Will Wade appears to have taken his trademark candor and self-assurance down to the Bayou.

Just over a year after holding a similar news conference in Raleigh, Wade was reintroduced Monday as LSU's head coach and rallied a crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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During what was overwhelmingly a warm welcome, one reporter asked Wade about a widespread perception of him being a villain in light of his hasty exit from NC State. Wade, who's returning to LSU after a stint from 2017 to 2022, said he didn't regret how he left Raleigh.  

"I long ago quit worrying about my perception … so ... that part doesn’t bother me too much," Wade said before attendees applauded.

Wade got plenty of flack from college basketball media, fans and influencers in the Triangle for his unexpected departure from NC State last week, almost one year after promising to rebuild his image and return the Wolfpack to past glory.

On Monday, he acknowledged the awkward way things ended, but said some things were falsely portrayed in the messaging around his exit.

"I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me," Wade said. "I think some of the things have been mischaracterized on how I left, but I'm not gonna get into a back-and-forth on all that.

"The people who need to know, know and look, when there's a situation like this, everybody has to cover ... let's put it that way. I'm at peace with how I left, I'm at peace with what we did."

Watch: Will Wade introduced as head coach at LSU

On Thursday, NC State director of athletics Boo Corrigan said he was "as shocked and surprised as anyone" by how things unfolded.

"Look, they're pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good," Wade said Monday.

On March 12, Wade shut down speculation about a possible return to LSU when asked about lingering talks about a possible return. 

"That’s the way it goes, but I wish NC State nothing but the best," Wade said. "I built some great relationships there, I had a very good relationship with Boo Corrigan, the AD, I understand they hired Justin Gainey, a former player. I hope they do great. I wish them nothing but success."

Corrigan and the NC State administration moved quickly to replace Wade, who signed a six-year contract with NC State last year and brought immediate fan enthusiasm, but bolted to LSU after the Wolfpack’s NCAA Tournament loss in the First Four. NC State lost eight of its last 10 games after a momentous win against rival North Carolina on Feb. 17. 

Wade's contract called for a $5 million buyout if he left on or before April 1 and $3 million after that, but Corrigan said they accepted $4 million in order to get a jump on the process of hiring a new coach.

"We're [going to] make history one way or the other," Wade said. "We're coming back to try to hang a banner and win a national championship, or I'm gonna be the first coach fired from the same school twice. One way or another, we're gonna make history."