LSU AD says ‘No change’ to Will Wade’s status after airing of HBO documentary

By ADAM ZAGORIA

LSU AD Scott Woodward says there’s “no change” to Will Wade’s status as men’s basketball coach following his appearance in the HBO film “The Scheme” which shows Wade discussing a “strong-ass offer” to Javonte Smart in an FBI wiretap.

“We are aware of the documentary first aired on March 31, 2020, on HBO,” Woodward told 247Sports.com. “There is no change to Coach Will Wade’s employment status at LSU and we will continue to cooperate with all reviews into this matter.”

“I went to him with a [expletive] strong-ass offer about a month ago,” Wade tells runner Christian Dawkins in the call from June 2017. “[Expletive] strong. It was a helluva offer.” (The full call can be heard here.)

Hearing the Will Wade audio, compared to reading a quote.

Does it make a difference to you?

Via: HBO #TheScheme pic.twitter.com/7kgESLALZ5

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) April 1, 2020

The film revealed three previously unheard of phonecalls involving Wade and Arizona coach Sean Miller talking with Dawkins. Both coaches have remained in their jobs despite being linked to pay-for-play schemes with players.

“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 says in the film. “One-hundred percent talking about money.”

Dawkins added: “Will Wade is definitely a [expletive] gangster for what he did.”

Smart just finished his sophomore year at LSU, where he averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebound.

Dawkins also makes it clear in the film — as he did during the trials — that he believes college players should be paid because the NCAA and the universities are making millions of dollars off the players.

“And I want to be very clear with this, any coach who offers to pay a player, in my opinion is a good guy,” Dawkins says in the film. “I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think the coaches who are not willing to help out their players are not good people.”

Photo: Getty Images

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