LSU to hire Matt McMahon: Tigers program turns to Murray State coach after firing Will Wade

The Tigers took just over a week to find their replacement for Wade in Baton Rouge

LSU is expected to hire Matt McMahon away from Murray State to become its next men's basketball coach, a source confirmed to CBS Sports' Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander on Monday. News of McMahon's hiring comes just over a week after the Tigers fired embattled coach Will Wade amid NCAA allegations of wrongdoing connected to him and the LSU program.

McMahon, 43, spent the last seven seasons building Murray State into a force in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers went 154-67 during his tenure, winning four regular season conference championships in the last five seasons and three OVC tournament titles. In three NCAA Tournament appearances, they twice advanced into the second round.

McMahon's star has steadily brightened over the last few years in the coaching ranks and he really earned a higher profile after recruiting and signing unranked prospect Ja Morant. Morant became an All-American at Murray State, and after two seasons, he became the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he's already an All-Star.

LSU athletic director Scott Woodard has, in the past, made splashy head-coaching hires during his tenure, most recently nabbing Brian Kelly as football coach away from Notre Dame and Kim Mulkey as women's basketball coach away from Baylor, which made the men's basketball hire one of fascination given the Tigers' resources. But McMahon's rising profile, NCAA Tournament success and consistent capability of doing more with less made him a prime candidate for a job in the power conference ranks, and there's an undeniable appeal in jumping from the OVC to the SEC with a huge pay increase to boot. 

Originally from Tennessee, McMahon played college basketball at Appalachian State before later returning to his alma mater as an assistant. He also cut his teeth in the coaching ranks as an assistant at Tennessee, UNC Wilmington and Murray State before his recent run of success with the Racers.

LSU is a great job with fantastic resources and a winning history, but for McMahon, it comes with its own challenges. The school canned Wade earlier this month shortly after receiving a Notice of Allegations tied to wrongdoing under his watch, and the program could face penalties for his alleged misdeeds that extends to McMahon's tenure.