“Will Wade is only 34 years old.”
“Will Wade only won because he had Shaka Smart’s players.”
“Will Wade will be like Shaka Smart/Anthony Grant/etc. and fail at a bigger job.”
That’s just a small sample of concerns that people are using to knock LSU’s hiring of the former VCU head coach.
And they’re valid concerns. But with Wade, the good has far outweighed the bad.
Sure, he’s young, but he’s a proven winner.
Sure, he had Smart’s players, but clearly did something right in leading the Rams to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.
And sure, former VCU coaches have struggled in certain situations, but not all situations are the same.
You get the point.
The reason LSU hired Wade has nothing to do with hypotheticals, but has everything to do with reality.
The reality is that the Tigers needed a winning coach that could inject the program with a level of energy and enthusiasm that hadn’t been seen in Baton Rouge in several years.
Wade more than fits that criteria.
The Johnny Jones era was a complete disappointment. Even with Ben Simmons on the roster for the 2015-16 season, LSU couldn’t make the NCAA tournament, and ended the season with one of the most embarrassing losses in program history in a 71-38 defeat to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
Then the 2016-17 season happened. Despite winning the tiebreaker over Missouri in the standings, LSU was the worst team in the conference. The Tigers weren’t competitive for the majority of league play, and the 106-71 home loss to Florida on January 25 all but officially cost Jones his job.
People stopped coming to games. Interest level was as low as it had been in many years. Changed was needed, and most importantly, a complete overhaul was required.
Enter Wade, a coach with the youthful energy and infectious personality that can help LSU find its way once again.
This program is rich with tradition. Dale Brown’s 25-year run as head coach has been well-documented, and John Brady did just fine in leading LSU to a Final Four in 2006.
Wade will have a tough time matching either of their contributions. However, winning NCAA tournament games and reaching the Final Four isn’t the top priority right now.
All that matters is the first step in what will be a process that requires a lot of steps.
Rebuilding a program isn’t easy. Just ask South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, who after back-to-back seasons of only 14 wins in his first two years on the job, now has the Gamecocks a win away from the Final Four.
Or ask Rick Barnes. Or Bruce Pearl. Or Avery Johnson. Or Ben Howland.
Turning LSU into a consistent winner in a league that boasts its most impressive coaching roster in history won’t be easy.
But Wade will embrace the challenge. He’s proven that he can recruit at a high level – VCU had the nation’s 35th best recruiting class prior to his exit – and the administration will give him the time needed to turn things around.
That’s a recipe for success.
Even if he’s just a 34-year-old that won’t succeed because he’s a former VCU coach that only won with Shaka Smart’s players.