McNeese Tabs Former Wade Assistant Bill Armstrong As Next Head Coach

Lake Charles, Louisiana - McNeese State has found its next Head Coach. The school will officially announce later today that Former Baylor and Will Wade assistant Bill Armstrong will be the next man to lead the Cowboys.

In his postgame presser following the loss to Clemson, Former Coach Will Wade said he wanted to be involved with McNeese for as long as he can. It appears this might be the way.

Whatever happens next, our program here is in great shape. We have tremendous leadership, and we’re not done. We have a plan to keep this program rolling, no matter who’s at the helm. This program will keep winning. I really believe we’re just getting started.”

Bill Armstrong takes over one of the hottest Mid-Major programs in the country with one of the best setups in all of small school college basketball. At McNeese, if you're fortunate enough to secure the 1-2 seed in the Southland Conference Tournament, you are set up to win two games on your home floor to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Armstrong has a long history in coaching, spending time at multiple programs across the country. Most recently, he was an assistant coach at Baylor under Scott Drew, taking the position in May 2024. Before that, he served as the head coach at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, where he led the team to national success. Under his leadership, Link Academy won the 2022-23 national championship and reached the semifinals of the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals the following season.

Before his time at Link Academy, Armstrong was well-known in Louisiana as an associate head coach and assistant coach at LSU under Will Wade from 2017 to 2022. During his five seasons in Baton Rouge, he helped guide the Tigers to four postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament and a run to the Sweet 16 in 2019. LSU also won the SEC regular-season title in 2019 and produced multiple first-round NBA Draft picks, including Cam Thomas and Tari Eason.

Armstrong’s tenure at LSU came to an end in 2022 when he and head coach Will Wade were fired following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations.

Armstrong remains highly respected for his recruiting ability, playing a key role in assembling LSU’s No. 3-ranked recruiting class in 2018-19.

Before joining LSU, Armstrong spent 11 years on the coaching staff at Ole Miss, serving as an assistant coach for six seasons after five years as the director of basketball operations.

Armstrong’s coaching career began at the junior college level before he moved up the ranks, spending time at Birmingham-Southern and his alma mater, UAB, where he was a graduate assistant. As a player, he competed for UAB and was a team captain during his senior year, helping lead the Blazers to postseason appearances in the NIT and NCAA Tournament.

Now, Armstrong takes on a new challenge at McNeese, looking to continue the winning success that former Head Coach Will Wade began a few short years ago in Lake Charles.