Allow Will Wade to Reintroduce Himself

An introductory press conference for a guy that needs no introduction.

Has there ever been one?

That’s what we witnessed on Monday inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, in unprecedented fashion, as Will Wade began his second term as LSU’s head basketball coach.

“Great to see so many familiar faces,” Wade said with a smirk.

For Wade, the 43-year-old Nashville native who has fully embraced Louisiana as his own, it was a homecoming, too. Of epic and historic proportions. 

After leading the Tigers to an SEC championship and a 105-51 record in his first stint in Baton Rouge from 2017-2022, “The General” is back – and to the joy of his supporters and the dismay of his foes, he’s got unfinished business.

“Make no mistake: this is home,” Wade said. “I wasn’t born in Louisiana, but Louisiana is home for me and my family.”

On the surface, Wade was his usual self. Witty with reporters. Engaging with students. Fiery about his vision for LSU Basketball and where it should go. But as much as things seemed the same – and boy did they ever – he urged fans they were not. You were getting a different coach.

“You’re not getting the same coach that you had four years ago,” Wade said. “The last four years have humbled and changed me. You’re getting a better coach and a better leader this time around. I have the same urgency, the same fight that you always know. But we’re going to be better.”

For context: Wade took the Tigers to four postseason tournaments from 2017-22, recorded 20+ wins in three of his five seasons and tallied 48 regular-season SEC wins, which tied for the second most of any team over that period. 

If things are going to look better, grab your popcorn. This program is going to be dangerous, and dangerous immediately.

“Our time is now with LSU Basketball,” Wade said. “I didn’t come here to reflect and talk about the past. I came here to win. LSU and Louisiana deserve a winner and that’s what we’re going to deliver in short order.”

Some of the loudest LSU athletic environments in recent memory have come from Wade’s first stint with the Tigers. The Tennessee game in 2019. The Kentucky game in 2022. 

Some of the craziest games, too. The comeback vs. Mizzou. The win against Michigan in Maui. The Kavell Bigby-Williams tip-in at Rupp. 

The bottom line is this: the feeling around campus is different when LSU Basketball is great. Heck, the feeling around Baton Rouge is different. When the PMAC turns into the Deaf Dome, it’s one of the toughest places in America to play. And unlike most coaches who speak at their introductory press conference, he’s lived it. He’s felt it.

“To all our students and all our fans: I remember this building when it was rocking,” Wade said. “The energy and the pride in how hard it is to play here is unmatched anywhere in the country. We’re going to pack the PMAC every night.”

After Wade finished his press conference, filled with passion and some incredible quotes, he hustled over to the student section and greeted them with handshakes and high fives.

We’ve had some incredible coaches at LSU. Hall of famers. National champions. Proven winners and program changers. And yet, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who understands the pulse of the fanbase like Will Wade. And that’s why they love him.

“I’ve never connected with a fanbase and with people like I have with LSU and Louisiana,” Wade said. “I feel like we left the book open a little bit. We left some chapters out there. To have the opportunity to come back and finish that off, I feel a heavy burden towards that.”

If the first couple chapters are any indication, this story is destined to be a page-turner. Maybe even a New York Times best seller.

Monday was another chapter in the wild, always-eventful chronicle of LSU Athletics, as Wade – affectionately known as “The General,” (re)introduced himself to Tiger Nation. 

So tell your soldiers and prepare them for battle. Orders received. Formations set. All units must Boot Up.

“You never get second chances in life but we get one here, and we’re going to make it better than the first time,” Wade said. “For the first time of many times, Boot Up!”