A stellar start in his first season as McNeese's basketball coach earned Will Wade a contract extension on Tuesday.

The school announced that Wade, 41, received a five-year deal worth $700,000 plus incentives per season.

McNeese owns a 20-3 record and sits atop the Southland Conference with a 9-1 mark.

The Cowboys finished 11-23 last season under John Aiken and last won 20-plus games in 2010-11.

"I couldn't be more ecstatic to sign Coach Wade to this new contract," McNeese athletic director Heath Schroyer said. "He and I have had a lot of conversations over the last month and I'm glad we were able to get this done.

"When he and I talked last year, I promised him when the program was turned around and flipped, I would rip up the current contract and give him a new one. I did just that and I couldn't be happier to do it."

Wade said, "I am very proud and humbled to be the head coach at McNeese. We're with you and fighting for you every day. It takes a lot of people to make this program work. It's not just me. I have a phenomenal staff. It doesn't work without them. We have tremendous players and they make it happen. And with that, we've got phenomenal alignment and commitment from our administration."

McNeese's wins this season include nonconference road triumphs at VCU (76-65 on Nov. 6) and Michigan (87-76 on Dec. 29).

Wade's buyout figure to leave for another school will increase to $1.25 million after the current season and $1 million after next season. It drops to $500,000 if either Schroyer or McNeese executive vice president Wade Rousse leaves the school, or to $200,000 if both exit.

Wade was suspended for the first 10 games of this season, part of the punishment meted out by the NCAA for three Level I violations during his tenure as the head coach at LSU (2017-22). His infractions included making impermissible payments to the former fiancee of a player.

--Field Level Media