LSU chose to fire Wade. He didn't leave on his own. Now, you can say the firing was justified. Whether it was necessary is a different discussion. Regardless, it was done.

LSU didn't HAVE to hire McMahon. They chose to. And to be fair, his resume at the time compared to the 5 other SEC hires made that cycle wasn't bad. Three years in though it is becoming painfully clear to all except for a few to whom it is also clear, but who won't admit it simply to maintain the role of contrarian, that McMahon is unlikely to have any degree of success at LSU. So there is very little logic in continuing on with him after this season other than to save approximately $2.7M and enduing an empty area and lifeless program for another year before doing the inevitable next spring.

The "hate" for Wade isn't born out of personal animus, or even much logic. It's simply an emotional reaction from those who just don't like the people who want him back and never wanted him fired. That's because if logic played a part in their line of thinking they would see it would be a GREAT thing for the program if he were to return. He won at the most consistent rate of any HC in 30 years. He was taking LSU to NCAA tournaments annually. Brady never went to more than two in a row (and only one time in his 11 year tenure). Johnson and Jones only reached one a piece. Before LSU, Wade brought VCU to the NCAAT in each of his two seasons there. In his first coaching job after LSU, at a school very few outside of southwest Louisiana even know exists, he orchestrated the largest single season turnaround in NCAA history, reaching the NCAAT in the process. This year his team is in position to do it again.

Contrary to popular belief, LSU is not a huge player in the MBB marketplace like they are in football and baseball. And last time I checked, there isn't a HOF, national championship winning coach out there who grew up in LA, played in LA, and had a child attend LSU, that LSU could poach from another school.

Wade would immediately inject life into an apathetic program. He would win immediately. He would embrace this new era of college sports instead of working on a 5 year plan to nowhere. And the biggest point of all is his (alleged) prior bad acts would be of ZERO significance because not only are "strong arse offers" legal now, they are MANDATORY.

He was the right man in the right place at the right time until a truly absurd and unprecedented set of circumstances brought him down. LSU will now have a second chance to pick up where it left off...if all involved were smart enough to see that (I have my doubts)

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Posted by Gus007

Member since Jul 2018

14205 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 9:21 am to drizztiger

quote:
John Wooden had bags of cash paying players.

There was a Dr Gilbert that provided "assistance" to the "teflon "Coach.

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Posted by Gus007

Member since Jul 2018

14205 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 9:31 am to Mats86

quote:
A thread specifically about wade implies otherwise.
Just like the threads about Mcneese.

Between LSU losses, football and Basketball, we are desperately looking for a winner.

You know, there isn't much positive for the majority of LSU fans come Winter, since Woody was given the Reins.
The desperate "Portal Success" doesn't prove out until next Fall.

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Posted by BallChamp00

Member since May 2015

7357 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 9:37 am to Alt26

quote:
LSU AD and President was forced to fire Wade.

I fixed your post to include facts.

If you told your bosses that nothing can tie your company with the bad things being said and if somehow it does, you can be terminated with cause, you will be fired if it does. Well it did. After Wade said it wouldn’t. It’s that simple. But yea keep thinking Pat and Dicky V did this.

This post was edited on 1/20/25 at 9:40 am

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Posted by tigahlovah

virginia beach, va

Member since Oct 2009

4252 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 10:24 am to brewdrees

You can't be this MOTHERFLUCKING STUPID in real life, not realizing that every top player for AT LEAST the last 50 years has been bought and paid for by EVERY SCHOOL that signed them.

Then again, you appear to believe that Wade didn't do a great job at LSU. In that case, you would be that MOTHERFLUCKING STUPID.

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Posted by tigahlovah

virginia beach, va

Member since Oct 2009

4252 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 10:27 am to Mandtgr47

53 times in NCAA tournament history a 12 has beaten a 5. A SUPER RARE OCCURRENCE.

Care to share anymore wisdom with the board, Einstein?????????

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Posted by Alt26

Member since Mar 2010

34210 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 11:09 am to BallChamp00

quote:
If you told your bosses that nothing can tie your company with the bad things being said and if somehow it does, you can be terminated with cause, you will be fired if it does. Well it did. After Wade said it wouldn’t. It’s that simple. But yea keep thinking Pat and Dicky V did this.

The NCAA didn't "force" LSU to fire Wade. In fact, the NCAA wasn't even the body conducting the investigation. Auburn had an assistant coach arrested and sentenced criminally in the investigation. There were text messages between Bill Self (Kansas) and one of the Adidas employees who was criminally charged. Neither HC was fired. Wade was hired by McNeese while he was on probation. There was no governing body that could force McNeese to not hire him. Just like there was no governing body to force LSU to fire Wade.

LSU CHOSE to fire Wade. I'm not saying there wasn't justification for them to do so. But to act like they really didn't want to but were forced by someone or somebody above them is patently false.

The DAY Wade was fired I posed LSU was doing so to avoid a "death penalty" (that was NEVER going to be implemented) and, in the process would self-impose a de facto death penalty. For the most part that has proven to be accurate for practical purposes. The program is losing...a LOT. There is no enthusiasm from the fanbase about the program and nothing to suggest it's going to start having success under the current regime.

The world of college sports has changed dramatically from 2019 (the year the wiretap story came out) to 2025. Offers of money to sign highly rated recruits is now completely legal and mandatory. Clandestine phone calls with shady "runners" are totally unnecessary now. What IS necessary now is an HC who can (1) convince donors to give significant sums of money to the program; (2) successfully navigate the transfer portal each year; (3) take significantly new rosters and win. Wade has proven he can do all three. McMahon hasn't.

So we can talk about some mythical Oz like wizard behind a curtain forcing poor old LSU's hand. We can talk about some ominous "dark cloud"...that never actually existed. We can talk about some 5-6 year "rebuild" that isn't necessary in this day and age, and for which there are zero signs is actually taking place. Or we can talk about reality. For those dozen or so of us who actually attend games routinely and often find fricking hot dogs parachuting from the ceiling more compelling than the actual performance on the floor I think we'd rather discuss the latter.

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Posted by txtiger74

Dallas

Member since Feb 2013

125 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 11:55 am to Alt26

Wooden signed Alcindor and Walton with cash, cocaine, and hookers.

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Posted by BallChamp00

Member since May 2015

7357 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 12:26 pm to Alt26

quote:
The NCAA didn't "force" LSU to fire Wade. In fact, the NCAA wasn't even the body conducting the investigation. Auburn had an assistant coach arrested and sentenced criminally in the investigation. There were text messages between Bill Self (Kansas) and one of the Adidas employees who was criminally charged. Neither HC was fired. Wade was hired by McNeese while he was on probation. There was no governing body that could force McNeese to not hire him. Just like there was no governing body to force LSU to fire Wade. LSU CHOSE to fire Wade. I'm not saying there wasn't justification for them to do so. But to act like they really didn't want to but were forced by someone or somebody above them is patently false.

A story was coming out that would hurt two programs at lsu. Wade was asked if it were true. He denied it. Said if it were you could fire me with cause. Signed a contract stating that.

So no. Nobody CHOSE to fire him. He flat out lied to the university higher ups because he thought he was invincible. Bill Self worked with his administration. That’s the difference. One deflected and lied.

If you want someone who can lie about that to the higher ups, then you do not want what’s best for the university.

Enough with Wade.

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Posted by Tiger Ugly

Baton Rouge

Member since Jul 2008

17884 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 12:39 pm to BallChamp00

quote:
So no. Nobody CHOSE to fire him. He flat out lied to the university higher ups because he thought he was invincible. Bill Self worked with his administration. That’s the difference. One deflected and lied.

I'm not sure how much Self did or did not work with his administration - I'm more willing to bet he told them "I'm Bill Frickin Self - you go ahead and fire me and see how that works out for you". But I have no idea so I'm just speculating.

I do however know about Bruce Pearl:
he told his admins at Auburn to go pack sand...
"Yes, Bruce Pearl, the head coach of Auburn's men's basketball team, refused to cooperate with an internal investigation into his program in 2017. The investigation was prompted by the arrest of former assistant coach Chuck Person on charges of college basketball corruption."

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Posted by Alt26

Member since Mar 2010

34210 posts

Posted on 1/20/25 at 1:39 pm to BallChamp00

quote:
A story was coming out that would hurt two programs at lsu. Wade was asked if it were true. He denied it.

And guess what? The IARP didn't find "the story" was proven to be true. i.e. the "Strong arse offer". It found Wade failed to disclose to the NCAA that the girlfriend of a former VCU player extorted him for money while Wade was at LSU and that an LSU assistant coach had impermissible contact with a recruit (i.e. Trendon Watford). The strong-arse offer was never proven.

Am I naïve enough to think he didn't pay Smart, Reid, and others? Of course not. I know this might come as a shock to some, but that's how high-level college basketball recruiting worked BEFORE NIL. But the "story" you reference was not proven. And that story came out in March of 2019. Literally NOTHING changed from that moment on until Wade was fired in March of 2022. Pat Forde and his other fellow losers just kept periodically reprinting the same story every year. The Notice of Allegations didn't detail some new, shocking revelations. Its was what was known by LSU for 3 years. Wade retained legal counsel and didn't really cooperate with the NCAA/IARP. Why? Because his lawyer knew the NCAA/IARP really didn't have all that much power to force him to cooperate.

LSU chose to fire him. There was no mandate that he had to be fired. And save the BS that he was "lying to the higher ups". Scott Woodward has been an AD for years. He 1000% knows how major college football and basketball recruiting works...unless you are gullible enough to believe Saban didn't pay players to come to LSU. Or that Fisher didn't pay players at A&M. The AD just willfully turns a blind eye to that reality unless he has to pretend he cares.

quote:
Enough with Wade.

That would be the sentiment if the current coach could actually win. He's not...all while the prior coach who did win is sitting a few hours down the road winning at an historic level at an historically bad program just waiting for a power conf. job. You have a guy who has proven to win everywhere he's been (now 4 different stops). LSU basketball fans, the ones who actually care enough to follow the program, would prefer to just get the guy who has proven he can win here vs (1) continue along with the current waste of time and (2) roll the dice that the next "Matt McMahon" might be good this time around and, if not, another 3, 4, 5 year waste of time.

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