Sports

North Carolina State Basketball Coach Slyly Shades Rival For Calling Alma Mater Cheap

#Will Wade
by Last Updated
Will Wade North Carolina State Contract

© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images


The North Carolina State basketball team took down ACC foe Clemson in league action on Tuesday. Will Wade beat his alma mater.

The former Tiger took a trip down memory lane while in town. He also made sure to shade a rival coach for previous criticism of the program.

Wade attended Clemson where he was a student manager between 2002 and 2005. He then landed a graduate assistantship to kickstart his coaching career.

Wade moved on from his alma mater in 2007. He’s since held head coaching roles at Chattanooga, VCU, LSU, and McNeese.

In 2025, he was hired by NC State. With the Wolfpack, he gets to face off against his former school annually. He got his first chance this week.

Will Wade beat his alma mater.

It was an exciting contest that had to be decided in overtime. NC State jumped out to a double-digit first half lead. It then survived a furious comeback to force the extra session.

In overtime, the Wolfpack outscored the Tigers, 11-7. They won the game, 80-76.

The victory was significant for North Carolina State. Not only did the team avoid falling to 3-3 in league play, but it handed Clemson its first ACC defeat.

The Wolfpack went on the road to beat a ranked opponent. Wade’s ties to the university only made it sweeter. After the game, he spoke on his return.

“I went to Mac’s Drive-In for lunch today… It was good to taste that food again,” he said before turning his attention towards recent upgrades made to support Clemson basketball.

“They’ve done a phenomenal job (since I left school)… I was all turned around. Driving through campus, the facilities. It’s a different world than when I was here. They’ve really invested.”

Was it a shot at Andy Enfield?

Clemson beat ACC foe SMU earlier this month. After the game, Mustangs head coach Andy Enfield insulted the program.

“Y’all should use some of that football money and build a bigger (media) room,” he said after falling to the Tigers, 74-70.

Enfield insinuated that Clemson prioritized football over all else. He called the Tigers cheap when it comes to basketball. Their facilities were lacking.

Will Wade rejected that notion. He’s been able to see the investment made firsthand. The head coach beat his alma mater on the floor, but he showed support after the fact.