When the Tigers’ coach was asked if he ever thought he would return, Wade said, “I guess you never count anything out in life. But when we left here, we never thought we’d be back.”
Wade is in the midst of building a competitive team ahead of the 2026-27 season. He already has assembled his coaching staff, which includes three former college head coaches: Rick Stansbury, Johnny Jones and Damon Stoudamire. Vernon Hamilton, who previously coached under Wade, is an assistant with experience as the acting head coach for the first five games of McNeese’s season in 2023-24.
Since Wade’s firing, LSU hasn’t won at least 20 games or made an NCAA Tournament appearance. In the past four seasons under McMahon, the Tigers were ranked in the bottom two of the SEC three times.