Contributed a lot under an older username on the old board a few years ago. So an avid board reader here and intended to post this last week but left for family vacation and that seemed much more important than carrying on with the "board-fever." So consider this post a week late and take it FWIW.
As one who was in a supervisory role on campus during the previous two coaching tenures, Jeff [Redacted] has done exactly what was asked of him by the AD and the administration; and, rightly so. The character of the team players has improved, they are playing together as a team, and they are competing (and completing work) in the classroom again. That is the traditional Wake Forest way (a.k.a. the right way) and I'm proud [Redacted] is restoring integrity to the program we all love. While there are real and visible growing pains, I believe he is also restoring our winning basketball tradition. I do not believe he trounced the program. WFU began a new basketball program with a new vision when [Redacted] was hired three years ago--he had two years to clean house; and, now one year with his players (7 freshmen). With those 7 freshmen leading the way, we defeated the same #2 team in the country who is now widely predicted (by many of the same experts calling for [Redacted]'s firing) as a final four team. Again, [Redacted] accomplished this with 7 true freshmen, 1 above average ACC (but not NBA talent) senior who gave his heart for the team and school, and a junior who lazily turned the ball over or shot an ill-advised three pointer at just about every critical juncture possible this season. Further, I don't believe you can use [Redacted]'s W-L record at Colorado to distort the larger picture of what Wellman brought him in to do. He cleaned house at CU and was hired by WFU in part (and I am OK with JB as Wellman's long-time friend--that kind of hiring happens every day in rural and urban cooperate America) because he was willing to take a stand and not give-in to pressure in this age of the win at all costs sports culture. This season IMO was [Redacted]'s first real shot at coaching his WFU team after using the first two seasons cleaning house and babysitting AAU street ballers who had no business playing in a team system. Anyone who has played serious high school or college basketball (4 years HS, 1 year college) or has the smallest inkling of basketball knowledge (beyond rec league) and who also paid attention during the Skip Prosser (may he RIP) and Dino Gaudio tenures cannot honestly say the offensive sets haven't improved. They were near awful during the previous two coaching tenures prior to [Redacted] and our most recent regular season success was due to primarily two recruits (Paul and Teague) and namely their ability to run a transition-based offense. See the postseason record the year after Chris Paul left if you need proof. No one on these boards has named the difficult truth--that with arguably the most talented team our school ever fielded (Paul, Downey, Levy, Williams, Strickland, etc) we still lost to a slightly above average West Virginia team in the second round of the NCAA tourney. And by the reaction of many in the WFU fan base today you would think the deacons were once a national championship powerhouse and by some overnight conspiracy our AD decided to tear down that house. This belief predicated on a false ideal that achieving a regular season #1 ranking is consistent with being a national championship program is what psychologists refer to as "delusional." In the NCAA's, Odom lost, Prosser lost twice, and, of course, Dino lost. When you lose (with four NBA prospects--Smith, Teague, Johnson, Aminu) in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Cleveland State, you can safely assume your program is DOA and you need a fresh start. With [Redacted], we may not have the most previously decorated or even socially polished coach--and to the former point, primarily, because he hasn't stayed at any one school longer than the typical three year rebuilding period as he keeps getting hired away--still we do have someone who emphasizes to almost to a fault the principles of integrity, discipline, and character (not saying former coaches did not do this); but who also runs a true team offense not intended only one or two players to showcase individual talent. The argument for firing [Redacted] based on the WFU team record and frankly, what know one will say but what can be attributed to his lack of sex appeal in the good ole boy south, displays ignorance of what really happened with WFU basketball and our student-athletes in the previous 6 seasons. Our rabid fan base attacking [Redacted]'s persona is at best a sad example of what has become of college fans in American amateur athletics. Have we as a WFU fan base succumbed to the win-at-all-costs culture, which in public admonishes sports agents and two-timing athletes for shredding the last threads of wholesome student-athlete amateurism left in American college athletics while secretly celebrating those very same players and agents when their own team defeats the cross town rival all in the name of bragging rights, success, and greed? The disposition of the "lunatic fringe" is not in any way, shape, or form in-keeping with the long-standing traditions of principle centered student-athletics that I've known for my 20 years as an fan and alum of Wake Forest athletics. It seems to me that the fringe has traded in the soul and tradition of WFU athletics for easy victories and quick success at any cost even if it means betraying the leaders we held in high esteem just three short years ago. The same fans whose roller coaster emotions soared in praised for Wellman for his genius in hiring Skip and Grobe have now turned against Wellman as their emotions have bottomed-out in the face of a few losing seasons. The vision for WFU athletics is much bigger than a few seasons. To me, too many once loyal fans have simply missed the forest for the trees.
As one who was in a supervisory role on campus during the previous two coaching tenures, Jeff [Redacted] has done exactly what was asked of him by the AD and the administration; and, rightly so. The character of the team players has improved, they are playing together as a team, and they are competing (and completing work) in the classroom again. That is the traditional Wake Forest way (a.k.a. the right way) and I'm proud [Redacted] is restoring integrity to the program we all love. While there are real and visible growing pains, I believe he is also restoring our winning basketball tradition. I do not believe he trounced the program. WFU began a new basketball program with a new vision when [Redacted] was hired three years ago--he had two years to clean house; and, now one year with his players (7 freshmen). With those 7 freshmen leading the way, we defeated the same #2 team in the country who is now widely predicted (by many of the same experts calling for [Redacted]'s firing) as a final four team. Again, [Redacted] accomplished this with 7 true freshmen, 1 above average ACC (but not NBA talent) senior who gave his heart for the team and school, and a junior who lazily turned the ball over or shot an ill-advised three pointer at just about every critical juncture possible this season. Further, I don't believe you can use [Redacted]'s W-L record at Colorado to distort the larger picture of what Wellman brought him in to do. He cleaned house at CU and was hired by WFU in part (and I am OK with JB as Wellman's long-time friend--that kind of hiring happens every day in rural and urban cooperate America) because he was willing to take a stand and not give-in to pressure in this age of the win at all costs sports culture. This season IMO was [Redacted]'s first real shot at coaching his WFU team after using the first two seasons cleaning house and babysitting AAU street ballers who had no business playing in a team system. Anyone who has played serious high school or college basketball (4 years HS, 1 year college) or has the smallest inkling of basketball knowledge (beyond rec league) and who also paid attention during the Skip Prosser (may he RIP) and Dino Gaudio tenures cannot honestly say the offensive sets haven't improved. They were near awful during the previous two coaching tenures prior to [Redacted] and our most recent regular season success was due to primarily two recruits (Paul and Teague) and namely their ability to run a transition-based offense. See the postseason record the year after Chris Paul left if you need proof. No one on these boards has named the difficult truth--that with arguably the most talented team our school ever fielded (Paul, Downey, Levy, Williams, Strickland, etc) we still lost to a slightly above average West Virginia team in the second round of the NCAA tourney. And by the reaction of many in the WFU fan base today you would think the deacons were once a national championship powerhouse and by some overnight conspiracy our AD decided to tear down that house. This belief predicated on a false ideal that achieving a regular season #1 ranking is consistent with being a national championship program is what psychologists refer to as "delusional." In the NCAA's, Odom lost, Prosser lost twice, and, of course, Dino lost. When you lose (with four NBA prospects--Smith, Teague, Johnson, Aminu) in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Cleveland State, you can safely assume your program is DOA and you need a fresh start. With [Redacted], we may not have the most previously decorated or even socially polished coach--and to the former point, primarily, because he hasn't stayed at any one school longer than the typical three year rebuilding period as he keeps getting hired away--still we do have someone who emphasizes to almost to a fault the principles of integrity, discipline, and character (not saying former coaches did not do this); but who also runs a true team offense not intended only one or two players to showcase individual talent. The argument for firing [Redacted] based on the WFU team record and frankly, what know one will say but what can be attributed to his lack of sex appeal in the good ole boy south, displays ignorance of what really happened with WFU basketball and our student-athletes in the previous 6 seasons. Our rabid fan base attacking [Redacted]'s persona is at best a sad example of what has become of college fans in American amateur athletics. Have we as a WFU fan base succumbed to the win-at-all-costs culture, which in public admonishes sports agents and two-timing athletes for shredding the last threads of wholesome student-athlete amateurism left in American college athletics while secretly celebrating those very same players and agents when their own team defeats the cross town rival all in the name of bragging rights, success, and greed? The disposition of the "lunatic fringe" is not in any way, shape, or form in-keeping with the long-standing traditions of principle centered student-athletics that I've known for my 20 years as an fan and alum of Wake Forest athletics. It seems to me that the fringe has traded in the soul and tradition of WFU athletics for easy victories and quick success at any cost even if it means betraying the leaders we held in high esteem just three short years ago. The same fans whose roller coaster emotions soared in praised for Wellman for his genius in hiring Skip and Grobe have now turned against Wellman as their emotions have bottomed-out in the face of a few losing seasons. The vision for WFU athletics is much bigger than a few seasons. To me, too many once loyal fans have simply missed the forest for the trees.
