The North Carolina State Wolfpack experienced one of the most underwhelming seasons for a team fresh from a Final Four appearance. Expectations were high at the start of the season, but eighth-year head coach Kevin Keatts and his team couldn’t meet them.
As a result, athletic director Boo Corrigan decided to let Keatts go and promptly began the search for a new leader for the program. The selection process quickly focused on two finalists: Tennessee’s associate head coach Justin Gainey and Will Wade. Although the decision was made quickly, it wasn’t publicly confirmed until Wade and his team had finished their NCAA Tournament journey.
During a press conference, Wade hinted at a potential move to NC State, mentioning his communication with the school, which fueled speculation. Interestingly, news leaked during the tournament that Wade was set to become the next head coach, although no official statement was made at that time. Having just spent a year at McNeese, Wade had already recruited players he believed could join him at his new role.
“Half the kids I recruited, I told them, ‘Hey, the goal is to go Power 5 after this year and some of you guys can go with me,’” Wade remarked.
When Wade was formally introduced as head coach, he articulated his vision for the program, dismissing any notions of NC State undergoing a rebuilding phase.
“I want to be very clear, this is not a rebuild. We’re going to be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we’re going to the NCAA Tournament. This is not going to be something that’s going to take a while,” Wade declared.
This is an ambitious target for a team that recently placed last in a struggling ACC conference. Now, Wade will have the chance to recruit the players he desires to establish the next chapter for the Wolfpack program.
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