When LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade’s job security was on life support after “The Great Strong Ass Offer FBI Wiretap Scandal of March 2019,” he agreed to a contract amendment that states he can be fired by the school if the NCAA merely alleges he was involved in a Level 1 or Level 2 violation.
Since then, presumably with the eyes of NCAA investigators focused on Wade like laser beams, he has repeatedly put together recruiting classes that have helped LSU become the winningest SEC team in regular season league games (39-14) the last three seasons.
That’s just the tip of what he has accomplished so far. He was the first LSU coach to get to the postseason in his first two seasons. It would probably be four straight years if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t wiped out the 2020 postseason.
The 39-year-old Wade is one of five LSU coaches to lead his team to an SEC championship and one of four to advance the Tigers to the Sweet 16.
Now, Wade’s fifth LSU team is about to begin SEC play ranked No. 16 with a 12-0 record as one of Division 1’s five remaining unbeaten teams. Starting Wednesday night at No. 12 Auburn, LSU’s first eight league games on its 18-game conference through the end of January are against six teams (four ranked) with a combined record of 66-15.
If the Tigers stay healthy, a third NCAA tourney trip under Wade is likely and another Sweet 16 berth isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Meanwhile, LSU’s NCAA investigation still hasn’t been resolved and probably won’t be for the foreseeable future. As an example of the snail’s pace of the NCAA’s wheels of justice, Auburn just received on Dec. 10 the ruling on its rules violation case that started in September 2017 when then-assistant coach Chuck Person violated ethical conduct rules by accepting $91,500 in bribes to guide top prospects to a specific financial advisor who happened to be cooperating with the government.
As part of the NCAA sanctions, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games. The infractions committee panel said Pearl “violated head coach responsibility rules because he did not adequately monitor the associate head coach and failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance.”
Pearl, now in his eighth season coaching AU, won’t be fired by Auburn. Why? Because he wins – his next victory will win No. 150 at Auburn where his 2018-19 team advanced to the Final Four.
Which brings us to this question.
Has Wade built enough Good Will to offset the alleged Bad Will and not get fired by LSU as his contract states when the NCAA finally issues allegations?
Yes he has, from the standpoint of wins and losses and accomplishments.
Yes, because he has steadily improved the program and is one of LSU’s most popular coaches in any sport.
Yes, because he has a huge ally in LSU alum Richard Lipsey, who founded the Tiger Athletic Foundation in 1987 and who has unrivaled political and financial sway.
Maybe, because Wade signed his contract amendment under a previous school president (F. King Alexander) and athletic director (Joe “The Search” Alleva). It's possible new president Dr. William F. Tate V and athletic director Scott Woodward will reconsider not enforcing Wade's amended contract in which they weren’t involved in shaping.
Then, there’s the fact the atmosphere of college sports has changed drastically since Wade’s alleged NCAA problems started almost three years ago.
Even if Wade did make a “strong ass offer” to supposedly former LSU guard Javonte Smart and any subsequent offers to other recruits, the money had to come from deep-pocketed boosters.
Yet what was illegal then is now a free-for-all, NCAA-legalized buying market under the guise of the name/image/likeness rule which took effect last July 1.
Now, the richest alums in major programs are organizing their cartels to buy the best athletes on the market, like Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer Gordon McKernan.
He’s putting out the call for fellow LSU boosters to legally form what could be named the Bengal Bagmen to compete in bidding wars with the rest of the SEC.
In tying this back to Wade and his case, the NCAA has zero rights to rule on anything that happened almost three years ago that the organization now deems legal.
The NCAA, in a panic to avoid getting sued, passed the NIL while not having a clue how to govern it. Subsequently, the NCAA has been reduced to trying to enforce a rulebook full of useless legislation based on the ridiculous principle attempting to make sure no school gets a competitive advantage.
The NIL has rendered every NCAA competitive advantage rule null and void, and it's the NCAA's fault.
And thus, there’s no way Will Wade should be fired.
If anything, he just might damn well be one of the founding fathers of the NIL.
