Highlights

• LSU Board of Supervisors picked Wade Rousse as Louisiana State University’s 29th president Tuesday
• Rousse beat finalists James Dalton and Robert Robbins after students protested his ties to Governor Landry
• Board split president and chancellor jobs; Alabama’s James Dalton will run LSU’s Baton Rouge campus as chancellor
• Rousse turned around McNeese’s 14-year enrollment drop in less than a year and brought the school $50 million in national publicity through basketball
• First-generation college student who lived in a dorm with students now runs Louisiana’s flagship university system

The McNeese Turnaround Artist Taking Over Louisiana's Flagship University

The first-generation college student who reversed a 14-year enrollment decline and lived in a dorm with students will now lead the LSU System.

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) — The LSU Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to make Dr. Wade Rousse Louisiana State University's next president, ending a months-long search. Rousse turned around McNeese State University after Hurricane Laura devastated the campus, and enrollment dropped for 14 straight years.

"I hope, throughout the process, I've been able to articulate a vision that I think can be used to elevate the way we educate Louisiana," Rousse said in his final statement to the Board before it deliberated. "It is the honor of my life."

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The Board also split the president and chancellor positions into two jobs—something Rousse pushed for during the search. James Dalton, who was also a finalist and currently works as provost at the University of Alabama, will be the new chancellor running LSU's Baton Rouge campus.

Rousse beat two other finalists: Dalton and Dr. Robert Robbins, former president of the University of Arizona. Students protested his selection, and faculty questioned his research experience and ties to Governor Jeff Landry.

The selection caps a dramatic rise for Rousse, who 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. Less than a year later, he now leads Louisiana's premier university system.

The Selection: How Rousse Won LSU’s Top Job

According to the LSU Reveille, the LSU Board of Supervisors talked for two and a half hours Tuesday before picking Rousse. The board heard short statements from the three finalists before going into executive session.

The search started in August after former President William Tate left in May 2025 to run Rutgers University. The Presidential Search Committee picked three finalists on October 29: Rousse, Dalton, and Robbins.

The three met with students, faculty, and other groups during full-day campus visits. Dalton came Thursday, Robbins on Friday, and Rousse on Monday—one day before the Board voted.

The search sparked controversy. Several LSU students spoke against Rousse during public comment periods, worried about his ties to Governor Landry. Reports said Rousse was Landry’s pick, though the governor’s office wouldn’t comment.

Faculty questioned Rousse’s qualifications. He’s only run McNeese—a much smaller school without major research programs—for just over a year.

Rousse denied being too close to Landry. During his Monday campus visit, he said the governor’s involvement in LSU is “not healthy.” He understood why Landry might step in during a leadership vacuum, but said he’d tell them “we got it from here” once he took over.

Who is Wade Rousse? The First-Generation College Student Who Transformed McNeese

According to his official biography, Rousse grew up poor in Golden Meadow, a small Lafourche Parish town. His mother pushed education above everything else. He graduated from South Lafourche High School in 1989 and went to McNeese that year as a first-generation college student who got a chance to play football.

READ MORE: Who Is Wade Rousse?

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

After three years at McNeese, Rousse left to work in the marine transportation industry near his family in Southeast Louisiana. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Nicholls State University in 1993.

From Hourly Worker to Partner: The Private Sector Years

According to Thrive Magazine, Rousse worked his way up from hourly laborer to partner at Maritime Logistics and helped sell the company. The business pushed him to get more education, and he earned an MBA from the University of New Orleans in 2002.

Rousse decided higher education was where he wanted to be. He moved to Arizona to get a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago while working at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and 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 looked at international trade, financial integration, and regional economics—especially economic impact studies that helped Native American lands in Arizona get grant money.

The McNeese Turnaround: Reversing 14 Years of Decline

When Rousse came back to McNeese in 2019, the university was in trouble. He worked as dean of the College of Business, then vice president of University Advancement, then executive vice president before the board picked him as the eighth president in April 2024.

Hurricane Laura hit the campus in 2020 and destroyed the president’s residence. When Rousse took office in 2024, it still wasn’t rebuilt, so he and his wife lived in a remodeled dorm room in Burton Hall and ate with students in the cafeteria. Enrollment had dropped for 14 straight years. The rebuilding was only about halfway done when he started.

According to the university, Rousse’s plan: stabilize enrollment to stabilize the budget, create programs that get students jobs right after graduation, and make every employee’s work measurable.

It worked. Multiple reports confirm McNeese turned around the 14-year enrollment drop last year. Applications jumped 10 percent and more students who got accepted actually showed up—three years in a row of increases.

The Will Wade Gambit: Using Athletics to Transform Academics

Rousse’s biggest bet was hiring controversial basketball coach Will Wade, who LSU fired in 2021 over NCAA recruiting violation allegations.

Rousse told the Associated Press he gave Wade a clear two-year goal when he hired him: make the NCAA Tournament the first year, win a game the second year. After that, Wade would probably leave for 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 plan worked. McNeese made the tournament in 2024, then shocked the college basketball world in March 2025 when it beat fifth-seeded Clemson 69-67 in the first round. According to KPLC, the university’s website crashed from traffic at the final buzzer. McNeese estimates it got about $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 tracked success by regional economic impact. The university brings in about $675 million for Southwest Louisiana. His goal: reach $750-800 million over the next three years.

Wade left for NC State, as expected. But the attention stuck around.

Why Rousse Was Selected Despite Criticism

Rousse faced a lot of criticism during the search. According to reports, students and faculty said he doesn’t have research experience and he’s only run McNeese—a much smaller school without major research programs—for just over a year.

LSU Board Chairman Scott Ballard told The Advocate Rousse would get a “fair shake like any else.” But The Louisiana Illuminator reported Rousse was the pick of LSU Board Vice Chairman Lee Mallett, who also lives in Lake Charles.

Political insiders thought Rousse had Governor Jeff Landry’s backing. Mallett gave thousands of dollars to Landry and asked tough questions to all five candidates during interviews, pointing out their weaknesses.

When asked about his research credentials, Rousse defended himself at Monday’s public forum: “I do have the experience in research. I think I understand the faculty way more than it appears from the outside... this is about leadership.”

Rousse said his biggest challenge as LSU president would be winning over faculty—which turned out to be right, given all the concerns raised during the search.

What Rousse Said During the Search Process

Rousse changed his tune about the LSU job. In June 2025, when first asked, he told the Louisiana Illuminator he was “laser-focused on building on our successes at McNeese State.”

But after making the shortlist in October, he said he wanted it. In a statement to KPLC:

“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.”

During his Monday campus visit, one day before the board picked him, Rousse said his Louisiana ties help. “I think having Louisiana ties, it’s not essential, but I think it’s important,” he told WBRZ. “Not only from the political landscape, but also from the corporate side.”

What Rousse’s Vision Means for LSU’s Future

During the search, Rousse laid out plans for restructuring and expanding the LSU System. His biggest idea—splitting the president and chancellor jobs—happened right away when the Board picked him.

According to his campus presentations, here’s what Rousse wants to do:

System Restructuring: Splitting the president and chancellor jobs means the president watches the whole LSU system while a chancellor runs the Baton Rouge campus. The jobs have been combined since 2012, but Rousse said that setup hurt the other campuses.

Corporate Partnerships: He wants more companies to help pay for research and operations—something he did at McNeese.

Statewide Accessibility: Students could start at LSU satellite campuses and move to the main campus later.

Metrics-Driven Management: Like at McNeese, everyone gets clear, measurable goals.

Former President William Tate wanted LSU to become a top-50 research university and join the Association of American Universities. LSU’s research spending hit a record $543 million in 2023-24 under Tate.

Rousse wouldn’t commit to keeping those goals at first, which upset some faculty. He later said he thought LSU’s goals weren’t clear enough, and everyone needs to work together. He said research would be a top priority.

What This Means for McNeese, Lake Charles, and Louisiana

McNeese loses a president who got results fast. His data-driven approach and big bets worked with faculty, staff, and Southwest Louisiana.

The university has about $100 million in construction going on, including a new student union people call a “game-changer.” Whoever replaces Rousse needs to keep the momentum going—both in enrollment and attention.

For Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana, losing Rousse stings and feels good at the same time. One of their own now runs the state’s biggest university, which means Southwest Louisiana gets more say in state higher education. But they lose a leader who got the region and cared about making it grow.

For LSU, picking Rousse was a gamble on a different type of leader. Instead of someone with heavy research experience from big universities, the Board went with a turnaround guy who knows Louisiana and gets results—even if those results come from a much smaller school.

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