Highlights

• McNeese President Wade Rousse confirmed finalist for LSU presidency, one of five candidates invited to interview October 29
• Rousse reversed McNeese’s 14-year enrollment decline, stabilized finances, and generated $50 million in national publicity through strategic athletics investments
• Political insiders identify Rousse as frontrunner with support from LSU Board Vice Chairman Lee Mallett and Governor Jeff Landry’s circle
• Search follows departure of William Tate, who left LSU in May 2025 to become president of Rutgers University
• Rousse statement confirms he’s “thoughtfully exploring this opportunity” to make “greatest possible impact on higher education” in Louisiana

Who Is Wade Rousse? Meet the Man Rumored to Be LSU’s Next President

The McNeese president who transformed a hurricane-battered university is now the reported frontrunner to lead Louisiana’s flagship institution

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPEL News) — Dr. Wade Rousse, who transformed McNeese State University from a hurricane-battered institution with plummeting enrollment into a nationally recognized success story, is now one of five finalists to become the next president of Louisiana State University.

The LSU Presidential Search Committee revealed its shortlist Thursday afternoon, naming Rousse alongside interim LSU President Matt Lee, former University of Arizona President Robert Robbins, University of South Carolina Vice President Julius Fridriksson, and one unnamed candidate whose employer remains confidential. The committee also invited Tulane’s Giovanni Piedimonte to apply.

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Rousse’s inclusion on the list caps a meteoric rise in Louisiana higher education—he began work as McNeese’s president on July 1, 2024, and was formally sworn in on December 7, 2024, after being unanimously selected for the role in April.

Rousse’s story reads like a Louisiana success narrative. According to his official biography, he grew up in Golden Meadow, a small Lafourche Parish town, in poverty but with a mother who emphasized education above all else. He graduated from South Lafourche High School in 1989 and came to McNeese that year as a first-generation college student with an opportunity to play football.

His college football coach, Sonny Jackson, became a pivotal mentor. Rousse recalled in a July 2024 interview that Jackson told him plainly: “If I ever hear you’re going to quit school again, I’m going to whoop your tail.” Rousse could quit football—he admits he wasn’t very good—but education was non-negotiable.

After three years at McNeese, Rousse left to work in the marine transportation industry near his family in Southeast Louisiana, eventually earning his bachelor’s degree from Nicholls State University in 1993. But his trajectory was just beginning.

From Hourly Worker to Partner: The Private Sector Years

According to Thrive Magazine, Rousse worked his way up from an hourly laborer to becoming a partner at Maritime Logistics, eventually playing a key role in successfully selling the company. The business encouraged him to further his education, leading to an MBA from the University of New Orleans in 2002.

With the benefit of diverse professional experiences, Rousse realized his true calling was higher education. He moved to Arizona to pursue a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago while serving as a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and on staff at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

At Northern Arizona University, he became associate dean of The W.A. Franke College of Business and interim director of the Alliance Bank Economic Policy Institute. His research focused on international trade, financial integration, and regional economics—particularly economic impact studies used to attract grant money for Native American lands throughout Arizona.

The McNeese Turnaround: Reversing 14 Years of Decline

When Rousse returned to McNeese in 2019, the university faced existential challenges. He served as dean of the College of Business, then vice president of University Advancement, then executive vice president before being unanimously selected as the eighth president in April 2024.

The situation was dire. Hurricane Laura devastated the campus in 2020, destroying the president’s residence. When Rousse took office in 2024, the residence still hadn’t been rebuilt, forcing him and his wife to live in a remodeled dorm room in Burton Hall, eating meals with students in the cafeteria. Enrollment had declined for 14 consecutive years. The rebuilding process was only about 50 percent complete when he took the helm.

According to the university, Rousse’s strategy centered on three principles: stabilize enrollment to stabilize the budget, create market-driven curricula that prepare students for immediate employment, and redesign the university’s reporting structure so every employee has clear, measurable objectives.

The results speak for themselves. Multiple reports confirm that McNeese reversed the 14-year enrollment decline last year, with applications up 10 percent and the yield of students accepting offers increasing for three consecutive years.

The Will Wade Gambit: Using Athletics to Transform Academics

Perhaps Rousse’s boldest—and most successful—strategic decision was hiring controversial basketball coach Will Wade, who had been fired from LSU in 2021 following NCAA recruiting violation allegations.

Rousse told the Associated Press that when he hired Wade, he laid out a transparent two-year plan: make the NCAA Tournament in the first year, win a game in the second year. After that, both men understood Wade would likely move to a bigger job.

“I said, ‘I don’t need a coach. I need someone who understands what our vision is and what our mission is,’” Rousse explained. “We have been in an enrollment decline for 14, 15 years. We turned it last year. A large part of that has been our strategic plan to elevate the athletic program, to drive our academic program.”

The strategy worked beyond anyone’s expectations. McNeese made the tournament in 2024, then shocked the college basketball world in March 2025 by upsetting fifth-seeded Clemson 69-67 in the first round. According to KPLC, the university’s website crashed from traffic at the final buzzer, and McNeese estimates it generated approximately $50 million in free advertising from the tournament run.

“I’ve never been so excited about failure because a website crashing is kind of a failure,” Rousse joked afterward.

Rousse measured success in regional economic impact. The university currently generates about $675 million in economic impact for Southwest Louisiana, with a goal to reach $750-800 million over the next three years.

Wade, as predicted, moved on to NC State. But the visibility and momentum remained.

Why Rousse is Considered the LSU Frontrunner

While LSU Board Chairman Scott Ballard told The Advocate that Rousse doesn’t have an “inside track” and will be “given a fair shake like any else,” political insiders tell a different story.

The Louisiana Illuminator reports that Rousse is the favored candidate of LSU Board Vice Chairman Lee Mallett, who is also a Lake Charles resident. Mallett himself told The Advocate that “He’s done a fabulous job at McNeese St, but it’ll be up to him to prove himself among all the candidates.”

Insiders also believe Rousse has support from Governor Jeff Landry’s circle, though Ballard stated he has not discussed candidates with the governor.

The connection between Mallett and Rousse—both Lake Charles residents—has fueled speculation that the hometown favorite has an advantage in the search process.

What Rousse is Saying About the LSU Opportunity

Rousse’s public statements about the LSU presidency have evolved. In June 2025, when first asked about the possibility, he told the Louisiana Illuminator he remained “laser-focused on building on our successes at McNeese State.”

But following Thursday’s announcement, his tone shifted significantly. In a statement to KPLC, Rousse confirmed his interest:

“Our team’s success at McNeese has been recognized and celebrated across Louisiana. In recent weeks, several higher education leaders and stakeholders have encouraged me to consider pursuing the presidency of Louisiana State University. My love for McNeese runs deep, but my goal has always been to make the greatest possible impact on higher education in my home state. LSU plays a pivotal role in shaping Louisiana’s higher education landscape and overall well-being, and I can confirm that I am thoughtfully exploring this opportunity.”

The statement walks a careful line—expressing deep commitment to McNeese while acknowledging the larger platform and influence LSU offers.

What Louisiana Families Need to Know About the LSU Search

The search for LSU’s next president carries significant implications for Louisiana’s higher education landscape. LSU is the state’s flagship university, and the president’s role extends beyond the Baton Rouge campus to influence policy, funding, and direction for the entire LSU System.

According to The Advocate, public interviews with the candidates are scheduled to begin Wednesday, October 29. The search follows the departure of William Tate, who left in May 2025 to become president of Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The other candidates bring diverse backgrounds:

• Matt Lee currently serves as LSU’s interim president and previously served as Vice President for Agriculture and Dean of the College of Agriculture
• Robert Robbins is former president of the University of Arizona with a medical background
• Julius Fridriksson serves as Vice President of Research at the University of South Carolina and was a former colleague of Tate’s at South Carolina
• The unnamed candidate holds a position as senior vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer but requested confidentiality regarding their current employer

What This Means for McNeese and Lake Charles

If Rousse moves to LSU, McNeese would lose a president who delivered measurable results in an extraordinarily short time. His metrics-driven approach, willingness to make bold strategic bets, and transparent communication style resonated with faculty, staff, and the Southwest Louisiana community.

The university has approximately $100 million in ongoing construction projects, including a state-of-the-art student union that’s described as a “game-changer” for the campus experience. The momentum Rousse generated—both in enrollment and national visibility—would need to be sustained by his successor.

For Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana, Rousse’s potential departure represents both pride and loss. A hometown success story might ascend to lead the state’s premier university, bringing Southwest Louisiana perspective to Baton Rouge. But the region would lose a leader who understood the economic and cultural dynamics of the area intimately.