‘Extremely disappointing’: McNeese coach Will Wade asks NCAA to allow suspended players to return after federal probe

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: McNeese State University basketball coach Will Wade has appealed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to bring back the people who lost their jobs because of an investigation into illegal payments made to players.

On Wednesday, March 20, Wade said, as The Athletic reported, “I think it ruined a lot of people’s lives. I was able to recover. There were a lot of good people who were not able to recover.”

Will Wade claims investigation ‘ruined’ lives

He continued, “I think it ruined a lot of people’s lives for very little reason and I think it was extremely unfortunate.”

Putting forward his demand, Wade, who was terminated from his LSU men's basketball coach duty in 2022 before being ordered a 10-game suspension in 2023, stated, “I wish the NCAA would step in and say, look we need to let these other folks back in.”

“We need to get rid of some of these punishments that they had. They need to wash it, start clear, and let those guys back in,” the 41-year-old mentioned.

Wade added, “They need to let them get going and give them the opportunity to rebuild their careers. They’ve been punished, I promise you. They’ve been punished enough.”

Will Wade calls his coach journey ‘roller coaster’

Despite facing bad times, Wade focused on the good side and shared what he has learned over the years as the coach.

He revealed, as per ESPN, “We're never short for excitement on our roller coaster, so, it's been fun.”

He went on to explain, “Look, if I didn't get the LSU job, I wouldn't have been introduced to the state of Louisiana. [If I] wasn't at LSU, I wouldn't have been fortunate enough to get this McNeese job [and] have this magical and special season that we've had,” before adding, “It'd say it's a net positive.”

This came as Wade also reportedly once said, “Look, here’s the thing, people who don’t like me or know us, I’m not gonna change their mind. There was a time in my life when I cared what other people thought. That’s over.”

“If you want to write a hit piece on me, you are free to. It will not bother me,” he asserted.

Internet reacts to Will Wade's response 

However, some people were not happy with Wade’s attitude as a person commented below The Athletic article, “Damn that’s crazy, maybe you shouldn’t have done it then you arrogant prick.”

Another person wrote, “Sob sob. If getting caught cheating makes you sad, maybe don't cheat.”

The third one added, “Saying it ‘ruined lives’ is a strong a** statement.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.