Controversial former LSU coach Will Wade is set to be hired at North Carolina State, according to multiple reports.

Wade is in his second season at McNeese, which faces Clemson in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday. According to reports by veteran basketball writers Jeff Goodman and Joe Giglio, Wade’s hiring is set to become official as soon as the Cowboys’ season ends.

The 42-year-old Wade has won Southland Conference championships and reached the NCAA tournament in both of his seasons at McNeese, which is 57-10 (36-2 in conference play) in that time. The school hired him while he was still under an NCAA show cause order, stemming from violations that occurred while he was at LSU (among other sanctions, Wade served a 10-game suspension to start his tenure with the Cowboys).

But now he is headed back to major college basketball after a three-year absence. Wade was 105-51 in five seasons at LSU, with a regular-season SEC championship and three NCAA tournament berths to his credit (prior to his time in Baton Rouge, he made the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years at Virginia Commonwealth).

News of Wade’s discussions with N.C. State leaked out earlier this week, and he was asked about his interest in the job at his pre-NCAA tournament press conference on Wednesday morning. And to his credit, he did not dodge the questions.

Asked if he’d had talks with N.C. State about their coaching opening, Wade replied simply, “yes.” He added that his players were aware of the situation.

“I lay it all out there to my players, and my players have laid it all out there to me,” he said, via Fox Sports’ John Fanta. “We are transparent. We’ve shared it all with each other.”

N.C. State fired head coach Kevin Keatts on March 9, a year removed from winning the ACC tournament and reaching the NCAA tournament Final Four. The Wolfpack slipped to 12-19 this season, finishing 5-15 in ACC play.