McNeese State Coach Offers Bold Take on Alabama Crimson Tide NIL Spending

McNeese State Cowboys basketball coach Will Wade, who used to go up against the Alabama Crimson Tide with the LSU Tigers, offered a bold take on their NIL spending.

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade after a first round game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center. / Gabriel Mayberry-Imagn Images

Before taking the head coaching job with the McNeese State Cowboys and turning them into the class of the Southland Conference, Will Wade was trying his best to get the LSU Tigers back on the map in the SEC.

He was head coach there for five seasons, making the NCAA Tournament three times. The Tigers would have almost assuredly made it a fourth time in 2020 had it not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alas, Wade was unable to build off the positive momentum he created as he was fired following recruiting violations.

Nowadays, the name, image and likeness era has led to players looking to secure as much money as possible and coaches spend as much time talking contracts with players as they do making game plans.

Wade is now embracing that at McNeese, where he has helped lead an incredible turnaround in a short period of time.

After suffering 11 straight losing campaigns, McNeese went 30-4 in his first year on the sidelines, winning the Southland Confernece and earning a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They are in position to do so again with a 15-5 overall record and a perfect 9-0 record in conference.

While Wade is focused on the task at hand with his team, he still keeps an eye on what is going on around the country.

In a recent appearance on Wake Up Mintzy, the former LSU coach was asked about the current state of college basketball and what it takes for a program to win consistently. He doesn’t believe having the most money directly results in winning the most.

Wade used the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of the teams he has faced off against in the SEC, as a prime example of a team that can succeed without spending the most money amongst their rivals.

“Alabama’s roster – it’s probably not in the top 3 or 4 in the SEC in terms of what they paid for it. But they evaluated well. They got parts and pieces that fit well together. And he’s done a great job with it,” he said, via Matt Connolly of On3.

The Crimson Tide are currently the No. 4 team in the country and in the mix to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in March. They certainly have solid NIL backing, but are putting in the effort to find players who fit coach Nate Oats’ game plan instead of just trying to land the most sought-after players who will cost the most money.

Chemistry is important and what can give Alabama an edge as other teams may not be as cohesive of a unit when it matters most.