Loyal to a Fault

Wade’s return could be about more than basketball

By Jim Gazzolo

There are always two sides to every story.

Will Wade’s tale back to LSU is no different.

While North Carolina State fans believe Wade is the worst college basketball has to offer, LSU thinks the exact opposite.

The truth is in the eyes of those who are talking.

While the Wolfpack faithful think Wade’s exit after one year is the ultimate betrayal, and one can surely understand their point of view, there really is a different side.

Wade’s journey back to LSU is also one of loyalty. It may not seem like it from a distance, but up close, that’s what it really looks like.

It’s also a loyalty on many different levels.

Back when Wade was first at LSU, and the world, including his own bosses, were quick to turn on him, Tiger fans stayed loyal to their coach. They fought for him, begged him to stay, and considered his firing after a recruiting scandal a betrayal of the program he was turning around.

So it makes sense on that level that Wade would feel he owes at least some gratitude to LSU.

Then there is the new leadership in Baton Rouge. The stars aligned perfectly for Will Wade to return to LSU. 

Some of that may have been luck, but a lot of it was by design. Lee Mallett took over as chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Mallett is a local businessman who became friends with Wade and helped fund his teams at McNeese. 

Dr. Wade Rousse moved over from the presidency of McNeese to the same spot at LSU. He eventually brought Heath Schroyer, the Cowboy A.D., with him. Schroyer, Rousse, and Wade became close friends while at McNeese.

The very guys who helped Wade reshape his career while in Lake Charles were now power brokers at LSU. Even the governor got involved.

Some of those who were less than thrilled with Wade on the LSU campus are now gone. That made this the perfect time for Wade to head back to the Tiger bench.

And it’s paying off for McNeese, who he also feels indebted to. 

Wade has agreed to bring LSU to Lake Charles to play the Cowboys in an exhibition game next fall. All proceeds will go to the MSU basketball program. 

Wade was also at the NIL dinner Tuesday night with Schroyer, helping to get the most money ever promised to the program. 

Maybe Wade is the villain to the rest of the country, but in Louisiana, that just 

makes him loved that much more. 

Or maybe he’s just loyal to his friends. Just don’t ask N.C. State. 

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS Lake Charles.