LSU Basketball's Will Wade Breaks Down Historic Decision to Depart NC State Program

Wade has made his formal return to Baton Rouge, gearing up for second stint at the helm of the Tigers.

Feb 19, 2022; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Will Wade is back in Baton Rouge with the new shot-caller of the LSU Tigers making his formal introduction on Monday afternoon in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

In what has become a national storyline in March, Wade made the decision to depart the NC State Wolfpack after just one season to make his return to the Bayou State.

During Wade's first stint with the LSU Tigers from 2017-22, LSU won 20 games or more in three-of-the-five-seasons Wade was at LSU and finished his first stint with a record of 105-51.

Now, the LSU head coach is back with The General making his historic return to LSU. What did Wade say on Monday during his introductory press conference?

Will Wade's Take: Louisiana is Home

National Title or Bust

"Make no mistake, this is home. I wasn't born in Louisiana, but Louisiana's home for me and me and my family. We're coming back to make history. We're going to make history one way or the other.

"We're coming back to try to hang a banner, win a national championship, or I'm going to be the first coach fired from the same school twice. One way or another, we're going to make history. It's going to be a fun ride one way or the other. Ain't no doubt about that."

"But we're very, very excited to be back. Look, these last four years, you're not getting the same coach you had four years ago. These last four years have humbled me. It changed me. You're getting a better coach, a better leader this time around.

"I got the same urgency. I got the same fight, same feisty guy that you always know, but we're going to be better. I want everybody to know— with LSU basketball, like, our time is now. I didn't come here to reflect and talk about the past and any of that stuff. I came here to win. We're going to win immediately."

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Basketball.

The Time is Now

"We're going to build a winning program, and we're going to build this thing quick. This is not something that's going to take long. We're going to get in that portal when it opens next Monday, and we're going to put together a winner, because everybody in here deserves a winner."

Commitment to Winning

"I wouldn't be standing here if we weren't committed. Like I said, we came back to win. And we've got a tremendous administration. We've got tremendous people. We're going to win, and we've got the resources that we need to compete in the SEC and at the end of the day, that's all we can ask. Then it's on me to get the job done. It's on me to make it happen.

"I'm very comfortable after our conversations with everybody that we've got the resources that we're going to need to compete in the SEC and I'm excited to make it happen."

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