1995: MAGICAL YEAR FOR HOOPS
Wake Forest celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the 2019-20 season, and Gold Rush explores the rich history and many special memories of the facility in this commemorative issue FEBRUARY 2020
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VOL. 29 // ISSUE 5 (USPS 014-373) EDITOR
Jim Buice PHOTOGRAPHERS
Brian Westerholt, WFU Athletics and others as noted WRITERS
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Gold Rush is published eight times a year in August, October, November, December, February, March, May and June by Learfield IMG College in conjunction with Wake Forest Athletics. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, NC 27102 and at additional mailing offices. The price of an annual subscription is $20. Members of the Deacon Club receive a oneyear subscription as part of their membership. Persons wishing to subscribe to Gold Rush should send a check or money order (credit cards not accepted) to: Learfield IMG College 540 N. Trade St. Winston-Salem, NC 27101 All material produced in this publication is the property of Wake Forest University and Learfield IMG College and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. POSTMASTER: Please send all address changes to the attention of Stephanie Hudson, Wake Forest Athletics, 519 Deacon Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27105. The appearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser and/or the advertiser’s product or service by Wake Forest or Learfield IMG College. The use of the name of the University or any of its identifying marks in advertisements must be approved by WFU and IMG.
CONTENTS
// F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
STRETCH RUN: Olivier Sarr (pictured above) and the Wake Forest men’s basketball team enter the heart of the ACC schedule with a busy February slate of home games as the Deacons go up against Clemson (Feb. 1), North Carolina (Feb. 11), Georgia Tech (Feb. 19), Duke (Feb. 25) and Notre Dame (Feb. 29).
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FROM THE AD INSIDE THE DEACON CLUB
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DONOR PROFILE COMPLIANCE CORNER
// 14 30 MEMORIES OF THE JOEL Individuals who have been part of Demon Deacon Basketball for three decades share their favorite moments at LJVM.
// 18 SEASON TO REMEMBER Twenty-five years ago, there was a season to remember again and again for the Wake Forest men’s basketball program with Randolph Childress putting on a record-breaking performance in the 1995 ACC Tournament to lead the Deacons to the title.
// 24 LONG LIST OF HONORS The Wake Forest football team set a number of school records in 2019 and won the Big Four Championship on the way to eight wins along with qualifying for a bowl game for the fourth straight season.
// 26 ANOTHER FINAL FOUR Wake Forest’s men’s soccer team battled through a series of injuries in 2019 to make it to its second College Cup in the last four years under head coach Bobby Muuss.
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FROM THE A.D.
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LJVM Coliseum has been an integral part of WFU and the community for 30 years Demon Deacon Nation,
JOHN CURRIE DIRECTOR O F AT H L E T I C S
I trust that your 2020 is off to a great start! ACC basketball is in full swing, opening day for baseball is almost here, the indoor track and tennis seasons are underway, and golf will be competing soon, so it’s a busy and exciting time for the Deacs. In this issue we are continuing our celebration of the 30th anniversary of the LJVM
Coliseum. The Coliseum has been an integral component of the Wake Forest and greater Winston-Salem and Triad communities since 1989 — hosting concerts, conventions, community meetings, and sporting events, including four NCAA Tournament events, six CIAA Tournaments and the 2007 Davis Cup quarterfinals. As many as 75,000 local high school students have received their diplomas in the Joel and,
of course, there have been countless memorable Wake Forest basketball moments. The opening of the LJVM Coliseum in 1989 marked a new era for Wake Forest Athletics, made possible by the dedication and concerted efforts of a broad group of city, community and university leaders. On December 7, we paid tribute to some of those leaders before and during the men’s basketball game versus NC State. Prior to the game, we had a panel discussion with community leaders including Mayor Allen Joines, former Coliseum manager Bucky Dame, former employee of both Memorial Coliseum and the LJVM Coliseum Stephen Samuel, and original Coliseum Commission member Robert Egleston, Wake Forest leaders including longtime Wake Forest athletics director Dr. Gene Hooks, and John Lambert, a Deacon Club leader and campaign volunteer for the Advantage Campaign which helped make the LJVM Coliseum possible. Another panelist and former Deacon basketball player, Robert Siler, scored the first points in the new Coliseum! I enjoyed learning more about this history and hearing first-hand stories about the development of the Coliseum. When Wake Forest purchased the Coliseum and surrounding parking areas from the city in 2013, we not only assumed financial responsibility for its deferred maintenance and daily operations, but we also made a commitment that the LJVM Coliseum would remain a valuable community asset. Indeed, one could see this
stewardship of the Coliseum as an important community asset as another example of Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate mission. Since Wake Forest took ownership of the facility, the Coliseum has continued to host community meetings, religious conferences, high school basketball tournaments and graduations, and a variety of concerts and sporting events. It served as a filming location for the movie The Longest Ride, welcomed a full-capacity crowd for a 2016 presidential campaign rally and even served as an evacuation shelter during Hurricane Florence. Wake Forest has made significant investments in the facility. Since 2013, nearly $8 million has been invested in a state-of-the-art video & audio system, renovations to the venue concourse, concession stands, kitchens, Allegacy Club Room, and most importantly, safety upgrades throughout the arena. Wake Forest Athletics spends $700,000 annually to operate the building and carries a yearly debt service payment of $792,000. Throughout this issue, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the history of the LJVM Coliseum through stories and photos, read accounts of great moments, and maybe even relive some of your own favorite memories. Please enjoy this trip down memory lane! Go Deacs! John Currie Director of Athletics Ron Wellman and John Currie
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AT H L E T I C S
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PAST TO PRESENT A LOOK BACK AT THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE LJVM COLISEUM By the early 1980s, the need for a new coliseum in Winston-Salem had been a topic of discussion for years. Previous bond referendums had failed in 1976 and 1979, but Memorial Coliseum was decaying and a majority of Wake Forest’s home ACC basketball games had been moved to the Greensboro Coliseum. But in 1984, spurred by the construction of large, new coliseums in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, city officials received enough support to put in motion the events that brought about the construction of the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
NOVEMBER 1984 Dr. Thomas Hearn, the preseident of Wake Forest University, pledged $2.5 million from the school toward construction of a new coliseum by the City of Winston-Salem.
MARCH 1985 The 56-member Citizens’ Coliseum Committee, appointed by Mayor Wayne Corpening, endorsed a plan to build a 14,000-seat arena, with a 3,500-seat annex for ice hockey, public ice skating and the Dixie Classic Fair for a total of $24 million.
JUNE 1985 A bond referendum to raise $20 million for construction of a coliseum and annex is passed by Winston-Salem voters by a margin of between 4 to 1 and 5 to 1.
NOVEMBER 1985 The Triad Vietnam Veterans Association proposed that the new coliseum be named for Lawrence Joel, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from Winston-Salem who died in February 1984. Joel, an Army medic, was recognized for having saved the lives of 13 fellow soldiers during a Viet Cong attack north of Saigon in 1965. Although twicd wounded in the legs by enemy machine gun fire, Joel crawled across the battle area for more than 24 hours, administering aid to his comrades.
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MARCH 1986 Ellerbe Associates of Minneapolis, chief architect for the coliseum project, released its design for the coliseum and estimated total construction costs for the building at $26 million.
NOVEMBER 1986 Wake Forest kicked off its Advantage drive for the new coliseum. Advantage described the edge Deacon basketball teams deserved when they played at home as well as the benefits the new coliseum would bring to the citizens of Winston-Salem and the Triad communities.
spoke at the event and the names of the county’s war dead were read, followed by the playing of taps and a 21-gun salute outside the new building.
AUGUST 30, 1989
APRIL 23, 1987 Ground was broken and construction began on the coliseum, which would sit just north and east of the existing Memorial Coliseum.
MARCH 1988 The city sent invitations to 5,000 artists and art galleries to submit a resume and slides of their work if they were interested in designing the memorial at the coliseum.
NOVEMBER 1988 The Board of Aldermen accepted a memorial designed by James Ford, a New York artist. The design consisted of individual markers outside the entrance and a memorial inside the lobby. A poem entitled “The Fallen” would be engraved on the wall of the interior memorial.
The arena opened with a “Star Spangled Celebration” that was described as a cross between an Orange Bowl halftime celebration and the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The extravaganza featured five music stages and included country, pop, gospel and beach music.
AUGUST 31, 1989 Dionne Warwick performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony in the first concert in the LJVM Coliseum.
SEPTEMBER 1, 1989 The opening week festivities continued with a performance by rapper LL Cool J.
SEPTEMBER 2, 1989 The LJVM Coliseum’s first week of performances concluded with a concert by country music group Alabama.
NOVEMBER 11, 1989 The Demon Deacons were victorious in the first Wake Forest basketball game played in the coliseum, defeating Statiba of the Soviet Union 82-74.
NOVEMBER 25, 1989
MARCH 1989 The Board of Aldermen agreed to name the coliseum’s press room the Gene Overby Press Room, in memory of Gene Overby, the longtime WSJS announcer and “Voice of the Deacons,” who died March 30, 1989, after a long battle with cancer.
AUGUST 28, 1989 The LJVM Coliseum was formally dedicated in a candlelight ceremony. Retired Gen. William C. Westmoreland
Wake Forest defeated Davidson in its first regular season game at the LJVM Coliseum. The first points were scored on a field goal from Wake Forest’s Robert Siler with 19:47 remaining in the first half.
MARCH 1993 The LJVM Coliseum hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament for the first time. No. 1 seed North Carolina defeated 16 seed East Carolina and 8 seed Rhode Island in Winston-Salem and went on to win the national champioship. FEBRUARY 2020
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MARCH 15, 1997 With the LJVM Coliseum hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament for the second time, North Carolina gave Coach Dean Smith victory number 877 surpassing Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp as the winningest college basketball coach in history.
APRIL 6-8, 2007 The LJVM Coliseum hosted the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup with the US vs. Spain. The US defeated Spain 4-1 and went on to win the 2007 Davis Cup.
MARCH 1998 Garth Brooks roped in the fans for the LJVM Coliseum’s first sellout concert — four nights in a row. More than 13,500 fans came to see and hear Brooks who had the No. 1 album on the pop charts (Ropin’ the Wind) and had recently been named the Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. The previous high mark for concert attendance was a Conway Twitty show in 1997 that drew more than 10,000 fans.
MARCH 2000 The Coliseum hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament for the third time. No. 5 seed Florida defeated No. 4 seed Illinois and No. 1 seed Duke in Winston-Salem and went on to compete in its first national championship game.
OCTOBER 2001 The Coliseum hosted a World Group qualifying match between the US Davis Cup team and India. It was the first international event for the United States after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
MARCH 2007
APRIL 11-13, 2008 For the second year in a row, the LJVM Coliseum hosted the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup in which the US defeated France 4-1.
AUGUST 2013 Wake Forest purchased the LJVM Coliseum and the surrounding 33 acres from the City of Winston-Salem and began renovations shortly thereafter.
SEPTEMBER 2018 The LJVM Coliseum opened its doors to evacuees of Hurricane Florence. The shelter was open 24 hours a day for nearly two weeks and housed up to 400 evacuees.
For its fourth time hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament, the LJVM Coliseum welcomed North Carolina, Georgetown, Boston College, Marquette, Michigan State, Texas Tech, Belmont, and Eastern Kentucky.
RENOVATIONS SINCE 2013 New state-of-the art audio & video system
New LED ribbon boards & corner scoreboards
Installation of hand rails & other safety upgrades
Allegacy Club Room renovations
Concourse renovations
Enhanced Wake Forest branding
Upgraded concession stands
New energy-efficient LED court lighting
Kitchen renovations
New marquee display
New state-of-the art center hung scoreboard
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Thomas Rhett performs to a sellout crowd
Wake Forest basketball
Professional Bull Riding (PBR)
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign rally
Wake Forest University President’s Ball
2010 Wake Forest University graduation Winston-Salem State University graduation
Dr. Nathan Hatch and wife Julie at the President’s Ball
Alan Jackson performs live WS/FC Schools high school graduation
Hurricane Florence evacuation shelter
National Sports Media Association Awards
Thomas Rhett performs to a sellout crowd
National Sports Media Association Awards Dinner
FEBRUARY 2020
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LJVM Coliseum’s Opening Dawned New Era for Wake Forest and Winston-Salem By Les Johns
The situation for Wake Forest became desperate, as Memorial Coliseum continued to decay and two coliseum bond referenda failed to pass by Winston-Salem voters. Wake athletic director Gene Hooks moved the majority of home ACC basketball games to the Greensboro Coliseum, further illuminating the need for action. A 1984 coliseum study formulated a plan based on what had worked in other communities, a coalition was built, another ballot initiative was spawned, and then ultimately passed in overwhelming fashion, leading to the construction of the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The LJVM Coliseum grand opening took place on Aug. 30, 1989 and Wake Forest Athletics is proudly celebrating the 30th anniversary of the facility throughout this entire season. Wake had played at Memorial Coliseum from 1956-89, with many ACC home games becoming displaced to Greensboro starting in the 1981-82 season. The Demon Deacons were 250-94 in the 8,200 capacity building that was eventually leveled for some of the current parking adjacent to LJVM Coliseum. According to Robert Egleston, who served on the coliseum commission, the construction of Memorial Coliseum had to wait until the end of World War II.
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“Then money was short,” he explained. “So they built what they could. It was pretty spartan.” That eventually led to concerns both in terms of aesthetics and safety. Late in its existence, the Coliseum became an albatross around the neck of Wake Forest coaches hoping to lure ACCcaliber recruits to compete in Winston-Salem. “We weren’t competitive because we didn’t have competitive facilities,” Hooks said. Because Wake Forest shared the facility with the Winston-Salem Polar Twins and Carolina/Winston-Salem Thunderbirds hockey teams, condensation would often develop on the floor leading to delays. In a contest against NC State on Dec. 11, 1966, a transformer caught fire resulting in a power outage. The game resumed on February 23 the following year, thus becoming the longest game in ACC history. “We did it out of desperation,” Hooks said about moving ACC games to Greensboro. That move was an eye opener for Winston-Salem natives. “It was effective in drawing attention to the old building being inadequate and that we needed a new facility,” executive director
of the Deacon Club Cook Griffin said.
of the 1979 ballot initiative and the one set for June of 1985.
The 1984 study led to the Winston-Salem City Council and Mayor Wayne Corpening agreeing in February 1985 to have a bond referendum which was set for June 25, 1985. Similar measures had failed in both 1976 and 1979.
“People began to realize we needed a facility that was of the quality of our competition in Greensboro and even Charlotte,” he said. “We had the opportunity to have great events, but the old facility was in poor condition and therefore wasn’t able to be utilized the way it should.”
“It’s three strikes and we’re out,” Egleston said. “The city will not be in the coliseum business if we don’t pass this bond referendum.” Egleston co-chaired the bond referendum promotions committee for the city. He said they hit as many Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club and Optimist Club meetings as they could during those four months to drum up as much ground-level support for the measure as possible. “We tried to pitch the story that we shouldn’t have to drive to Greensboro to see major events,” Egleston said. “We spoke everywhere we could go. It was fun for me, and gave me my first chance to spread my wings and do something in the community.” One of the biggest differences with the third measure is that it involved a private-public partnership that is rare — Wake Forest was willing to come up with $5 million of the $25 million needed for the venture, and would commit to being a primary paying tenant for the proposed facility. “We agreed to share the expenses of the new coliseum, although we weren’t sharing in ownership,” Hooks said. “I guess that was a key to it. We had skin in the game, but we weren’t asking for a whole lot. “There was a helluva need. The armory was just awful. People who had been there understood the problem and how difficult it was. There were so many horror stories. It was difficult to get good athletes to come. That would chase them off.” Bucky Dame, who ended up becoming Coliseum Director and had worked with the city of Winston-Salem since 1982, said there was buy-in across the entire community, and that was due, in part, to the direct commitment from Wake Forest. “He saw a vision and moved it forward,” Dame said about Hooks. “He was instrumental in getting the university involved, and that’s what sold it. Wake Forest was going to be a major tenant, but was also part of it financially. They were the number one tenant.” City Council member Bob Northington believed attitudes surrounding the issue had changed significantly between the failure
The proposal passed by a nearly 4-to-1 margin — 12,798 to 3,404. “We were sweating bullets,” Egleston said. “We were working just like any campaign. You don’t know what the results will be, so you just kill yourself with effort. We didn’t have any feel for it. Nobody was doing any polling or anything else.” There was an initial sense of pride in the Winston-Salem community for coming together to build the LJVM Coliseum that still exists to this day. “The new coliseum, at the time, I thought was indicative of the citizens of Winston-Salem saying that they want better than just old, worn-out stuff,” Northington said. “A lot of things happened in the community as a result of the enthusiasm of the coliseum being built.” The facility opened with a bang, featuring concerts by Dionne Warwick, LL Cool J and Alabama — who featured then littleknown Garth Brooks as an opening act. Brooks returned to LJVM Coliseum nine years later and sold the venue out for four nights in a row. The Coliseum has been home to WCW Wrestling pay-per-view events, numerous concerts and the Davis Cup. Winston-Salem has now hosted early rounds of the NCAA four times, including the historic moment in 1997 when North Carolina coach Dean Smith surpassed Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp for the most coaching wins in NCAA history. It’s obviously also been host for Wake Forest men’s and women’s basketball, with Dave Odom taking over the reins of the men’s basketball program just in time for the LJVM Coliseum opening in 1989. That combination led the Demon Deacons to starting their greatest continued run of success, reaching the NCAA Tournament for 12-of-15 years beginning in 1991. “There’s a parallel with the new facility and Dave Odom coming in that propelled our basketball program to the upper tier of the ACC,” Deacon Club president (1994-96) John Lambert said.
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(MEMORIES)
AT H L E T I C S
CELEBRATING LJVM COLISEUM
These individuals, many who have been part of all 30 of Wake Forest’s years in Joel Coliseum, share their most vivid memory. “ From a Wake Forest standpoint, one of my memories was the Minnesota ACC-Big 10 Challenge game (November 2001). Darius Songaila took a drive that was an awesome thing. Another was Josh Howard’s senior year against NC State (February 2003). He put a move on his man that completely faked the guy out and Josh drove in for a basket.”
“ My favorite memory was when Dave Odom was coach and Kansas came in here (December 2000) all riding high and we beat them by 30 points. That was quite an accomplishment for little old Wake Forest.” BOB COX GAME DAY OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
DR. RICHARD CARMICHAEL WAKE FOREST MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS PROFESSOR AND BASKETBALL STATISTICIAN
“ My favorite memory of The Joel is us beating Duke (February 2003), Justin Gray coming back in his first game after breaking his jaw at Duke, and winning here. He had just a phenomenal game.” GREG COLLINS ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, SPORTS MEDICINE
“ I think it might have been the night we beat Kansas (December 2000). Kansas came in here ranked in the top 5 (No. 4) and we beat the shorts off them. Wake could do nothing wrong, Kansas could do nothing right. It was just one of those games where it all clicked, the crowd was into it. It was a game where Wake took a college basketball blueblood behind the woodshed. And to see our guys revel in that environment. Of all my games here, that one sticks out more to me than any other.” STAN COTTEN WAKE FOREST SPORTS NETWORK
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" My favorite memory of the LJVM Coliseum (and the highlight of my Wake Forest career so far) was getting to meet Old Dominion in 2018. Being from Virginia (where several of the band members are from), I have been a big fan of theirs for a long time. Having the chance to meet them just months after they won the Academy of Country Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year was amazing. They were so nice and put on such a great show." AMY FLEET ASSISTANT AD, SPECIAL EVENTS & HOSPITALITY
THREE MEMBERS OF ODOM’S FIRST CLASS – STAN KING (KNEELING), TRELONNIE OWENS (STANDING MIDDLE) AND MARC BLUCAS (STANDING RIGHT) – WITH FELLOW-SENIOR CHARLIE HARRISON PRIOR TO THE ’94 SEASON.
“ My favorite memory from the Joel is watching Coach Odom's first recruiting class (Marc Blucas, Randolph Childress, Robert Doggett, Stan King, Trelonnie Owens, and Rodney Rogers) take the floor in the fall of the 1990-91 season.” JOHN CURRIE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
“ I think it would be hosting the Davis Cup in 2001. That was the first international sporting event held in the United States post 9/11. I remember this like it was yesterday. When they started playing the national anthem, this place was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. And it was kind of eerie, but you felt that patriotism. It was really special.” BUCKY DAME FORMER LVJM MANAGER AND COLISEUM COMPLEX DIRECTOR
“ One of my most cherished memories regarding the Coliseum was having the pleasure of serving alongside Clarence “Big House” Gaines on the Coliseum & Convention Center Commission in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was already a legend by that time and those were also his last years as WinstonSalem State University’s head coach. He was truly a gentle giant and I was later honored to have him autograph my copy of “They Call Me Big House” when Wake and WSSU played an exhibition a few years before he passed away.” ROBERT EGLESTON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEADERSHIP WINSTON-SALEM
“ My favorite highlight in the Joel was the Chris Paul coming out party against Duke (February 2004) when he showed legitimately that he was going to be a pro basketball player. He was unstoppable that night (23 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists), driving to the basket, shooting threes, leading the Wake team to a victory, doing what we see Chris do in the NBA. It was a great start to what would be a great pro career.” MARK FREIDINGER WAKE FOREST SPORTS NETWORK, SAN ANTONIO SPURS SCOUT
“ The first night with the motorcycle (versus Duke, February 2003) and there was no warning. I walked in and they said, ‘We’re going to try something a little different.’ I didn’t get a chance to look at the script beforehand and all of a sudden they said ‘We have a surprise!’ The motorcycle rolled out and they said ‘Now!’ And we made it up as we went.” JEFFREY GRIFFIN PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER
“ In January 1993, Wake Forest beat North Carolina, 88-62. Rodney Rogers stole a pass and had a breakaway 360 dunk and Randolph Childress hit six straight three-pointers! The Tar Heels went on to win the national championship. I have an audio tape of that game and I used to listen to it when I was driving by myself on road trips. You wouldn’t believe how fast two hours would go by listening to Randolph, Rodney and the guys beat up on the Tar Heels. The noise in the Joel after Randolph’s sixth straight three and Rodney’s 360 was deafening!” JULIE GRIFFIN FORMER ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE; DEACON FAN FOR LIFE
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“ My strongest memory is of Lawrence Joel himself. I was at his parade in 1967, and in 1984, while working at the Winston-Salem Journal as a young reporter, I was assigned to write the sad story of his death. Gov. James Martin called me at the Journal office to have me recount my memories of Joel and the details surrounding his death. Martin said he would make sure Joel was buried in Arlington, which he was. Five years later, the new coliseum was named in his honor.”
“ The wins over Carolina in 1996 and 1997. In 1996, we must have beaten them by 30 points (24). I remember Tony Rutland had a three, stole the inbounds pass with a second left in the first half and hit another three from behind the backboard. Also, my senior night (Feb. 25, 1997), I scored two points against Matt Harpring’s Georgia Tech team and when (Tim) Duncan came out for his jersey retirement, there was one guy who came out from the Georgia Tech locker room and sat on the bench all by himself and that was Matt Harpring. I always thought that was really nice. Another is when Randolph took over the Carolina game (January 1993) and scored 18 points over a threeminute stretch.” KENNY HERBST WAKE FOREST PROFESSOR; BASKETBALL LETTERMAN 1995-97
ED HARDIN SPORTSWRITER, GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD
“ There have been countless memorable athletic moments at the LJVM Coliseum, but some of my favorite experiences have been the President’s Balls that Julie and I have attended. I remember riding the motorcycle into the first ball with the Demon Deacon, playing the drums at another, and twirling Julie around the dance floor alongside fellow Wake Foresters. With great enthusiasm, our students have created a new tradition on campus that brings people together for an evening of fun and great memories.” DR. NATHAN HATCH WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
“ The best moment to me would be being able to hire a coach in Dave Odom who would have a chance to be successful and hire a very good coach in the process. The building was there and he had a chance to recruit to it. I go back and think of the Carl Tacys and the Bones McKinneys and the coaches before them, trying to recruit to the old coliseum. They didn’t have a chance at Wake Forest. We didn’t have a budget, we didn’t have a facility, but this building gave us that opportunity.” DR. GENE HOOKS WAKE FOREST DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS EMERITUS
“ We’ve had a lot of good players and lots of great times, but two of my most vivid memories of the Coliseum aren’t actually specific events. The first is when Coach Odom was here and we had Tim [Duncan], Randolph [Childress], Scooter [Banks], Ricardo [Peral], Jerry [Braswell] and Tony [Rutland]. That whole group worked together like a machine. Watching them play was so much fun. And they were such good guys. And then when Skip (Prosser) came and tie-dye took over. Everyone was wearing tie dye — kids, adults, old people with gray hair. Everybody knew that we were the Tie Dye Nation. We had good players, but Skip really made it so personable. He would go around to the student section after each home game and shake all their hands, and the students ate it up. But that was the essence of Skip — thank them for coming — never delay gratitude.”
LYNNE HEFLIN MEN’S BASKETBALL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
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“ T he first game (versus Davidson, Nov. 25, 1989) was packed and compared to how Memorial Coliseum was, I thought I had walked into the greatest arena ever. Press row was located across from the benches and (the media) took up the whole side. It was amazing. Compared to Memorial Coliseum, we were in heaven. And it was nice not having to go to Greensboro and actually getting to play ACC games here in Winston-Salem.”
“ One of my biggest memories of LJVM is that my class had to graduate inside. We were so disappointed that it rained so hard on graduation day but it was a beautiful ceremony! My other LJVM memory would be us beating Duke on Valentine’s Day 2016, snapping a 45-game losing streak to Duke. Last memory would be our annual School Day games - WOW, how electric the Coliseum is on those days! And I believe we are undefeated in my time here on those days – Go Deacs!”
RENE IVEY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS GAME DAY ASSISTANT
JEN HOOVER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
“ One of my favorite moments in the Coliseum was my first women’s basketball School Day game. Our marketing team worked really hard and other staff members pitched in as well, so to see the Coliseum packed with thousands of screaming kids singing, dancing and cheering the Deacs on to victory was really awesome.” BROOKE JOHNSTON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FAN EXPERIENCE & SALES
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TREASURE T ime
SHOP TODAY! Thanks to our generous year-end donors, Goodwill stores are packed with a treasure trove of wonderful and unique items. Don’t miss this time to find great bargains on our everyday items and the chance to find that one-of-a-kind treasure. Plus, every purchase you make supports employment and training programs that help local people find good jobs. FEBRUARY 2020
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“ My fondest memory is an event several months before the Coliseum opened in which the donors who had committed to Super Seats were allowed to pick the seats that they wanted. That was an event that created a great deal of anticipation for what was going to come, and I remember the Deacon Club member who had the number one rank at that time was H.V. Nelson. He bought 10 Super Seats and got them on row 1 at midcourt and I always remember those 10 seats and what that did to our program to create a base of donors for what was to come.” JOHN LAMBERT LONGTIME DEACON CLUB MEMBER; HANDLED PR DUTIES FOR “ADVANTAGE” CAMPAIGN WHICH SUPPORTED LJVM CONSTRUCTION
“ We had a press conference out in the lobby announcing this thing called Walking with Dinosaurs. It was a great program we had and these were lifelike dinosaurs. I was doing the press conference and everybody was looking at me and all of a sudden, coming from behind me — I didn’t see it — was this velociraptor…it came up looking over my shoulder. As I looked around, I saw it, and they got me on TV jumping out of my seat!” ALLEN JOINES WINSTON-SALEM MAYOR
“ The two overtime victory over Duke (February 2003). The celebration afterward really stands out.” DR. STEVE MESSIER WAKE FOREST HES PROFESSOR AND SHOT CLOCK OPERATOR
“ The first thing that comes to mind is the night I arrived for our first game with Davidson in 1989. I walked in the back door for the first time as the head coach and for the first night of Wake Forest Basketball in Joel Coliseum. We had a new coliseum which, at that time, matched any in the league. It was a place for loyal Deacon fans who had supported Wake Forest through the years — a place they could go and be proud of. And then the reality hit me…ok, now it’s up to us to build a team that’s equal to the building. As an aside, there’s something many people don’t know about that night. I always went running on the afternoon of a night game. That day, as I was running, a dog ran out in front of me and I had to stop quickly and hurt my Achilles. I had to call Dr. Walt Curl, who was our team physician, and he and Monte Hunter came over to the house and said ‘Well, it’s not severed. It’s just a little torn, and we’re going to put something in your shoe to help you get through the night.’ So, I had to coach that first game with a torn Achilles. Later that year here, we played Duke, who was top 10 in the country, and they bludgeoned us. Afterwards, Jerry Wainwright and I drove to a game at Brevard. On DAVE ODOM HEAD BASKETBALL COACH (1990-2001)
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“ The Frank Spencer Championships I won here as a high school coach and Coach Prosser looking down over my shoulder while I was coaching on the Wake Forest bench. The first Frank Spencer Championship I won with him being gone, that was really special. From a Wake Forest standpoint, it would be the wins over Carolina and Duke in 2009. Those were unbelievable wins.” MIKE MUSE DIRECTOR, BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENT; FORMER WFU ASSISTANT COACH & HIGH SCHOOL COACH
the way there I told him ‘What happened to us today will never happen again.’ The next year, Duke came in with Christian Laettner, a young Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley and a plethora of players. They went on to win the national championship that year, but we beat them that afternoon (86-77). The stands emptied onto the court and the crowd lifted Rodney (Rogers) onto their shoulders, and I knew at that point that we had a legitimate chance to be a factor in the ACC each and every year. Of course, there were a lot of good victories that came after that, but that stands out because it validated us — it helped us know we were capable. And we were.”
“ W hat sticks out in my mind was watching the interaction between Tim Duncan and his father when we retired Timmy’s jersey (versus Georgia Tech, Feb. 25, 1997). As his father was speaking, Tim walked up behind him and put his arms around him. It brings me to tears now thinking about it. That was such a tender moment.” ERNIE NESTOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH; FORMER ASSISTANT COACH
“ I think it was when that really crazy guy (Naz-T Deac) got up and would dance to ‘Jump Around.’ I think that was fantastic!” NOEL SHEPHERD DEACON CLUB DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND LEGACY GIVING
“ My favorite memory is Senior Night 1996. We were playing North Carolina-Chapel Hill. They were a really good team and we beat them pretty good. On our last possession, Rusty LaRue threw down one of the best dunks you’ll ever see and the place went crazy. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
“ One of the things unique to The Joel was when Dave Odom was coaching, and after games he would do his press conference, then go back and sit in a little corner room off the locker room. It was very informal, but it was a chance to follow up with questions. He would sit there forever in a big old wooden chair. He was available for as long as you would need him.” BOB SUTTON BURLINGTON TIMES-NEWS SPORTS EDITOR
“ There was nothing better than LJVM when there was a big game. You could feel a buzz in the arena throughout warmups, the national anthem and then the place would be in a frenzy by the time the game tipped. I have a photo in my house from our game versus North Carolina on January 15, 2005 when we were ranked No. 4 and they were No. 3. Coach Prosser is calling the guys over during a timeout and I am walking out right behind Coach. You can see the back of the jerseys of the guys walking towards us, Paul - #3, Gray - #1, Danelius - #13 -- and I can just envision Zombie Nation playing and LJVM rocking as we were on our way to taking down the Tar Heels that day. That was just one of so many wonderful moments and I consider myself very fortunate to have been in the background for them.” CRAIG ZAKRZEWSKI ASSISTANT AD, INTERNAL OPERATIONS & FORMER BASKETBALL MANAGER
GARY STRICKLAND OFFICIAL SCORER
“ It was 1997 and we were ranked No. 2 in the country and North Carolina was ranked No. 11. Our first ACC game was against UNC at the Coliseum. Coach Dean Smith traveled to the game separately from the team that night. When he arrived, he was met by a group of about 20 reporters who smothered him immediately, asking him about the game. As I was walking through the hallway by the throng of reporters, Dean saw me and said ‘Ron, I need to talk to you.’ Of course he didn’t need to talk to me, but he wanted to get WAKE FOREST VS. UNC 1996 away from the reporters. I told him that the game that night would be a great game. He said ‘no, it won’t be.’ That made me mad! How dare him tell me that they were going to beat us...and that it wouldn’t be a good game! But then he said ‘we’re not ready for this. Later in the year, we’ll be fine but we’re just not ready right now.’ And we wound up winning the game 81-57.” RON WELLMAN WAKE FOREST DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS EMERITUS
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A SEASON TO
REMEMBER … AND
AGAIN AGAIN
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1995 WAS ONE MAGICAL SEASON FOR DEACON BASKETBALL By John Justus
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here are Good seasons when teams achieve at a high level.
There are Great seasons when championships are won, even in national competition. Then there are Magical seasons, ones that live on because of their dramatic moments, remarkable accomplishments and lasting impact. These are seasons that players, coaches and, of course, fans, treasure for a lifetime for how they evolved and what they meant – not just at that time but for seasons and more seasons to come. Twenty-five years ago, there was one such Magical season for Wake Forest Basketball. The 1994-95 basketball season began with positive but restrained expectations for the Demon Deacons, which was not unusual or surprising. The opening of Lawrence Joel Coliseum five years before had signaled a new era at Wake Forest. The arrival of Rodney Rogers one year later and his dynamic play, supported by a highly capable cast, had served to legitimize Demon Deacon Basketball nationally over three seasons.. However, there was always North Carolina. There was always Duke. And the rest of the nine-school ACC of that era annually included three or four teams in addition to the Tar Heels and Blue Devils who would be nationally ranked or featured All-America performers. Wake Forest had finished third (or tied for third) in the conference in three of the previous four years, including 1994,
1995 TEAM TO BE HONORED Wake Forest will honor its 1995 basketball team at this year’s game against Georgia Tech on Feb. 19. Players and coaches from that team will be recognized at the 7 p.m. contest.
and had made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Three seniors instrumental to the ‘94 team’s success – Marc Blucas, Charlie Harrison and Trelonnie Owens – had departed, though. The Deacs under sixth-year head coach Dave Odom were picked to finish third again as the 1994-95 schedule began. “I felt like we would have a good team, even a better team than 1994,” Odom recalls. “We had approached building the program (in previous seasons) by first attacking the teams who traditionally were in the middle of the pack. We had to get past them first before we could get to the top. And the record shows we had done that. “As heart-breaking as the loss to North Carolina was the year before (Wake had led by three points with 11 seconds left in the ACC Tournament semifinals but lost 86-84 in overtime), something about (that game) told me we belonged. And in my quietest moments immediately after, I felt if we had a good offseason, preseason and stayed healthy, we could play with the best in the ACC.” Odom’s roster included only two seniors – athletic forward Travis “Scooter” Banks, who had started just five games as a junior, and team leader Randolph Childress, a first-team All-ACC selection the year before. Childress was joined as a returning starter by sophomore Tim Duncan, whose abilities the basketball world was just beginning to recognize and appreciate. Rusty LaRue, who doubled as Wake Forest’s starting quarterback, also returned as a key backcourt player, but the remainder of the primary parts to this team would be newcomers. Forward Ricky Peral had practiced with the squad the previous season and was now eligible. He was joined by four freshmen who made up a solid but relatively unheralded class. “I was optimistic,” Childress says in looking back at the onset of his final campaign as a Wake Forest player. “We knew Tim was going to be good, but we had lost some real 'glue' guys so there was some uncertainty, too.” That uncertainty continued throughout the non-league schedule, although the record might indicate otherwise. A couple of wins were FEBRUARY 2020
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followed by a double-figure loss to Florida, which had four starters returning from a Final Four club, and Childress said afterward, “Until we get five guys with some chemistry, we are going to struggle.” The Deacon star, now in his eighth season on the Wake coaching staff, also recalls one early game when Odom asked him to tone down his aggressive scoring approach to see how Duncan would respond as the primary figure in the team’s offense. After the young post player scored 20-plus points while adding his customary double-figure rebounds, Odom told Childress privately, “I think we found out what we needed to know.” Odom says it wasn’t just his future All-American center who he was watching closely during that season’s first few weeks. “We needed some time to get acclimated to each other, to what we wanted guys to do,” Odom, who would earn his third ACC Coach of the Year award three months later, remembers. “There were the two key pieces – Randolph and Tim – whose seriousness of purpose every day in practice as well as in the games was unquestioned. Rusty was a great shooter and had a tremendous basketball IQ, but he was coming off football.
“Scooter Banks, who is probably the best post defender I ever coached, was just emerging. Ricky Peral was new, and then we settled on Jerry Braswell and Tony Rutland as a backcourt tandem alongside Randolph. They were freshmen who brought the team levity along with ability, but had to learn their roles on the court as well.” Wake Forest won seven of eight early contests, then the ACC season began as most Deacon doubters would have forecast. Home wins over Florida State and #11 Duke were followed by road defeats at #9 Maryland and #22 Georgia Tech. Two more victories, including a 71-70 thriller at #15 Virginia, preceded what would be the first of what those who know point to as two key points in the season – and both came in defeat. Joel Coliseum was never more alive than when #3 North Carolina visited #15 Wake Forest on the last Saturday in January. The Deacons twice led by 10 points in the second half and held a 61-57 advantage with 26 seconds remaining before a Tar Heel threepoint play, a failed inbounds attempt by the Deacs and a Donald Williams jumper in the final seconds spelled a gut-wrenching loss. Odom, though, refused to let the bitter outcome detract from what he saw developing.
WAKE FOREST WON SEVEN OF EIGHT EARLY CONTESTS, THEN THE ACC SEASON BEGAN AS MOST DEACON DOUBTERS WOULD HAVE FORECAST. HOME WINS OVER FLORIDA STATE AND #11 DUKE WERE FOLLOWED BY ROAD DEFEATS AT #9 MARYLAND AND #22 GEORGIA TECH.
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“That loss, in my mind, turned that season as much as any game,” he thinks back. “For more than 39 minutes, we knew we were the better team.” Wake Forest went on to win three straight outings before suffering another difficult defeat when a Childress three-pointer bounced off the front rim as time expired in a 69-67 loss at Florida State. What transpired afterward, however, made the real difference according to the fearless point guard. Freshman Tony Rutland had found out earlier that day that his mother had passed away after battling cancer. The rookie guard played the game with that burden. A locker room already somber because of the loss became a team bonding experience, Childress recalls, as the Deacons wept together in mourning Rutland’s loss. “At that moment, basketball wasn’t as important anymore,” Childress says. “I remember that we all just sat and cried. We talked about things that brought us together as a team. There’s no question in my mind that was the turning point in our season.” Odom agrees. “Whatever small gap there was keeping that team from being totally together, to being totally committed to winning and to each other, that was erased that day,” he says. Three days later, Childress again took the final Wake shot at Duke. This time he connected for a 62-61 victory that was the first of seven consecutive wins that led to the Deacons ascending into the Top Ten. The streak included wins over #7 Maryland, #18 Georgia Tech and a spectacular 79-70 payback victory over #2 North Carolina when Childress and Duncan combined for 51 points to lead Wake Forest to its first win in Chapel Hill since 1982. More importantly, the Deacons finished in a four-way tie for first place in the ACC regular season and were the top seed
heading into the ACC Tournament in Greensboro – and three days that no Demon Deacon fan at that time will ever forget. First came a noon matchup with a talented Duke team that had struggled without head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who had undergone back surgery prior to the season. Shockingly, the Blue Devils held a 31-13 lead midway in the first half, at which point Childress, after
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vocally (some might say profanely) taking over a Wake Forest huddle during a timeout, ignited his team by scoring 27 first-half points (he finished with 40) to spark a 35-point turnaround and an 8770 win. The next day, Wake Forest trailed Virginia at halftime, 36-28, but stormed back behind Childress (30 points) and a strong defensive effort for a 77-68 triumph and a spot in the Tournament finals for the first time since 1978. The true magic in this Magical season then came to pass on ACC Championship Sunday. All Wake Forest followers know what happened. A Childress jumper with four seconds left in overtime resulted in an 82-80 Deacon win over North Carolina and the program’s first ACC title since 1962. The basket gave Childress 37 points in the game and a tournament record 107 points over a storybook 72 hours. Dan Collins, the longtime beat writer covering Wake Forest for the Winston-Salem Journal, so skillfully wrote afterward: “Randolph Childress, with one flick of his wrist, wiped out 33 years of frustration, a 38-year-old tournament record and a long-standing perception that while the Deacons could play giant-
Proud to be a Demon Deacon! Member, Women’s Golf ACC & East Regional Championship Teams 1994&1995
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killers, they could never be the giant.” Odom remembers as the final horn sounded and the court was flooded by media, he quietly took a seat on the team bench and began scanning the stands. “I wanted to find (wife) Lynn. I remember wanting to see my mother, too, but that was impossible because she had passed away. But when I finally made eye contact with Lynn, I was overcome by thinking how much had gone into this moment and the sacrifices that had been made by so many.” The Wake Forest campus became a bedlam of celebration far into the evening. Childress returned there after the game with his family and recalls that he couldn’t drive onto the grounds because of all the traffic. With a then-school-record 24 wins, a ranking of third in the country and the school’s first (and still only) #1 seed in the NCAA
WITH A THEN-SCHOOL-RECORD 24 WINS, A RANKING OF THIRD IN THE COUNTRY AND THE SCHOOL’S FIRST (AND STILL ONLY) #1 SEED IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, THE DEACONS WENT ON TO DEFEAT NORTH CAROLINA A&T AND SAINT LOUIS IN THEIR FIRST TWO NCAA OUTINGS, BUT DROPPED A HARDFOUGHT CONTEST TO OKLAHOMA STATE IN THE SWEET SIXTEEN. Tournament, the Deacons went on to defeat North Carolina A&T and Saint Louis in their first two NCAA outings, but dropped a hard-fought contest to Oklahoma State in the Sweet Sixteen. Whether it was an illness that struck Childress during the NCAAs or the residual effect of that season-ending 10-game winning streak culminated by the memorable three days in Greensboro, no one knows for sure or actually cares very much. A long season that had begun with the same marginally optimistic expectations had become one that will forever hold a cherished place in Wake Forest lore. “People remind me now and then of moments from that year,” Childress says, “especially the ACC Tournament, of course. But they don’t know about the journey we took to get there. “There were no egos on that team. Everyone did their part. It was a different group.” A special group. A Magical group.
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MAKING
HISTORY DEACONS COMPILE LENGTHY LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 By Steve Shutt
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he list of honors accumulated by the 2019 Wake Forest football team is long, and the accolades are numerous. School records were plentiful, and accomplishments were ample. Where should we begin? Wake Forest won the Big Four Championship in 2019 by posting wins at home over North Carolina, NC State and Duke.
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It marked just the eighth time that the Demon Deacons have swept their three in-state ACC foes in a series of rivalries that have all been played at least 100 times. Wake Forest earned a fourth straight bowl bid for the first time in school history. The eight wins put the 2019 Deacons among the eight teams in the 118 years of Wake Forest football to win eight or more games in a season. The Deacons appeared in the nation’s top 25 polls for the first time in a decade and made their debut appearance in the College Football Playoff poll with a No. 19 ranking in early November. Wake Forest placed a school-record 14 players on the All-ACC
team, including a trio of first-teamers in placekicker Nick Sciba, wide receiver Sage Surratt and defensive end Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr. Sciba set an NCAA record by making 34 consecutive field goal tries, including 23 in a row in 2019 alone. That accomplishment earned him multiple All-America honors. Surratt was on track for a record-setting campaign until a season-ending injury sidelined him for the final four games of the season. Basham recorded 11 sacks, the second-most by a Deacon defender in school history. Left tackle Justin Herron set the school record for the most starts in a career. Running back Cade Carney finished seventh in career rushing at Wake Forest, and Surratt set a new marker by earning four ACC Player of the Week awards. As a team, the Deacons broke or tied nearly 100 records in 2019. Wake Forest jumped out to a 7-1 record, rolling through North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College and NC State en route to an amazing start. The invitation to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, an ACC Tier I bowl, was met with great acclaim. Injuries depleted the squad as the season wore on. Veterans Luke Masterson and Justin Strnad were lost midway through the season, and injuries hit again late in the year when Nate Gilliam, Nasir Greer and Rondell Bothroyd missed the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Yet, in the end, in a testimonial to the caliber of program that head coach Dave Clawson and his staff have built, there was disappointment. A 27-21 loss to Michigan State in Yankee Stadium on Dec. 27 left the Deacons wanting more. “I think the telltale sign of our program is we’re not happy,” Clawson said immediately following the game. “We’re disappointed we didn’t get double-digit wins, that we didn’t win our fourth straight bowl game. I think we’re past the point of just being happy to get to a bowl. I think these guys have changed the culture and expectation level of our program.” The trip to New York City was part business trip, part pleasure excursion. The staff and student-athletes were able to take in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, visited the 9/11 Memorial and One World Observatory. Side trips to Times Square and the whole “Christmas in New York” atmosphere were experiences that most of the current Deacons had never enjoyed. A bowl game in New York City during Christmas was an experience that will never be forgotten. As for the game: The Deacs came out attacking on their first possession making many believe that this would be similar to many of the regular season wins. Kendall Hinton grabbed a 29yard scoring pass from Jamie Newman. After a MSU field goal,
a fluke interception and touchdown return by a Spartan defensive lineman put MSU up 10-7. The Deacons regained the lead in the second quarter when breakout freshman wide receiver Donavon Greene made an acrobatic one-handed catch in the end zone, a catch that was the No. 7 Play of the Day on that night’s ESPN SportsCenter. Greene’s catch put the Deacons ahead 14-10. After MSU went ahead 17-14, the Deacons regained the lead when a wideopen Jack Freudenthal scored on a 44-yard pass from Newman. A late MSU field goal left the Deacons with a 21-
20 halftime advantage. The second half, however, did not go the Deacons’ way. On their five second half possessions, the Deacons punted three times and lost the ball on downs twice. After Michigan State missed a chipshot field goal with three minutes left and Wake Forest trailing by six, there wasn’t a soul in Yankee Stadium that didn’t believe the offense would engineer another late game-winning drive, just as it did in the 2017 Belk Bowl win over Texas A&M and the 2018 Birmingham Bowl victory over Memphis. But the drive stalled, and the Deacons’ hopes were dashed. “I was proud of the way we hung in there,” Clawson said. “We made enough plays to stay in the game, but not enough plays to win the game. “We did a lot of good things this year. We didn’t finish the way we wanted, but we’ll get back to work in a couple of weeks and attack 2020 with a vengeance.” The New Era Pinstripe Bowl marked the end of an era for the Demon Deacon seniors. Recruited on the heels of back-to-back 3-9 seasons, the 2019 senior class became the third-winningest class in school history with 30 wins. It was also the highest-scoring class in the history of Wake Forest football, putting up over 1,500 points in the four years. “I think the seniors changed the culture of our program,” Clawson said. “We now have a locker room and a team that expects to win football games. We’ve been to four consecutive bowl games for the first time in the history of the school. We’ve had four consecutive seven-or-more win seasons for the first time since World War II.” FEBRUARY 2020
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CONSISTENT
ACHIEVEMENT THE 2019 DEACON MEN’S SOCCER TEAM OVERCAME MULTIPLE PERSONNEL LOSSES TO REACH ANOTHER COLLEGE CUP
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By John Dell
here’s no singular moment that Coach Bobby Muuss of the Wake Forest men’s soccer team can point to as the sole reason for this season’s dramatic NCAA Tournament run to the College Cup. Instead, he says it was a collective turn of events that put his team in a better frame of mind after a 1-0 loss to Virginia in the ACC semifinals. From that loss – and despite season-ending knee injuries late in the season to Justin McMasters and Aristotle Zarris – the Deacons thrived in the postseason. Without a lack of depth, which is a quality Muuss teams normally thrive on, the Deacons carried on in the NCAA Tournament with wins over Maryland, the defending national champion, Michigan and UC Santa Barbara. “I thought the guys really responded,” Muuss says, “and I think the loss to Virginia (in the ACC Tournament) really sparked a mentality change in the group because we knew (the next) loss would end careers or the season.” Unfortunately, the Deacons wound up facing Virginia again in Cary, N.C., in the College Cup semifinals in early December and the Cavaliers came out on top 2-1 to end the Deacons’ year with a 165-2 record. Despite the loss, however, Muuss and the Deacons were upbeat for how far they came since the first loss to the Cavaliers. Out of the starting lineup in the loss to Virginia in the College Cup were four senior
starters in leading scorer Bruno Lapa, Allistar Johnson, Joey DeZart and Eddie Folds who won’t be back next season. In fact, all six of Wake Forest’s seniors have graduated, and in Muuss’ five seasons at Wake Forest he has a 100 percent graduation rate among the seniors who stayed for their entire careers. Other key injuries that the Deacons had to fight through included Koby Carr and goalie Andreu Cases Mundet, an All-America senior who suffered a concussion in the preseason and never played this season. Muuss says between 80 and 90 games were lost this past season by probable starters to injuries or sickness. For all the adversity that the Deacons fought through, Muuss couldn’t help but praise this year’s team. “You never want to say this team over another team is your favorite because you have a lot of alumni sitting out here in the rain that would be quite upset,” Muuss said shortly after the College Cup semifinal loss that came in a steady rain. “I’m proud of my staff and our training room was very, very busy this season. “I don’t think externally, people might say ‘five losses – it was a tough year,’ but to say that we were going to be in the College Cup with the injuries of who was in and out of our lineup, I’m extremely proud.” Lapa was one of the five seniors (Johnston transferred from St. John’s two years ago) who were also around for the 2016 run to the College Cup. That season the Deacons won the ACC Tournament and continued their hot play before losing to Stanford in the championship game on penalty kicks. “I think going to two Final Fours in four years is special,” Lapa says. “I think we proved we are a very capable team and a very good program. After losing to Stanford (in 2016) and coming back here proves a lot.” Lapa says that one of the reasons the Deacons have been so successful under FEBRUARY 2020
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of team. He likes to use the word “collectiveness” that best describes the makeup of his program. The 89 wins that the Deacons have over the last five seasons are the most of any program in the country. “I think in the postseason we were very balanced,” Muuss states. “We were really unselfish, and we needed that. The guys bought into roles they needed to play with the injuries and our shorter bench. I think we just needed to do things together, and I thought guys rose to the challenge individually and collectively.” The run to the College Cup will certainly give the team a boost of confidence during spring practice as well.
WHAT SETS THE DEACONS APART IS THEIR CONSISTENCY. MUUSS, WHO HAS BEEN COACH OF THE YEAR IN THE ACC FOUR OUT OF HIS FIVE SEASONS AT WAKE FOREST, MAKES SURE THEY TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE REGULAR SEASON SO THEY CAN BE SET UP FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.
Muuss, who has an 89-16-9 record, is how the veterans aren’t shy about telling the younger players what to expect. “I was telling the younger guys we have the players and we have the coaching staff to play at a high level and come back,” Lapa says, “and I’m confident this team will be back in the Final Four in the next couple of years.” What sets the Deacons apart is their consistency. Muuss, who has been coach of the year in the ACC four out of his five seasons at Wake Forest, makes sure they take care of business in the regular season so they can be set up for the NCAA Tournament. Since Muuss took over for Jay Vidovich before the 2015 season, his squads have never played an NCAA Tournament game on the road except for the two times they were in the College Cup. “You want to have those playoff games at Spry (Stadium), and we’ve been fortunate enough to be seeded high enough these last five years to host those games,” says Muuss, who has been to the quarterfinals in four of his five seasons in Winston-Salem. What Muuss and his assistant coaches (Steve Armas, Dane Brenner and Jonathan Lagos) constantly preach is a sense
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“Every team is different,” Muuss says. “We’ll have a different feel to this team in the spring. We’ll try to fill the holes that we need to fill, and we’ll look for guys that maybe didn’t play a big role this season but will be elevated in their role. You want to look for two or three guys or maybe more who are on the team now who can play more and contribute more. “Hopefully they are confident, but the spring is for building those roles to where they can contribute in the fall.”
John Dell has covered Wake Forest soccer for the WinstonSalem Journal for the last 19 years
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// S TA N C O T T E N
My Time at the Joel…
S TA N COTTEN VOICE OF THE DEMON DEACONS
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I can remember the first time I stepped into the LJVM Coliseum. It made a huge impression on me – I mean it was a very large building. But I had no idea that, one day, the building would be such a big part of my professional life. It was the summer of 1990, and the home of the Demon Deacons had just recently finished its first season under a rookie head coach by the name of Dave Odom. It hadn’t been a particularly good season if you look strictly at wins and losses. Wake finished 12-16 overall and 3-11 in the ACC, and despite a threegame winning streak to close the regular season, including road wins at Virginia and N.C. State, Clemson put a stop to the Deacs’ season with a 79-70 victory at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. I had been calling football and basketball games on the radio for a few years at Carson-Newman College (now University) in Jefferson City, Tenn. The Vice President for Advancement, Dr. Bill Crouch, was a Wake grad and wanted to know if I had any interest in a similar position that he knew had become available at his alma mater. I honestly think my reaction was, “Is that a joke?” Of course I was interested, and after applying and sending the requisite materials I landed an interview for a job that could, literally, change my life. I had no idea if Dr. Crouch had pulled any strings, and, frankly, I didn’t care! I drove over the day before my interview to have a look around the campus and Winston-Salem, and part of my snooping around led me to the Coliseum where a nice woman let me in to have a quick look. I walked in and just stared at the empty arena, letting my mind wonder what this impressive looking place was like when the Deacons were playing Carolina or Duke or State. Or anybody with all of those seats filled. I didn’t get the job that first time around. But I was pretty young and remember thinking that just maybe I’d have another chance at it one day. I hadn’t given up on calling games inside the LJVM. And then it happened, but not how I imagined. I left Carson-Newman after
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the 1991-92 athletic season to become the radio “Voice of the Thundering Herd” at Marshall University in Huntington, W. Va. In my second and third season at Marshall, the Herd played road games against Wake Forest at LJVM. I don’t recall much about those games although Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress were on those teams, and Wake won both games easily. What I do remember is how ‘big’ it felt – not the arena, although it obviously was a very large facility. But it was the atmosphere that struck me. It was Big Time. None of us had any idea the juggernaut of back-to-back ACC titles that was coming, but looking back at it now, nobody was probably all that surprised. After the 1995-96 season, Wake Forest radio voice Mac McDonald had the chance to return to Virginia for a second stint as the “Voice of the Cavaliers.” The Wake Forest radio job was open for the second time in six years, and as it turned out the second go-round for me was the one that took. Ben Sutton told me that his relatively new company, ISP Sports, wanted me to have the job this time, but he added that the final say-so would belong to athletic director Ron Wellman. I drove down to WinstonSalem, wore my best suit, shined my shoes and bought a brand new tie at Hanes Mall. It all worked out, and in the summer of 1996, I started a journey that hasn’t ended. After a lean football season in the fall, I remember how excited I was to start basketball season and get inside the Joel and begin calling games. My basketball experience couldn’t have started any better. I remember being anxious, but having called two games in the building while at Marshall and starting the season against three teams I was already familiar with because of my time at Marshall (VMI, The Citadel and Davidson) I was able to hit the ground running and not look back. That was 24 years ago! It was Tim Duncan’s senior season, and great things were expected. There was talk about a Final Four. And while the Deacs didn’t make it quite that far in the NCAA Tournament, it
was still a really good season. Wake finished 24-7 and 11-5 in the ACC. I’ve been asked a lot over the years about games and moments in the LJVM that I remember, and it’s funny how the mind, at least mine, works. Many of the games, especially those against ACC teams, have melted into one another, and as the years go by they are harder and harder to distinguish. And that may be due to how I prepare for broadcasts. I do all I can to get ready for the game, but when the game is over, I put it in a box and move to the next one. I remember more vividly the players and coaches and managers, even specific conversations about trivial things. I remember taking my oldest daughter Annie to practice when Dave Odom was coaching so she could “…see those guys she saw on TV.” Specifically she was referring to Dave Odom and Tim Duncan. But one game I do remember, and it is by far the game I remember most fondly. It was an early December nonconference game against the highly regarded Kansas Jayhawks of Coach Roy Williams. KU came into the Joel as the No. 3 team in the nation, and Wake ran the Jayhawks clean back to Lawrence. I mean it was a whipping like I had never seen. Wake won the game by 31 points. And it wasn’t that close. Every move Dave Odom made worked. Everything Roy Williams tried to do to counter his bench rival failed. Miserably. What a night that was! And finally, I want to mention my radio partner, Mark Freidinger. The best for last. This is Dinger’s 30th season on the radio. It’s LJVM’s 30th anniversary, meaning this is the 31st season of basketball in the building. Mark has seen them all, except that inaugural season. That’s a lot of games. That’s dedication. Mark is so respected around the league for his knowledge of our league and Wake’s part in it. It has been my professional pleasure to sit beside him for these last 24 years. I hope there are many more to come. Stay tuned, and Happy Anniversary LJVM! It’s been good getting to know you… GO DEACS!
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FEBRUARY 2020
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INSIDE THE DEACON CLUB
Basketball and More – My Times at Joel Coliseum
BA R RY FA I R C L O T H SENIOR A S S O C I AT E AT H L E T I C DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT
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When I think back on 30 years of the LJVM Coliseum, a wave of emotions and many fond memories come rushing back to me. It all started in November 1989 — my freshman year at Wake Forest — when I attended the Deacons’ inaugural game in their new home, celebrating with an 82-74 victory over Statiba of the Soviet Union in an exhibition game. I even remember the impressive green laser display that took place before the game. A panoramic picture of that game hangs in the Deacon Club offices and serves as an interesting reminder of just how far the Coliseum has come since that first game. One of the most noticeable differences is that our fans are now closer to the court and the available real estate has been maximized with first and second row floor seats surrounding the court. When Rodney Rogers took the opening tip vs. UNC in January of 1993 and slammed home a 360° dunk, it was the greatest start to a game I can ever remember. The Joel was buzzing with excitement, and we went on to defeat UNC 88-62. The power and athleticism that Rodney displayed was more than I had ever seen before, and Rodney was one of the driving forces behind the success of Dave Odom which ultimately led to two ACC Championships during the Randolph Childress and Tim Duncan era. The start of my career as a Wake Forest employee coincided with the arrival of Coach Skip Prosser. Skip had an incredible way of connecting with students and fans, and a hard-charging Director of Basketball Operations, Pat Kelcey was always pushing the marketing envelope. In 2003, Wake Forest traveled to Marquette and played in the Milwaukee Bucks NBA arena. The game production was more like an NBA game with elaborate introductions and canned music. Between the Marquette game on February 9 and the Duke game at home on February 13, our marketing team totally flipped our script for basketball. It was the day the Joel changed. The Deacon rode in on a motorcycle; the fly guys were flying high during the intros; we had fans, young and old, dancing in the aisles, Zombie Nation was introduced to hype up the crowd, and an entire host of dramatic changes transformed the game experience. We ended up defeating Duke 94-80 in double OT, and I have picture hanging in my office of Trent Strickland crowd surfing in a sea of Wake Forest students after the win. I also have fond memories of taking my family to our women’s basketball games — the ultimate
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in family entertainment. I have a picture of our family at one of our women’s games with Sponge Bob Square Pants when our kids were about 5, 3 and 1 years old. And when I think about women’s basketball, it also reminds me of our annual School Day Game which packs the Joel with thousands of screaming elementary and middle schoolers enjoying a day out of class and a great basketball game. It’s truly a wonderful opportunity for children — many of whom have never been able to attend an event in the arena — to be exposed to the Coliseum and all it has to offer the community. The Frank Spencer Classic is a great holiday tradition which brings together all local high schools for a men’s and women's basketball tournament. I remember watching Chris Paul play in the Frank Spencer as a high school player for West Forsyth. Although Chris was small and looked far younger than he actually was, he commanded the court and had a big presence that got us all excited about the future of Wake Forest basketball. Zac Brown Band is one of my all-time favorite bands, and his concert in 2011 was another incredible LJVM experience. In front of a packed Coliseum, he definitely had me thinking about having my “toes in the water, butt in the sand.” Within the last couple of years, two of my most personally meaningful events have taken place in the Coliseum. The first was the high school graduation of my oldest daughter, Spencer. This is likely the case for so many other members of the Triad community since the as many as 75,000 local high school students have received their diplomas in the LJVM Coliseum over the years. . The second of my most personally meaningful events was John Trautwein’s Teammates for Life program in 2018. Our community group organized a moving event in which former major league pitcher John Trautwein spoke to thousands of local youth, parents, and community leaders about the difficult topic of suicide. John’s honesty and willingness to share his personal story of tragedy and hope was a catalyst for the development of suicide awareness programming which was recently implemented in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system. With so many memories — from Wake Forest basketball to concerts, educational programming, and a myriad of other entertainment opportunities — it has been an incredible 30 years. All of us at Wake Forest take very seriously our responsibility of making the LJVM Coliseum a valuable community asset while bringing together Wake fans across the country, and I’m excited to see what else the future holds for our beloved arena. Go Deacs! Barry
ER I N S I D E T H E PA D EG AE C OHNE A CD LU B
TICKETS FOR WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL VS. NOTRE DAME ARE ON SALE The Deacs take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a marquee gridiron matchup on Sept. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Tickets start at just $40 – be sure to reserve your spot at the game if you haven’t already! Purchase your tickets at GoDeacs.com/tickets or contact the Wake Forest Sales Team at (336) 758-3322, ext. 1. Be sure to keep your eye out for special events and promotions leading up to the game!
Keep up with the Deacon Club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! For the latest news and information from the Deacon Club and to connect with other members, be sure to find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! @WFUDeaconClub Facebook.com/DeaconClub
DEACON CLUB
@WFUDeaconClub | @DeacOnTheRun @BarryFaircloth
REMINDER: METAL DETECTOR IS WAKE FOREST PROGRAM IN PLACE AT BB&T ATHLETICS IN FIELD AND LJVM COLISEUM YOUR WILL? In an effort to proactively foster a safer environment for fans, coaches and student-athletes, Wake Forest Athletics has implemented a metal detector program for all events at BB&T Field and the LJVM Coliseum. When attending events at these locations, please arrive early to avoid delays.
Planned giving ties your legacy with the future of Wake Forest Athletics. To learn more about the many ways you can support Wake Forest Athletics through planned giving, please contact Paul Kennedy at (336) 758-3875 or kennedpj@wfu.edu.
FEBRUARY 2020
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DONOR PROFILE
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B R YA N A N D R E N E A C O B B
Bryan and Renea Cobb maintain established presence in the LJVM Coliseum
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f you’ve ever been to a Wake Forest basketball game in the 30 years of the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum’s existence, chances are you saw Bryan (’73) and Renea Cobb there. They were some of the first to obtain courtside seats when they were offered in the late 1990s. And they have missed just three games since. “We’ve driven over in snow and ice plenty of times,” Bryan said. “I have a four-wheel drive truck now, so we can get there even if there’s several inches of snow on the ground.” It’s a remarkable record of attendance – especially when you consider the Cobbs can only remember missing one football game at BB&T Field in that same timeframe. Bryan played on the 1970 ACC Championship football team – to someone on the outside, it makes sense that he would stay invested in the football program. But courtside seats for two decades for games for a sport Bryan never played? At a University that Renea didn’t attend? Why? “We get invested in the players,” Bryan said. “Renea has always said, ‘Those players deserve to see us sitting over there.’ We’re going to come to the game, and we’re not going to leave until the game is over.” “We love Wake Forest and Wake Forest sports,” Renea added. “And we love our players. We’re going to be there for them whether we win or lose.” Bryan was attending Wake Forest athletic events long before courtside seats entered the picture. After graduating from Wake Forest in 1973, he enrolled in the School of Dentistry at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned his doctorate with a specialization in pediatrics. He moved back to the Triad and began establishing his dentistry practice in Greensboro in 1979 – shortly after, he joined the Deacon Club and procured season tickets for Wake Forest football
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PA G E H E A D E R
and basketball. Fast forward about 20 years – Bryan and Renea were working together at his practice, where the two met, and the opportunity arose to secure those courtside seats alongside his business partner and fellow Wake Forest graduate Dr. Richard Beavers. The two each purchased two seats next to one another and with it, received a particularly distinct viewpoint for the next several decades of Wake Forest basketball. How distinct? Just ask Bryan about his myriad of interactions with ACC referees. They began in the very first game in those familiar courtside seats. During the game, the referee in front of Bryan and Renea made a goaltending call that displeased the Demon Deacon faithful. Boos rained down on the court, prompting the referee who made the call to turn around and look directly at Bryan. “That was the right call, wasn’t it?” Bryan responded honestly. “I saw the ball move.” Meaning the referee had indeed made the correct call. “It was the first and only time he’s ever helped a referee,” Renea said with a laugh. That sequence was just the beginning of a truly unique longterm relationship between the Cobbs and referees at the LJVM. But the Cobbs have developed many other relationships in their hundreds of days and nights spent courtside at the LJVM, including with those sitting around them. Renea said they have become particularly close with Wake Forest School of Law graduate Dick Beyer and his family. “We’ve watched their grandkids grow up and spent holidays together and get together before the games,” she said.
“They’ve become almost like family to us. It’s so interesting how sharing passion for games and your team can introduce you to some of your favorite people ever.” Then there are the players who in their own way have also felt like family. “We’re so invested in what they’re doing and what they’re trying to do,” Bryan said. “They can tell whether we are there or not – several of the guys every year will look over and see if you’re there. They’ll nod or show some sort of appreciation for us being there, and we notice that.” Then there are the guys who come over to give fist bumps and high fives to the young kids around Bryan and Renea, something that has left a positive impression on them even years after players have graduated. But the Cobbs take their support further than the gridiron or hardwood – they have donated to football, men’s basketball, women’s golf and baseball and have regularly attended soccer games and tennis matches as well, in addition to the countless hours spent at BB&T Field and LJVM. Bryan said that support is the result of years of reflection and gratitude for the University he calls home. Now he’s found his way to give back. “I support because of my lifelong realization of what this school has meant to me,” he said. “I was lucky that Wake was on my radar and I was lucky when the opportunity arose and I was lucky to attend and got a lot out of it. “We’ve always been told that you want to leave the woodpile a little higher than it was when you got there. I think that’s the driving force for me.”
deacon club photos
Deacon Club members are encouraged to submit photos for publication in the Gold Rush. Send your photos in digital format to DeacClub@wfu.edu. Submission of a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. Thanks for showing off your Demon Deacon pride!
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1 Approximately 2,000 Wake Forest fans and alumni pack Billy’s Sports Bar across from Yankee Stadium prior to the Deacs’ appearance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
2 2 Wake Forest Football alumni gathered in New York City for a special breakfast on the morning of the Pinstripe Bowl.
3 Deacon Club members (from
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left to right) Gray Allen, Kathleen Garber, Chelsea Coughlin and Megan Ratley bundle up and enjoy the fun from the stands at the Pinstripe Bowl.
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SUN
MON
TUE
WED JAN 01
THUR 02
FRI 03
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08
Women’s Basketball at Duke 6 p.m.
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03
04
T&F- Mondo College Inivtational (home) WTEN - at William & Mary 10:00 a.m.
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MBB at Louisville 9:00 p.m.
WTEN - vs. TBA (Chicago, IL)
T&F T&F Camel City Classic Camel City Classic (Winston-Salem) (Winston-Salem)
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MTEN - vs. Virginia & Davidson
WGOLF Northrup Grumman Challenge (Palos Verdes, CA)
WGOLF- Northrup Grumman Challenge (Palos Verdes, CA)
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS
WBB - at Georgia Tech 2:00 p.m.
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WBB- at Clemson 7:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball vs. North Carolina 8:00 p.m.
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MTEN - ITA Natinoal Indoor Championship
MGOLF - AllAmerican Intercollegiate
MBB - vs. Georgia WTEN - vs. TBA Tech, 7:00 p.m. (Montgomery, AL)
MGOLF - AllAmerican Intercollegiate
BASE - vs. UNCG 4:00 p.m.
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WBB - vs. North Carolina 12:00 p.m. BASE - at Long Beach St. 4:00 p.m.
MAR 01
MTEN Drummondville Challenger (Drummondville, Canada)
02
WTEN - at Georgia Tech 12:00 p.m.
BASE - vs. Louisville 1:00 p.m.
09
MGOLF General Hackler Championship (Myrtle Beach, SC)
WBB - at Florida State 7:00 p.m.
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BASE - vs. Appalachian St. 4:00 p.m.
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10
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DEACON CLUB (336) 758-5626 www.DeaconClub.com DeacClub@wfu.edu
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TRACK - ACC Indoor T&F Championships
05
MBB -at Syracuse 8:00 p.m.
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T&F - Darius Dixon Memorial Invite
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MTEN - ITA National Indoor Championship
MTEN - ITA National BASE - vs. Milwaukee Indoor Championship (DH) 2:00 p.m. (Madison, WS) MBB - at Miami 2:00 p.m. BASE - vs. Seton Hall 4:00 p.m
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WTEN - vs. TBA (Montgomery, AL)
WTEN - vs. TBA (Montgomery, AL) TRACK - JDL DMR TRACK - JDL DMR Invitational Invitational WGOLF- vs. Big Four (Raleigh, NC) BASE - at Long Beach BASE - at Long Beach St. 9:00 p.m. St. 6:00 p.m.
28 TRACK - ACC Indoor T&F Championships WTEN - at NC State 2:00 p.m. BASE - vs. La Salle 4:00 p.m.
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TRACK - ACC Indoor T&F Championships BASE - vs. Brown (DH) 2:00 p.m. MBB - vs. Notre Dame 4:00 p.m.
07
WGOLF - Darius WGOLF - Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Rucker Intercollegiate
MTEN - vs. Duke 4:00 p.m. & UNCG 7:00 p.m.
BASE - vs. Louisville 6:00 p.m.
BASE - vs. Louisville 4:00 p.m.
MBB at NC State 7:00 p.m.
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MGOLF BASE - at Coastal General Hackler Carolina 6:00 p.m. Championship (Myrtle Beach, SC) MTEN - at USC 8:00 p.m.
MTEN - at Arizona St. 3:00 p.m.
GROUP TICKETS (Football & Basketball) (336) 758-4030
20
WBB - vs. Miami 7:00 p.m.
MBB - at North Carolina 7:00 p.m.
BASE - vs. Sacred Heart 2:00 p.m.
WTEN - vs. North Carolina 12:00 p.m.
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MBB - vs. Duke 7:00 p.m.
BASE - vs. Sacred Heart 4:00 p.m.
MTEN - at Oklahoma St. 1:00 p.m.
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TICKET OFFICE (336) 758-3322
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MGOLF - All-American Intercollegiate WTEN - at Clemson 12:00 p.m. WBB - vs. Virginia Tech 1:00 p.m. BASE - vs. Illinois 2:00 p.m.
WGOLF - Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
SPORTS MARKETING (336) 758-5011
MTEN - at Baylor (5:00 p.m.) WBB vs. Notre Dame 7:00 p.m.
09
Men’s Basketball at Pitt 12 p.m.
05
WBB - at Boston College 1:00 p.m.
WGOLF - Northrop Grumman Challenge (Palos Verdes, CA)
SAT
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WGOLF - vs. Clover Cup (Mesa, AZ) TRACK - NCAA Indoor T&F Championships WTEN - at Boston College 2:00 p.m. MTEN - vs. Clemson 4:00 p.m. BASE - vs. Clemson 6:00 p.m.
TRACK - NCAA Indoor T&F Championships WGOLF - vs. Clover Cup (Mesa, AZ) BASE - vs. Clemson 3:00 p.m.
2020 WAKE BASEBALL FIRST PITCH DINNER
Joe Girardi, four-time World Champion MLB player and manager and current skipper of the Phillies, will be a special guest at the 2020 Wake Forest Baseball First Pitch Banquet on Friday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Snead Room at Bridger Field House. Girardi was named the new manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in October, and he’ll enter his first season with the team in 2020. Call (336) 758-6019 or email hudsonsa@wfu.edu to register - individual tickets are $125, while full tables cost $1000.
COMPLIANCE CORNER
// T O D D H A I R S T O N
ACADEMIC SCHEDULES: FULL-TIME VS. PART-TIME STATUS
TODD HAIRSTON SENIOR A S S O C I AT E AT H L E T I C DIRECTOR, COMPLIANCE
Spring semesters have recently begun at colleges and universities around the country. Part of the eligibility certification process schools go through includes verifying that all student-athletes are regularly enrolled, full-time students. Full-time status is generally defined as being enrolled in at least 12 credit hours of coursework in a specific term. In most instances, a part-time student-athlete is not eligible to practice or compete with their respective team. As with just about any NCAA rule, however, there are exceptions. For example, a graduating senior who is in his or her final term is actually permitted to be enrolled in less than a full-time course load, provided they are taking those classes required to fulfill graduation requirements at the end of that term.
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Therefore, it is possible that a senior may be enrolled in a single course, and even a single credit hour during the spring term, yet still be eligible to compete in their sport during the spring semester. Of course, building the right academic schedule at any time during a student’s career requires careful planning on the part of the student, in consultation with university academic advisors and athletics academic counselors. Understanding which courses are applicable to the student’s designated degree program and will meet NCAA continuing eligibility standards is essential. But when it works out such that a studentathlete is able to carry a lighter academic load during his or her final semester, it can be an added bonus at the end of a long and challenging academic journey.
Proud Supporter Morgan Stanley is proud to support Wake Forest University Athletics. Christopher Leak Sports and Entertainment Director Vice President Financial Advisor 100 North Main Street, Suite 2500 Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-721-9203 chris.leak@morganstanley.com advisor.morganstanley.com/the-yates-leak-group NMLS #1252924
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