LAKE CHARLES - Controversial ex-LSU head coach Will Wade is returning to college coaching after being named the next men's basketball coach at McNeese State.

Director of McNeese Athletics, Heath Schroyer, made the announcement of Wade's hiring Sunday evening. He'll replace John Aiken, who was let go last Wednesday after two seasons as head coach at the university.

"I'm so excited to welcome Coach Wade, his wife Lauren and daughter Caroline to Southwest Louisiana and McNeese!" Schroyer said in a statement.

Not mentioned in Wade's introductory press conference was specifics of his contract, which includes a five-game suspension, likely an attempt by the school to get ahead of any potential discipline from the NCAA. Multiple outlets reported on the suspension Tuesday as the contract started circulating.

BREAKING: McNeese has suspended new head coach Will Wade for the first five games of the 2023-24 season@KPLC7Sports

— Matthew Travis (@MatthewJTravis_) March 14, 2023

After a five-year run at LSU, Wade was fired in March 2022 amid an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations.