Will Wade Returning to LSU? Heath Schroyer Move Reveals Answer

BATON ROUGE, La. (103.3 The GOAT) — A man whose ending at LSU was mired in controversy might be coming back, and LSU basketball fans have every reason to be excited.

LSU is working to hire McNeese State Athletic Director Heath Schroyer as a senior administrator, college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported Wednesday. Within minutes, On3’s Pete Nakos added the part that changes everything: a source told him Will Wade is not coming back to LSU without Schroyer.

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What the Schroyer Hire Would Actually Mean

Schroyer has been McNeese State’s athletic director since 2020. He hired Will Wade as head basketball coach in 2023 after Wade’s departure from LSU, and the Cowboys went to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. When Wade left for NC State last year, Schroyer replaced him with Bill Armstrong, who went 28-5 and won the Southland Conference title this season.

The connections here go beyond basketball. LSU President Wade Rousse came to Baton Rouge from McNeese last November. LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Mallett is a Lake Charles businessman who has been close to Will Wade since his original run with the Tigers. John Condos, another Lake Charles figure and McNeese graduate, was added to the LSU Board of Supervisors in March.

The people Will Wade trusts most keep turning up in Baton Rouge.

Where Things Stand with Matt McMahon

LSU has not officially fired Matt McMahon, but the athletic department has gone quiet. McMahon is 17-55 in SEC play since taking over in 2022. The Tigers have not been to the NCAA Tournament once in his four seasons.

Per Tiger Rag's Glenn Guilbeau, LSU has identified the money to buy McMahon out at roughly $8 million and bring Wade back. The money was never really the problem. Wade's availability was.

What Wade Has Said — And What His Actions Suggest

Wade pushed back on the LSU talk directly when reporters asked him at the ACC Tournament in March. “No. Is the job open there? No? Listen, let me be very clear: I’m excited at NC State,” Wade said, per Sports Illustrated. He talked about meetings with his administration, roster changes, and a long-term plan at NC State.

That was two weeks ago. Since then, Schroyer’s name has surfaced publicly, Wade’s buyout drops from $5 million to $3 million after April 1, and the transfer portal opens April 7. Both dates carry real weight in how this plays out.

NC State-focused outlet Pack Insider reported Wednesday that sources close to the program have grown less confident in recent days, with one saying the situation was no longer settled and the LSU rumors had real legs.

The LSU Connection Goes Back Years

Wade coached LSU from 2017 to 2022, winning an SEC title in 2019 and making three NCAA Tournaments. NCAA-related suspensions kept him off the bench for one of them. He was fired in 2022 amid a recruiting investigation. The NCAA found his conduct was “deliberate and committed after substantial planning.”

He sat out a year, then took the McNeese job, went 30-4 and 28-7 in two seasons, and signed with NC State last March for six years at $17.25 million.

Walking away from that before finishing his first full season would be a remarkable move. But Schroyer landing at LSU was always the tell. If that hire gets announced, the rest of this story writes itself.

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