The coaching carousel in the ACC is already spinning wildly when it comes to coaching news. Two weeks ago, North Carolina State fired Kevin Keatts just one day after a season-ending loss to Miami in South Florida.
What a last 12 months it's been for Keatts and the Wolfpack. Last March, then made an improbable run through the ACC Tournament as the No. 10 seed, winning five games in as many days to capture the automatic NCAA Tournament berth for the conference. They weren't done. In the NCAA Tournament, they advanced to the Final Four before coming up short of an even more impressive run.
Just a year later, NC State moved on from their head coach, who was rumored to be fired last March but got another year with his crazy run. However, the Wolfpack missed the ACC Tournament this year after finishing 16th in the new 18-team conference with the bottom three teams not qualifying after the additions of California, Stanford, and SMU.
Wally Szczerbiak puts ACC on blast with NC State hiring Will Wade
Before the NCAA Tournament began in full on Thursday, it was rumored that McNeese State coach Will Wade was the top candidate for NC State and that he would take the job after their NCAA Tournament run. McNeese State took down Clemson in the first round on Thursday but had their season end on Saturday with a loss to Purdue in the second round in Providence.
Shortly after the game, it was announced that Wade will get a six-year deal from NC State to become their next men's basketball coach and CBS Sports college basketball analyst Wally Szczerbiak put the conference on notice about Wade coming in next season in Raleigh.
"ACC better watch out because Will Wade is coming,'' Szczerbiak said.
That sounds like a stern warning for the other 17 schools in the conference. After what Wade and his team did to the Tigers on Thursday afternoon for 30-plus minutes, it is a sign of things to come beginning next season. Yes, McNeese State did almost blow a double-digit lead late in the game, but what they did to an ACC school, one of the top three, was certainly eye-opening.
Wade is a good coach and really, coming into the ACC and turning a program around quickly is not difficult if we're being honest. We'll see how things go next season for the Wolfpack, but the conference should also be ready for McNeese State manager Amir "Aura" Khan to join Wade in Raleigh with his huge boom box and grand entrances. Regardless, Szczerbiak is sending a message to the other 17 schools.