NCAA’s IARP Gives Will Wade Show-Cause, 10-Game Suspension

The former LSU men’s basketball coach received his punishment following the program's previous reported recruiting violations.

Former LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade received a 10-game suspension and a two-year show cause until 2025 for his involvement in the program’s reported recruiting violations, according to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP).

In addition to Wade’s suspension, his show-cause mandate prohibits him from off-campus recruiting during any applicable April or summer evaluation, reduces his official visits by four over the next two academic years and bans recruiting discussions and unofficial visits between Sept. 1 and Oct. 15 of this year and next year.

Wade, who is now the basketball coach at McNeese State, was fired as the Tigers’ coach in March 2022 after the NCAA cited him in six out of eight total Level I violations handed down by the NCAA for LSU’s alleged recruiting violations within the basketball and football programs. Of the eight, seven were linked to the basketball program, according to The Advocate. Bill Armstrong, Wade’s top assistant at LSU, was identified in one Level I violation as well as a Level II violation.

Wade, who coached five seasons at LSU, had a hectic tenure as the program’s coach. After three successful years at VCU prior to LSU, the FBI launched an investigation after Wade was heard on a tape speaking with former Adidas consultant Christian Dawkins about a financial offer to a 2017 recruit, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports in 2019.

Wade has his suspension doubled from five to 10 games, plus recruiting restrictions. pic.twitter.com/yzSNVRZAHl

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) June 22, 2023

When the FBI’s wiretap was revealed, LSU suspended Wade in March 2019. However, Wade was reinstated to the program after 37 days and consenting to a revised contract. Additional recruiting violations surfaced the following years. Then, in ’22, LSU received a notice of allegations for the violations that eventually led to Wade’s firing.

While Wade is leading the Cowboys’ program, he was hired under the condition that he would be suspended for McNeese State’s first five games of the 2023–24 season regardless of NCAA’s penalties of LSU’s program, according to The Advocate. This ruling now doubles the suspension at the start of his McNeese State tenure.