Inside former NC State coach Will Wade’s departure from Raleigh to LSU
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- Flight tracking and a private jet confirmed Will Wade’s abrupt return to LSU.
- Wade drove onto the tarmac amid boos and was met by LSU staff at the terminal.
- Wade left after one season at N.C. State, finishing 20-14 and 10-8 in ACC play.
N.C. State fans were some of the earliest to adopt the trend of “flight tracking” when hearing rumors of coaching changes.
With talk of head basketball coach Will Wade heading back to LSU, flight tracking became top of mind once again. It culminated in Wade’s final departure.
A private flight left Baton Rouge at 3:19 p.m. ET on Thursday and landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at approximately 5:12 p.m.
Wade arrived at RDU’s private terminal shortly before the plane landed, wearing a purple polo and driving his N.C. State-funded red Chevrolet Tahoe. His wife and daughter were there, already decked out in LSU gear. He drove directly onto the tarmac after being let in through a locked gate.
N.C. State fans booed and yelled expletives at the vehicle.
Upon the flight’s arrival in Louisiana, Wade and his family were met with hugs from LSU administrators and a few supporters.
At no point did Wade address reporters or Wolfpack fans.
Instead, airport staff told those in attendance to leave. One airport employee called law enforcement and threatened legal action. An airport police cruiser was stationed outside the private terminal for approximately 30 minutes.
Wade was actually expected to leave Raleigh earlier in the day.
According to Flight Aware, a Wheels Up private jet was expected to leave Baton Rouge Metro Airport on at 11:05 a.m. ET Thursday and arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at approximately 1:14 p.m. However, reports stated that the delay was due to contract negotiations.
LSU was also busy announcing Heath Schroyer’s hire as a senior administrator over men’s basketball. Schroyer, along with now-LSU president Wade Rousse, hired Wade at McNeese State and gave him his first job after being fired from LSU in 2022.
Reports surfaced late Wednesday that Wade’s departure from the program was imminent, barring any major surprises from the N.C. State side.
Shortly before 10 a.m. ET Thursday, additional reports stated that Wade was one and done at N.C. State, returning to the Tigers’ program after spending one season with the Wolfpack. Multiple sources confirmed the departure to the News & Observer. Wade made it official with a statement posted shortly before 1 p.m.
LSU announced “The Return” through a video on social media at 5:24 p.m., roughly 12 minutes after the executive plane landed.
The announcement came one year and one day after the school held Wade’s introductory news conference at Reynolds Coliseum. He is the shortest-tenured coach in program history. Peter “Press” Maravich spent two seasons with the program before leaving for LSU.
Wade went 20-14 overall and 10-8 in ACC play during his lone season. The team started 18-6 before finishing the year 2-8. It won one game in the ACC Tournament and lost to Texas, 68-66, in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament last week. He coached at LSU from 2017-22 before getting fired for cause due to investigations into recruiting tactics.
N.C. State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said during a news conference Thursday afternoon that he was disappointed for the program, the university and the fans.
“I was as surprised and shocked as anyone else as this occurred based on the previous conversations that we had had,” Corrigan said. “I believed he was telling me his true intentions.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Inside former NC State coach Will Wade’s departure from Raleigh to LSU."
