LSU AD pleads with coach Will Wade over wiretap scandal: 'Will’s refused to talk to us'
LSU won its first-round NCAA tournament matchup Thursday against Yale with interim head coach Tony Benford on the sideline.
Head coach Will Wade is serving an indefinite suspension after being caught on a federal wiretap talking with basketball middleman Christian Dawkins about making a “strong-ass” offer to a recruit.
“Dude,” Wade said to Dawkins on the wiretap. “I went to him with a [expletive] strong-ass offer about a month ago. [Expletive] strong.”
LSU AD makes plea to suspended coach
LSU athletic director Joe Alleva addressed the situation after Thursday’s win while speaking with Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. He told Stadium he’s not in contact with Wade and pleaded for Wade to talk to him about what happened.
“I don’t know how deep this goes,” Alleva said. “That’s the problem, and Will’s refused to talk to us. That’s the hardest part for me.
“I wish he’d come in and just tell the truth. Just tell me what went on. I can handle the truth even if it’s bad.”
The decision to suspend Wade came down in a joint statement from Alleva and LSU chancellor F. King Alexander on March 8.
LSU fanbase put support behind Wade
The next day, Alleva found himself under intense pressure from the LSU fan base during the team’s home finale against Vanderbilt as LSU students lent their support to Wade.
Chants of “Free Will Wade!” and “Joe must go!” rang out from the student section during the LSU victory.
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards lent his support to Alleva and Alexander Wednesday amid calls that both should be fired.
“I’m not prepared to go there,” Edwards said on his monthly radio show.
Dark cloud over NCAA tournament run
The scandal hangs a dark cloud over what has otherwise been a bright season that saw the Tigers win the SEC regular-season title and earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Skylar Mays led the Tigers with 19 points in the win over Yale and admitted to Stadium that the scandal has been hard to deal with.
“It’s been tough,” Mays said. “There’s been a lot of outside noise going on.”
Freshman forward Emmitt Williams wasn’t shy about heaping praise on his suspended coach.
“In my eyes, he’s the best coach ever,” Williams said.
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