On Saturday, the news broke that LSU and fifth-year basketball coach Will Wade would be heading in separate directions. It came days after LSU was given a Notice of Allegations by the NCAA as the result of an investigation lasting around three years.
While unexpected, the news wasn’t shocking. Wade’s position at LSU seemed untenable at times, given how these things usually play out. The sharks can only be fought off for so long and for Wade, that fight ended on Saturday.
The program now finds itself in a strange position. It needs a coach, but nobody has any idea what situation that coach will be walking into. If anything has become certain over the years, its the uncertainty of the NCAA.
LSU could get hit with heavy sanctions or the administration could find a way out of it. Either way, that will be a critical point in this search.
Athletic director Scott Woodward loves to go after the big names. He’s conducted a football, baseball, and women’s basketball search since he took the job at LSU, and he’s hired a sitting Power Five coach in all of them. Looming sanctions over the basketball program might make it difficult for him to pull that feat off again, but he’s sure going to try.
With that in mind, here are several names that could come up in LSU’s search.
Eric Musselman – Arkansas
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
First up is the man Wade coached his final game at LSU against.
Eric Musselman in just three years has turned Arkansas into an SEC contender. He’s an Ohio native who was on the Tigers’ staff for just a year under Johnny Jones.
His lone year on staff as associate head coach was the only trip LSU made to the NCAA Tournament under Jones.
Musselman has a good thing going at Arkansas right now, and it sure seems like that relationship is a strong one. It might be tough for him to leave unless Scott…
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