image — Photo: Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Will Wade is out as head coach of N.C. State's men's basketball team.

Why it matters: In a stunning move, Wade, who spent his one season in Raleigh promising a "red reckoning" for the ACC, quit to return to Louisiana State University.

Wade coached at LSU from 2017 to 2022, before being ousted after an NCAA investigation.

What they're saying: "This was not an easy decision ... but the opportunity to return to [LSU] is deeply personal," Wade said in a statement Thursday. "It's a chance to go home — to a place that means a great deal to me and my family."

At a press conference, N.C. State's Athletics Director Boo Corrigan said that Wade resigned via an email from his agent.

Between the lines: Wade might be the most-hated man in Raleigh now, after promising so much to the Wolfpack faithful and bailing without much to show for it.

The Pack didn't make it into the NCAA tournament's Round of 64.

The big picture: Now, N.C. State and its rival down the road in Chapel Hill are both faced with the task of trying to find a coach who can return their respective programs to championship contention.

Add Axios on Google

Will Wade abandons Wolfpack

More Raleigh stories