Former Will Wade assistant Bill Armstrong lands McNeese job

McNeese has hired Bill Armstrong as its new coach to replace Will Wade, who left to be the new coach at North Carolina State.

Armstrong has close ties to Wade, having been on the latter's staff at LSU from 2017-22.

Both Wade and Armstrong were dismissed from LSU in relation to alleged recruiting violations, partly stemming from Wade's comments on an FBI investigation wiretap in 2017.

Armstrong was an assistant coach at Baylor this past season.

"I couldn't be happier for McNeese or the (Southwest Louisiana) community," Wade said in a statement. "They're getting a great coach in Bill Armstrong. ... The players are going to love playing for him and I have no doubt he will build on the success of the past two years."

McNeese went 28-7 this season in Wade's second campaign. The 12th-seeded Cowboys upset fifth-seeded Clemson in the first round before losing to fourth-seeded Purdue in the second.

This will mark Armstrong's first college head-coaching post but athletic director Heath Schroyer feels like he has the right guy.

"I'm thrilled to have Bill Armstrong take over the reins of our men's basketball program," Schroyer said. "We've built a successful model over the last two years and Bill fully understands that model and embraces the championship expectations we have at McNeese."