Written by MICHAEL KOH
Carolina fans may not want to hear it, but Will Wade is in the right place at the right time.
In the 1980s and 90s the great college basketball coaches were all larger-than-life. Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Lefty Driesell and Terry Holland all ruled the roost in the ACC, while in the Big East John Thompson, Jim Boeheim and Lou Carnesecca all regularly traded barbs.
And then of course, there was Jim Valvano at NC State, the man whose personality was so big and beloved he parlayed it into a successful TV career after his exit from Raleigh.
But since those glory days, those figures have all faded away. Roy Williams and Krzyzewski both retired within a two-year span, and their successors don’t quite measure up to them when it comes to a cult of personality.
NC State, on the other hand, wandered in the wilderness for decades after firing Valvano, a move which has remained controversial among Wolfpack fans. State cycled through five head coaches in the 35 years following Valvano’s departure, with varying levels of success. Kevin Keatts achieved the highest highs with his Final Four run, but State fans got so tired of his lows that he was fired the very next year.
Which brings us to Wade, who himself was caught in the college basketball wilderness for a time. Wade has won everywhere he’s been, and he’s not shy about letting others know about it. From Chattanooga to VCU to LSU, Wade was beginning to look like one of the brightest young minds in basketball.
When LSU eventually fired Wade for committing violations which would end up being legalized a few years later, Wade spent a year out of basketball before landing at McNeese, only about a couple hours away from Baton Rouge. Two NCAA Tournament appearances put him back on the radar, and NC State scooped him up.
Since taking over the Pack, Wade has stayed in the headlines thanks to soundbites both positive and negative. He wasted no time lobbing a salvo at the Tar Heels, implying Hubert Davis misused Ven-Allen Lubin after Lubin transferred to NC State. Since the season started, Wade has called his team soft and even suggested his players are more interested in schoolwork than hoops. During games, he won’t hesitate to let an official know his opinion after a whistle.
This makes Wade the perfect man to lead NC State, which has longed for a voice in what became a two-horse race in the Triangle after Valvano left Raleigh. Wade has his share of believers nationwide, too, including omnipresent college hoops personality Jon Rothstein, who refers to Wade as an “American Gangster” after every NC State win.
Whether Tar Heel fans like it or not, Wade’s early success with the Wolfpack has injected some much-needed life into the ACC.
Featured image via Associated Press/Scott Kinser
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