Quotes & Tidbits From Will Wade's Introductory Press Conference At The PMAC

Here are some of the best quotes and tidbits from Will Wade's Introductory Press Conference At The PMAC on Monday.

Will Wade: "Very excited to be here. This is deeply personal to be back here. I couldn't be more thrilled to be back. Made no mistake this home. I wasn't born in Louisiana, but Louisiana is home for my family and I. We're coming back to make history."

"We're going to make history one way or another. We're either hanging banners and winning a national championship, or I'm going to be the first coach fired from the same school twice. It's going to be a fun ride one way or another. No doubt about that."

"You are not getting the same coach you had four years ago. These last four years have humbled and changed me. You are getting a better coach and a better leader this time around. I have the same urgency and fight, but we are going to be better."

"I want everyone to know... Our time is now. I didn't come here to reflect and talk about the past. I came here to win. And we are going to win immediately. LSU & Louisiana deserve a winner, and we are going to deliver in short order. LSU Basketball is not meant to be average, mediocre, or pretty good. You can throw that stuff out. This program is meant to be great and compete at the highest level of college basketball."

"We are going to be rooted in aggression, toughness, and discipline. We are going to recruit competitors that want to play that way. We are going to find 15 players that are willing to lay it on the line for us every night."

"We are going to build a winning program, and we are going to build it quickly. We are going to get in the portal when it opens next Monday, and we are going to put together a winner... because everyone in here deserves a winner."

"I know people have been talking about us a little bit. I understand I'm not for everybody, and we understand also that LSU is not for everybody... But one thing we both understand is that I'm for LSU and LSU is for me. And make no mistake about that."

"We have a lot of work to do, but I promise you we are going to get this program back to the NCAA Tournament and to the top of the SEC in short order. It's great to be home. BOOT UP!"

Q&A:

On his return to LSU:
Wade says that when he left LSU four years ago, he never thought he would be back: "This is probably the first time in college basketball this has ever happened..."

On his past relationship with Wade Rousse & Heath Schroyer:
"What we did at McNeese, we did on a regional scale. We can take that same formula, with more resources and support, because of the financial aspect... and bring it to LSU and make it a national force."

When did the process to get him back to LSU start?
"With the familiarity of Wade Rousse and Heath Schroyer, there wasn't a formal interview process. We all know each other. Things kicked into gear last Wednesday when first contact was made, and when the process started."

On building his staff:
"We're not going to have the biggest staff, I don't want that. We're going to have our shell recruiting staff in place, hopefully by next week. We're not in a huge rush with the staff. It's not like the NBA; in college, I'm the head coach AND the general manager, so I make the final decisions with the roster and the portal."

On what makes LSU "Just Different?"
"The People."

"We have the best people in the world, in this state, at LSU. Unless you're from here or have been down here, it's hard for others to grasp."

On meeting the current team/players:
Says he has met with 5-6 of the current players so far. "There are a lot of players who are seniors who can't come back. The others who want to be at LSU, we want them here at LSU. We will continue those discussions."

On his departure from NC State and the perception about being a "villain?"
"A long time ago, I stopped worrying about my perception...

"I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think some things have been mischaracterized about how I left, but I'm not going to get into a back-and-forth on that. When there is a situation like this, everyone has to 'cover', let's put it that way...."

"I'm at peace with how I left and at peace with how we did. They are pretty mad at a coach they didn't think was very good."

"But that's the way it goes. I wish NC State nothing but the best. I built some great relationships there. I hope they do great and wish them nothing but success."

On this being a fresh start at LSU, with everything in the past not being an issue anymore:
"We were running the program at 60% and still getting to the NCCA Tournament... now there is a new launching pad and the runway is clearer this time."

When asked if he felt like he owed something to LSU:
"There is a part of me that feels that way. I have never connected with a fan base and with people as I have with LSU and Louisiana. And I feel like we left the book open and some chapters unfinished...

"To have the opportunity to come back and finish that off and to bring pride and joy to people that I care about, people that mean a lot to me. Yeah, I feel a heavy burden towards that, and that's a big reason I came back."

"You can win a lot of places. But there is nothing like the meaning of winning with your friends and feeling like you are playing for a bigger purpose. A lot of my best friends are sitting here today. A lot of my friends are down here in Louisiana. I feel like we have a great purpose with this program. At the end of the day, that's why I came back.... To give back to LSU, and to hopefully put some joy and fun back into basketball."