• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Wellman tips his hand in Washington Post

Rolfe

Daylight in the swamp
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
490
Reaction score
63
Big article this morning about how ACC basketball attendance is declining, and plenty of quotes from Wellman throughout.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...e-box-office/2012/02/09/gIQA7jFY2Q_story.html

Here's the one I found interesting:

“We recognize that it’s a little bit of a downswing right now, but it takes time to build a program the right way,” Wellman said.

Settle in, everyone - Bzzzz ain't going anywhere.
 
That is what has bothered me about this whole thing. It's as if Wellman looked at our program and decided it needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt. As a fan, I never felt like that. I felt like we got dealt a tough blow with Skip's passing, gave the reins to the only person it really made sense to under the circumstances, came to a point where we needed an upgrade in coaching to get us to the next level. I mean if you look back at the past decade or so, we've been at some pretty high levels at certain points, but tended to fade down the stretch and not realize our full potential. We also had built a really good home court advantage in the Joel. To me, our program just needed some tweaking, not this complete tear down and rebuild or "culture change" Ron Wellman decided it needed.
 
Of course he is not going anywhere.


Buzz is Wellman's hire an therefore Wellman's reputation is on the line.



There is no way Buzz get fired after two years. Three years maybe but we could be in this abyss of awfulness for four years before both of them get shit canned.
 
Maybe Wellman thought the tearing down and rebuilding of the basketball program would be another legacy of his? I guess Deacon Tower wasn't good enough.
 
The problem with his quote about "it takes time" is that it is going to take a lot longer because of buzz, even if there is moderate improvement from year to year (we haven't seen that yet) Buzz is so unlikeable and our program is at such rock bottom that its going to take people even longer to come around.
 
It's going to take people with influence to force this change, because Wellman isn't going to do it on his own.
 
Maybe Wellman thought the tearing down and rebuilding of the basketball program would be another legacy of his? I guess Deacon Tower wasn't good enough.

Watching the old pressbox at Groves getting blownup was a lot more fun than it's been watching our men's basketball program get blownup
 
But he can’t ignore that perhaps it’s the play on the court that has also led to the downturn. After all, the Demon Deacons were ranked No. 1 in the country in January 2009, but have gone 19-37 the past two seasons.

Facepalm
 
Only way Bzzz gets fired is if Wellman does first. Hands down. He handed the keys to his buddy and we have to endure it until they both get the axe. By the end of this, we'll be lucky if the Joel still has 1000 fans watching.
 
That is what has bothered me about this whole thing. It's as if Wellman looked at our program and decided it needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt.

Step 1: Tear down the program.
Solution: Hire Bzz.

Can we get along to Step 2 now?
 
Agree with TW that he really can't say anything else. And there is absolutely nothing he could say that would make us feel any better about our situation. Well, other than announcing his resignation. Also agree with Storm that the only Bz goes before his 4th year is if Wellman goes 1st.
 
live -

Respectfully....

That is what has bothered me about this whole thing. It's as if Wellman looked at our program and decided it needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt.

Not completely but we know - after the fact - what went on and that definately called for an overhaul.


As a fan, I never felt like that. I felt like we got dealt a tough blow with Skip's passing, gave the reins to the only person it really made sense to under the circumstances,

So far so good....

....came to a point where we needed an upgrade in coaching to get us to the next level.

Whoa....again, as we learned, twas alot more that needed fixing.


I mean if you look back at the past decade or so, we've been at some pretty high levels at certain points, but tended to fade down the stretch and not realize our full potential. We also had built a really good home court advantage in the Joel. To me, our program just needed some tweaking, not this complete tear down and rebuild or "culture change" Ron Wellman decided it needed.

I can't tell you that cuz it would not be accurate.

At places like Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida State, Uconn, etcetera, the behavior, incidents/embarassing press and academic problems we've seen and read about over the last 20 months would be sluffed off as insignificant or SOP. Thankfully ( and painfully ), Wake isn't that kinda school and doesn't want those 'types' in our program ( see Indiana ).

Buzz may or may not be a long termer. Unfortunately for him, he's saddled with cleaning up the mess he inherited. One thing I'm certain of....his successor will inherit a much cleaner program than the one he did.
 
Last edited:
Seems pretty clear that when Wellman fired Dino and hired [Redacted], he didn't think at the time the program needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt. The "culture change" position has all the makings of a post-ad hoc description / justification for the state of the program and not his ex ante intentions.

In other words, I think he actually *thought* we were only a bit of tweaking away from contending, and that a better bench coach combined with the incoming recruiting class would take us to the next level.
 
live -

Respectfully....



Not completely but we know - after the fact - what went on and that definately called for an overhaul.




So far so good....



Whoa....again, as we learned, twas alot more that needed fixing.




I can't tell you that cuz it would not be accurate.

At places like Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida State, Uconn, etcetera, the behavior, incidents and academic problems we've seen and read about over the last 20 months would be sluffed off as insignificant or SOP. Thankfully ( and painfully ), Wake isn't that kinda school and doesn't want those 'types' in our program ( see Indiana ).

Buzz may or may not be a long termer. Unfortunately for him, he's saddled with cleaning up the mess he inherited. One thing I'm certain of....his successor will inherit a much cleaner program than the one he did.

Such a load of shit. Unbelievable that people actual believe this stuff. Same staff and same players is not the recipe for a "program clean-up". (And, as it happens, our program was lily white compared to that list you provided).
 
Seems pretty clear that when Wellman fired Dino and hired [Redacted], he didn't think at the time the program needed to be completely torn down and rebuilt. The "culture change" position has all the makings of a post-ad hoc description / justification for the state of the program and not his ex ante intentions.

I'm near 100% positive that I even remember quotes from Wellman right after the hire than said the program only needed "tweaking" to get us over the March hump. Hell, Wellman pushed to have Bzz keep the staff together and keep the recruits at Wake. Not exactly signs of needing a culture change.

The tear down, culture change, etc BS only came about when players started getting in trouble and we started losing games under Bzz's watch. It's all a made up crap sandwich that Bzzinners have chomped down on and raved about like a nice steak.
 
Last edited:
Wake desperately needs a Phil Knight to take over and turn this garbage around.
 
I'm near 100% positive that I even remember quotes from Wellman right after the hire than said the program only needed "tweaking" to get us over the March hump.

Unfortunately, we've been in that March Hump since 1962. 50 years means we need more than tweaking.
 
Back
Top