LSU reportedly informs Matt McMahon of dismissal, will pay significant buyout
By David Wasson
Published:
LSU made its move on basketball coach Matt McMahon on Thursday afternoon, the latest domino in the saga to bring embattled former coach Will Wade back to Baton Rouge.
ESPN reported that McMahon was dismissed after four seasons and a 60-70 overall record that included a 17-55 mark in SEC play. Beset by injuries, the Tigers went just 15-17 overall in 2025-26 and were dead last in the SEC at 3-15.
LSU will owe McMahon a buyout of more than $8 million, in addition to being on the hook for a multi-million dollar buyout Wade owes NC State following his resignation earlier Thursday.
McMahon succeeded Wade at LSU after seven seasons at Murray State. He went 153-67 with the Racers from 2015-222 and led the program to three Ohio Valley Conference Tournament titles and a trio of NCAA Tournaments.
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Wade is headed back to LSU on a reported 7-year deal after informing NC State officials Wednesday night he was leaving the Wolfpack. Wade was fired at LSU in 2022 after the university received a notice of allegations from the NCAA stemming from alleged rules violations committed during his 5-year tenure that were discovered through a wiretap.
Wade was hired at McNeese and served a 10-game suspension along with the NCAA’s 2-year show-cause penalty. He went 50-9 over two years at McNeese with two trips to the NCAA Tournament before moving on to NC State.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
