NCAA: LSU coach Will Wade part of 'impermissible payments' to potential recruits, others
The NCAA says LSU men's basketball coach Will Wade either arranged for or offered "impermissible payments" to at least 11 potential recruits or others around them, according to documents obtained Wednesday by ESPN.
The documents say the NCAA's enforcement staff received information that Wade "arranged for, offered and/or provided impermissible payments, including cash payments, to at least 11 men's basketball prospective student-athletes, their family members, individuals associated with the prospects and/or nonscholastic coaches in exchange for the prospects' enrollment at LSU."
The allegations were included in the NCAA enforcement staff's request that its infractions case involving the LSU men's basketball program be adjudicated through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, which was created to handle complex cases.
In a July 15 letter, NCAA vice president of enforcement Jonathan Duncan wrote that the case satisfies at least five of the seven factors for referring the case to the IARP.
"Many of those factors are triggered by the actions of Will Wade, head men's basketball coach at Louisiana State University," Duncan wrote. "Some of his underlying actions gave rise to this case and his tactics during the investigation have delayed resolution dramatically. He is employed in a leadership position at LSU, yet the institution has been unable to secure his full cooperation and is accountable for his behavior."
In March, an HBO documentary included audio recordings in which Wade talked about making a "strong ass" offer to sign a high-profile recruit. "The Scheme" included audio of a lengthy telephone call between Wade and Christian Dawkins, a former runner for an NBA agent and aspiring business manager, in which Wade discussed the offer to sign coveted guard Javonte Smart.
ESPN and Yahoo Sports had previously reported about the contents of the call.
Wade, who was suspended and then reinstated after those reports in 2019, denied doing business for players with Dawkins.
"I think the only way you can interpret someone in a head-coaching position saying that they made a strong-ass offer, they ain't talking about a scholarship offer, bro," Dawkins said in the film. "One hundred percent talking about money."
In the film, Dawkins even applauded Wade for avoiding criminal charges and keeping his job.
"Just the audacity. You've got to take your hat off to him, man," Dawkins said. "He not only didn't get charged for anything, not only did the government have all of this information and evidence and nothing was happening on a criminal level, he also basically just said f--- you to the NCAA and the university he worked for ... and he still got to keep his job and make millions of dollars. It's like the perfect storm.
"Will Wade is definitely a f---ing gangster for what he did."
In response to an open records request from ESPN, LSU officials said in February that the university had not received a notice of inquiry or notice of allegations from the NCAA. Sources previously told ESPN that LSU was among a handful of schools being investigated for potential rules violations in their basketball programs.
As part of Wade's reinstatement, he agreed to an amended contract that included a new stipulation that allows the university to fire him with cause if he's found to have committed Level I or Level II violations. Under the terms of the amended contract, Wade agreed to forfeit a $250,000 performance bonus for the 2018-19 season. He also agreed not to sue the university if he's fired with cause.
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