RICHMOND, Va. – Former VCU head men's basketball coach Will Wade simply decided he would rather coach elsewhere. That's the assessment from Wade's former boss, VCU Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin.
"Will and I agreed on the necessary next steps, and we met all of Will’s requests. He ultimately decided he would rather coach elsewhere," McLaughlin said of his meeting with Wade following the Rams loss in the NCAA tournament.
Wade was offered, and accepted, the head men's basketball coaching job at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Details of Wade's new contract with LSU have not yet been released.
Losing a coach after just two years can be difficult for a successful program, but McLaughlin said VCU would survive the sudden change.
"We have a world-class practice facility, a sold out arena every night and one of the greatest fan bases in all of college basketball. VCU Basketball is bigger than one person," McLaughlin said. "We remain committed to ensuring that VCU Basketball remains a top-25 program nationally."
As VCU conducts a national search for Wade's replacement, two names have surfaced as possible replacements.
Rice's Mike Rhoades and Mount St. Mary's Jamion Christian, both former VCU assistants, are candidates to replace Wade, a source told CBSSports.
Wade, 34, just completed his second season as the Rams head coach. He compiled a record of 51-20 and took the Rams to two consecutive NCAA tournaments.
