McNeese State took a big swing when it hired Will Wade, a year to the day after he was fired from LSU due to alleged recruiting violations. Wade would go on to win the Southland Conference Coach of the Year award in both of his seasons with the Cowboys, leading the program to back-to-back conference titles and NCAA tournament berths. McNeese reached the round of 32 for the first time as a Division I program this year.
Wade quickly parlayed his time at McNeese into a power conference job, as he will take over at NC State. In his place, Cowboys brass are looking to make another bold hire, with one Basketball Hall of Fame coach on the list, albeit one with his own personal baggage: former Cincinnati, Kansas State and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
