It began as a subtle murmur from just one or two voices.

And then, slowly, more voices chimed in and it grew into a chant.

By the time the nets were down, the crowd inside the Legacy Center was cheering in one, singular voice.

“One more year! One more year! One more year!” It was as if they were pleading more than they were asking.

With his right hand, Will Wade raised his fist to greet their call, as if answering their prayers for that moment.

It was symbolic.

Later, a few hundred yards down the road, more of his public greeted him as he entered Mr. Bill’s, the local restaurant that hosts the McNeese sports podcast weekly, where Wade is often a guest.

Shaking hands and getting slaps on his back, Wade welcomed all before leaving for the night.

He likely went back to work. The McNeese basketball coach still has a lot to do before the season is over.

When asked about his future, Wade smiles. On social media, he’s linked to every job that comes open nationally, including ones rumored to be opening soon. However, his answer never wavers.

He proclaims that he loves it here and is dedicated to McNeese and this community. He says he will let us know when he has something to say.

Having covered Wade for two seasons now, I trust him at his word. Right now, Will Wade is the McNeese State head basketball coach and he will be for at least another week. We can worry about the rest after that.

Wade and his Cowboys have bigger things to think about, like their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. It’s the first time in history the school has ever done it twice. They find out on Sunday where they’re headed and who they’ll be playing.

“In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think it would go this well,” Wade said Wednesday night after his club knocked off rival Lamar to win the Southland Championship. It was a win that earned the league’s automatic bid to the tournament.

Wade came to McNeese hoping to repair his reputation and rebuild the basketball program. He has more than accomplished that.

After being fired from LSU over an ugly and long recruiting investigation that proved more embarrassing than incriminating when it was all done and over, he has proven himself at McNeese.

Since he came to town promising “23 wins plus one,” Wade’s teams have done much more. They have won 57 games and lost 10, holding a 30-1 at-home record. The team has disseminated the rest of the Southland.

In games against league competition, Wade’s Cowboys are 40-2. They have lost just once since Christmas this season.

So it makes sense, as the tournament comes back around, that Wade’s name is being tossed at every job opening. That’s fine. For now, he’s ours.

He will leave one day, and deservedly so. That’s a fact. It will hurt like it does when your oldest heads off to college, but it’s life.

The important thing is that today isn’t that day. So let’s enjoy the ride while it lasts.

We know he’ll give it his all.

“This place has been too good to me and us to short-change things for one minute,” Wade said.

Again, I trust him on that. Winning is what matters most to this guy.

Will Wade may have needed us, but we needed him, too. We were desperate for someone to pick us up after the 2020 hurricanes destroyed our town.

We needed to believe that brighter days were ahead. Wade and his Cowboys have given us those brighter days.

Yes, he will move on, but I get the feeling he will never truly let us go, just like we won’t let him go.

He has set us up. He says things will be OK basketball-wise when he’s gone.

And, again, I trust him.

Just like I do when he says nothing has been decided. What else can we do?

He’ll tell us when there is something to tell.

Yes, that could be in a week or two, but who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll actually get “one more year.”

Wouldn’t that be something?

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@yahoo.com