Dear Dr. Hatch,
I’m writing you to express my concern regarding the men’s basketball team. When I was a student at Wake, basketball games weren’t only a sporting event but a time to get away from difficult academics and socialize. The basketball team provided Wake Forest a national stage to tell the country about our unique institution. I can’t tell you how many broadcasts I watched games where Wake’s academics were lauded or the announcers jested about the students being out of class “for once.” Chris Paul wasn’t just the All-World point guard he was the kid I saw running to class who always had time to say hello. Skip Prosser wasn’t just the coach; he was a teacher and part-time philosopher. I feel sorry for the current students as they’re missing what was an integral part of the Wake Forest experience.
I feel sorry for the players. Student-athletes spend much of their week in the classroom or in practice. Game time should be their moment to shine, for all the hard work to pay off. Unfortunately, under Jeff [Redacted], the players have experienced very little of the elation as evidenced by his woeful record. Jeff [Redacted] has acted inappropriately at times as a head coach. No coach should ever engage a fan, let alone curse at him. That’s irreprehensible. On his radio show, [Redacted] is defensive and spends more time blaming the players than looking at his own role in the program. These are 18-19 year old kids; trying to have fun, get better while balancing a strenuous course load. [Redacted] is a 59-year-old man. To throw students under the bus for his shortcomings is inexcusable and he should be held to account by Ron Wellman. But it seems that Jeff [Redacted] is beyond reproach.
Furthermore, in keeping Jeff [Redacted], the school is acting in a financially unsound way. The Joel holds about 14,500, in 2010-2011 the announced attendance was 9200 and I’m sure the gate was much lower. I don’t have the figures for the current year but they must be grim. With a 16 home game schedule, the lost revenue, as our fan base dwindles due to apathy and frustration, mounts. We’re looking at million dollar losses here Dr. Hatch. For an athletic department that breaks even, our flagship sport can’t be in the red for an extended time. We can’t afford another year of Jeff [Redacted] at the helm.
