Even with the now-viral aura of student manager Amir Khan, the McNeese State Cowboys were eliminated from the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament by the Purdue Boilermakers in a 62–76 loss on Saturday.
And though any loss is a tough pill to swallow, this defeat surely hit a little extra, as it marks the end of head coach Will Wade's time with the Cowboys; both he and (reportedly) Khan are leaving to join NC State next year.
As such, it was an emotional scene in the locker room after the fact, as Wade tearfully and emotionally addressed his grieving squad.
"You guys made it happen. You guys did it," the coach said. "I'm proud of all of you. I love every one of you," he continued, through sniffles and voice cracks.
"Everybody, man. You guys are awesome. ... You guys carried us, man."
As Wade spoke, the camera panned around the room; the players looked just as upset as he sounded.
Take a peek at that below:
Players and coaches were emotional after Will Wade spoke with McNeese one final time 🥺😢
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2025
Wade is taking the HC job at NC State next season pic.twitter.com/drrrHuBwSi
While it would have been fun to see No. 12 seed McNeese make a longer run, it looks like it just wasn't meant to be this year. No. 4 seed Purdue, meanwhile, will now advance to play the winner of Houston-Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Departing McNeese Coach Shares Teary Locker Room Speech After Missing Sweet 16.
