McNeese State Basketball Coach Will Wade’s 4 Core Pillars

• By Grant Young

In a stunning display of basketball prowess and resilience, the No. 12-seeded McNeese State Cowboys delivered a performance for the ages, toppling the heavily favored Clemson Tigers in one of the most memorable upsets of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The victory was more than just a game—it was a testament to the transformative culture and basketball development program cultivated by head coach Will Wade. Since his arrival, Wade has instilled a unique blend of tactical innovation, psychological toughness, and unwavering belief that turned McNeese State from a mid-major afterthought into a giant-killing machine.

Wade's approach goes beyond traditional coaching. He has created an environment where players understand that their potential isn't defined by their recruiting stars or conference reputation, but by their collective hunger and strategic preparation. This upset wasn't a fluke—it was the result of meticulous film study, adaptive game planning, and a team that believed it could compete with anyone.

One key to their success was their ability to stay composed under pressure. While Clemson's players looked increasingly frustrated, the McNeese State players remained locked in, treating each possession like a championship moment. Their composure spoke volumes about Wade's leadership and mental conditioning.

This wasn't just a basketball victory—it was a statement. McNeese State proved that with the right culture, strategic preparation, and unbreakable team spirit, David can indeed topple Goliath on the biggest stage of college basketball.

Developing a team culture that can culminate in seismic upsets like these has always been a big part of how Wade runs his programs. And in his ‘Will Wade - McNeese State - Creating a Standard’ clinic, Coach Wade provides actionable insights on setting and maintaining team standards that drive success both on and off the field.

One key component to this clinic is Coach Wade’s ‘Four Pillars’, which are detailed at length and what Coach Wade leans on to help guide his team culture in a continuously positive direction. We have pulled these four pillars and are sharing them with you below.

Pillar 1: Respect

Coach Wade asserts that one of the core components of respect of punctuality, which he phrases as, “The act of being on time for my responsibilities throughout the day.” 

 Coach Wade has a way of quantifying punctuality, as he has a created google sheet that tracks and ranks how punctual every player on the roster is to every responsibility they have each week. They can either be ranked my teammates, coaches, or other members of the program, and they will then be assessed from a level one (the lowest) to a level five (the highest) at the end of the week. 

The next step of this pillar is effort, which means giving 100% effort daily. He’ll also have players ranked on this from level one to level five, although level five is above and beyond in this category. And while this has to do with the basketball court, it also pertains to every other aspect of a student athlete’s life. 

Third within the respect pillar is appreciation, which is being thankful for the opportunity they’ve been presented and showing it via attitude and gratitude. This means making the effort to say please and thank you, addressing people by name, and understanding how everyone within the program is playing their role in the team’s success. This is also graded and ranked from levels one to five. 

Pillar 2: Mind, Body, and Nutrition

Coach Wade goes on to explain how important keeping the mind and body healthy is equally important, and matters greatly as a core pillar. 

An important aspect of this pillar is that it’s on each player individually to keep these in good standing. While they can have access to all the resources, the bottom line is that each player has the final say on what they’re putting into their bodies, both in terms of nutrition and the content they’re consuming that could impact their mind. 

While this not to say that a player has to be perfect with every meal or can’t unwind by watching TV, they need to be sure to at least find balance and make a genuine effort to put their best foot forward in optimizing their physical and mental health before, during, and after the season. 

Pillar 3: Basketball Identity

The next part of Coach Wade’s core pillars is basketball identity, which to him is about being a gritty, blue-collar team that has earned everything they’ve received. 

He also discusses how he wants to make the most detail-oriented players in the country both on and off the court, and that teammates and members of the coaching staff should be working to all hold each other accountable on a daily basis so that the best version of them, both individuals and collectively, presents itself. 

All of these things are graded so that there are clear metrics that a player can use to gauge their improvement. 

Pillar 4: WE > ME 

The fourth and final pillar for Coach Wade’s McNeese State squad is We > Me, which he terms as whatever is necessary for the team to be successful, even if it comes at the cost of individual acclaim and accolades. 

One rule Coach Wade has is that he doesn’t allow players to wear the gear of another school or program inside the facility, because that isn’t a visual representation of togetherness and build pride in what the team is doing. 

What’s more, team gear should always remain clean and orderly because how a player presents and conducts themselves both inside and outside of the facility is a reflection of the entire program, whether they like it or not.