John Wooden did it in the national championship. Dean Smith did it in the Final Four.
On Thursday, McNeese State coach Will Wade will join the list of coaches who have faced their alma mater in the men's NCAA tournament. His Cowboys will battle Clemson, where Wade spent four years as a student manager in the 2000s.
Wade was asked about his current relationship with his alma mater—and he gave a funny, truthful answer.
“Our players know, they don’t practice when Clemson plays football," Wade said.
Wade's coaching career has coincided with a golden era of Tigers football. Clemson won national titles in 2016 (his last academic year at VCU) and 2018 (his second at LSU), respectively.
Clemson grad Will Wade, the coach at McNeese, on playing his alma mater: “Our players know, they don’t practice when Clemson plays football.” pic.twitter.com/pTgYaGF52e
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 19, 2025
In two years with McNeese State following his turbulent exit from the Tigers following one of the pre-NIL era's last major pay-for-play scandals, Wade has steered the Cowboys to a 57–10 record.
McNeese State is seeking its first victory in any postseason tournament since 1986, when it beat Louisiana Tech in the NIT.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as McNeese State's Will Wade Has Perfect Line About Prepping to Play Alma Mater Clemson.
