Former LSU basketball coach Will Wade not only delivered issues on the court but now has affected the gridiron due to his "strong ass offer."
So much for that "strong-ass offer." Because former LSU basketball coach Will Wade couldn't keep it together, two programs are now affected.
Both LSU's Men's Basketball Team and Football team are now under probation for the next three years. Wade, now the head coach at McNeese State, also received a 10-game suspension.
Wait, football too? How did they get dragged into this mess? Remember the national championship game incident where former Tiger Odell Beckham Jr. handed out cash following their win over Clemson? Self-imposed punishments were handed down, but not the value levied against them this time due to the FBI Investigation.
As it pertains to Wade, it was reported that in addition to the recorded incident of the said statement, Wade was also being punished for other payments, including payments to middlemen for recruiting, a student athlete's fiance for her silence, and offering a car for another athlete's cousin.
LSU football caught in crossfire of Will Wade punishment
The beginning of this saga came in 2019 when Will Wade was caught on a wiretap speaking with a recruit on a "strong ass offer." That same season, Wade brought his LSU team to Richmond, VA, to take on the VCU Rams, whom Wade led from 2015-2017. VCU won the game 84-82. In that event, fans of the Rams dressed up in FBI Gear in response to the scandal.
The news continued to permeate throughout Wade's tenure, and ultimately, he was fired from the program in March 2022. Wade ultimately became the head coach at McNeese State but, as reported earlier, is being suspended for the first ten games as a result.
Meanwhile, the football team should be fortunate that none of their main core has anything to do with Wade, but the Beckham incident didn't look right in the eyes of the NCAA. They are fortunate not to lose their title as well, which was won fairly.
Will Wade may have hurt the basketball program, but he may have also indirectly hurt the football program as well. Not cool by any stretch, and LSU will have a tough time trying to recuperate from this.
For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.
