After only one season at NC State, Will Wade is returning to LSU, he announced Thursday. Wade rose to national prominence with the Tigers from 2018 to 2022, going 105-51 in five seasons before his unceremonious firing on the eve of the 2022 NCAA Tournament over multiple alleged NCAA infractions.
Now he’s heading back to Baton Rouge, leaving the Wolfpack, once again, in need of a new men’s basketball coach.
While the timing of Wade’s departure — and the nature in which it happened, with an email from Wade’s agent to NC State AD Boo Corrigan capping a year of speculation about LSU luring him away — surely stings, the Wolfpack are actually fairly well-positioned to land a strong replacement.
The program’s resources — believed to total about $10 million this season between revenue-sharing and NIL funds, according to one program source — are within the necessary band of investment required to win in the modern era. (That’s a large reason why Wade and his staff were able to land Texas Tech transfer forward Darrion Williams over interest from Kansas last spring, for example.) Wade’s replacement is expected to receive at least comparable funding, which should rank in the top third of the ACC.
Industry chatter suggests that NC State’s history of success — as one of just 15 schools with multiple national championships — and rabid fan support make it one of the more attractive openings this cycle. Plus, Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, with solid year-round weather and a relatively affordable cost of living.
Put together, NC State can make a fairly compelling pitch, even at this relative late point in the coaching carousel.
But who will the Wolfpack call?
The call list (in alphabetical order)…
Flynn Clayman, head coach, High Point
Three seasons ago, Clayman was the associate head coach at Southern Utah … and now he’s in the mix for a prominent high-major gig? You betcha. This would be the most dramatic leap yet in Clayman’s rapid ascent through the college hoops coaching ranks, but his work at High Point this season — going 31-5 and upsetting No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament — only cemented his status as a rising star. That said, is the timing right? NC State can reasonably shoot for more established options, while Clayman, who signed a five-year contract extension in February, should be picky about leaving one of the highest-spending mid-majors in the country. But if the Wolfpack strike out on some of their top choices, they could do a lot worse than someone on Clayman’s trajectory.
Justin Gainey, associate head coach, Tennessee
Gainey was a finalist for the job last spring, before the Wolfpack upped their level of investment in order to land Wade. Expect the 49-year-old to be heavily in the mix again, especially after another successful season as Rick Barnes’ right-hand man. Gainey — a North Carolina native who played for the Wolfpack from 1996 to 2000, whose coaching career began as his alma mater’s director of basketball operations — has deep ties to the program and region, and there’s no doubt that NC State would be something of a dream job for him. However, despite Gainey’s reputation as one of the nation’s top assistants, he’s never been a head coach before at any level. How much of a holdup is that for athletic director Boo Corrigan?
Chris Holtmann, head coach, DePaul
Holtmann is best known for his seven seasons at Ohio State, where he made the NCAA Tournament four times but never advanced to the second weekend. The 51-year-old has rebounded nicely at DePaul, though, going 16-16 this season at arguably the toughest high-major job in the country. If he can do that with DePaul’s financial situation, what could he do with the kind of financial backing Wade had this season? Beside the obvious resource bump that Holtmann would receive in Raleigh, he also already has some regional familiarity in North Carolina, having gotten his first head coaching gig at Gardner-Webb in 2010. Holtmann certainly isn’t the sexiest name under consideration, but he’d be a high-floor option for the Wolfpack, which might not be the worst idea, in the wake of Wade’s abrupt departure.
Luke Murray, assistant coach, UConn
Murray is firmly in the mix to replace Earl Grant at Boston College, which would be a coup if the Eagles can actually land one of the nation’s best assistant coaches. After all, Murray has been a key cog in the UConn machine ever since he joined Dan Hurley’s staff in 2021, especially in helping build out the Huskies’ dynamic offense. But would Corrigan actually hire Murray, with his lack of head coaching experience and regional ties? He’d be wise to, especially if he could arm Murray with a similar war chest to the one Wade received, but industry chatter suggests NC State might see itself as too great a leap for the 40-year-old Murray. It would certainly be an aggressive play by the typically conservative Corrigan, but one with as much upside as any hire on this list.
Eric Olen, head coach, New Mexico
Olen, 45, is a rising star in the industry, taking UC San Diego to the NCAA Tournament last season before narrowly missing the cut with New Mexico this year. He’s regarded as a strong defensive mind and as someone bound to eventually get a high-major opportunity. But is this the right time and job? Olen is from Alabama and played college ball at Spring Hill but has been out west ever since. Plus, for as good a job as he did with the Lobos this season, going 26-10 with wins over Mississippi State and VCU, it might be a tough sell for NC State to hire someone with one career March Madness berth.
Josh Schertz, head coach, Saint Louis
Here’s the biggie. Schertz, 50, was the name in this year’s coaching carousel but has so far rebuffed every opportunity that came his way, instead signing a lucrative contract extension with the Billikens that sets him up for continued success in Saint Louis. NC State may be a job he would consider, but the Wolfpack would need to commit to giving him at least the level of resources Wade received, if not more— and they’d need to move quickly, with the coaching carousel still spinning and the chance of other attractive jobs getting his attention. He’s also perfectly content to stay at Saint Louis and wait for a better opportunity in future years. A year after going all-in on Wade, is NC State willing and able to take a similar swing? Schertz is certainly worth it, but it’s TBD whether that’ll actually happen.
Tony Skinn, head coach, George Mason
Skinn has gone 70-31 at his alma mater, cementing himself as one of the best young coaches in the sport and setting himself up for future high-major opportunities. But good as he is, he’s yet to make the NCAA Tournament in three seasons with the Patriots, which might be a tough sell in Raleigh. The 43-year-old is a defensive guru with high-major experience at Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland, but the timing and fit might not be quite right here.
And the hire is…
Schertz, if NC State is serious about competing with Duke and North Carolina in the immediate future. It will take serious investment — to a greater extent than Wade received, even — but the 50-year-old is undoubtedly the best candidate the Wolfpack can hope to land at this juncture. If the Wolfpack can’t land Schertz, then either Clayman or Murray would represent a high-upside hire with room to grow into the position.