LSU Basketball's Will Wade Makes Massive First Hire to Staff As Offseason Ramps Up

LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade has made his first hire since returning to Baton Rouge after the program inked a deal with former Mississippi State shot-caller Rick Stansbury on Friday, according to multiple reports.

Stansbury will serve as the LSU Tigers' associate head coach where he joins the program as the all-time winningest coach in Mississippi State program history - going 293-166 (.638) over 14 seasons between 1998-2012.

The well-respected decision-maker's 293 career wins with the Bulldogs also rank ninth all-time in SEC men’s basketball history.

LSU is gearing up for a pivotal offseason under Wade where he will both assemble his assistant coaching staff pool while bring in a Transfer Portal haul amid a roster rebuild.

“Make no mistake, this is home,” Wade said. “I wasn’t born in Louisiana, but Louisiana’s home for me, and me and my family and so, you know, we’re coming back to make history.

"We’re gonna make history one way or the other … 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. But one way or another, one way or another, we’re going to make history.”

Source: Rick Stansbury — the all-time winningest head coach in Mississippi State history — has officially signed an agreement to be the Associate Head Coach at LSU under Will Wade.

A seismic recruiting addition in the SEC landscape.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 3, 2026

For Wade, he believes LSU "represents something bigger" than himself.

“LSU represents something bigger — it’s about competing at the highest level in the best conference in the country, in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in college basketball. The resources, the commitment, and the alignment at LSU makes it a place where we can build something special and sustainable," Wade said in a statement.

“I’m incredibly excited about the challenge ahead — about developing young men, competing for championships, and representing the state of Louisiana with pride. There’s a standard at LSU, and I’m energized to embrace it fully. I can’t wait to get home and get to work.”

Now, all eyes are on the offseason in Baton Rouge with the coaching staff beginning to take shape amid a pivotal stretch for Wade and Co. after being formally introduced on Monday afternoon.

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Lane Kiffin Reveals Definitive Statement on Will Wade Returning to LSU Tigers

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