Canning Manning:Danny Manning Out as the head basketball coach at Wake Forest University

We kept on getting the Word, that Danny Manning would be returning as the head basketball coach at Wake Forest University…Then this afternoon we heard from Don Tilley, and he said Danny Manning was GONE, we heard from Jordan Stowe earlier this week and he said Wake Forest basketball fans were calling 911, and now we catch this report below from Lauren Walsh, with WXII TV 12 Sports, and this was sent to us in hurry(and not from John Currie), but by way of Twitter and you can read the news for yourself and when you look below….But, first let’s editorialize a little bit, shall we?

(Bottom Line folks, this is a business and you have to run it that way)…

No fans in the stands and fans staying away from the Wake Forest men’s basketball games means lack of progress, and the team/program is not moving forward….If Wake gets a winning team together, the fans/crowds should come back, and that will help the athletics budget blossom…

It all goes back to, “Wake has to find the right/correct coach for their men’s basketball program”…

Wake hit the jackpot with the hiring of their most recent football coach, in Dave Clawson…Clawson seemed sort of plain coming in, but he has been outstanding building the Demon Deacons football program…Go find you another Dave Clawson, hiding in the rough….

Why not make a beeline, and go get John Beilein??? He’s hiding out there somewhere, just outside of Cleveland…

++++++++++But back to our News of the Day……….++++++++++

**********Canning Manning??? YES, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Athletic Director John Currie have pulled the plug…See the news for yourself below, from Lauren Walsh, with WXII TV 12 Sports….CLICK HERE for more details from Lauren Walsh…**********

from Lauren Walsh with WXII TV 12/www.wxii12.com:

Wake Forest fires Basketball Head Coach Danny Manning

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —
Wake Forest Basketball Head Coach Danny Manning was fired Saturday.

“After a comprehensive review of the program, and with the support of President Hatch and University leadership, I have relieved Danny Manning of his duties as head basketball coach,” said John Currie, Director of Athletics in a letter to the Demon Deacon nation.

Randolph Childress will be the acting head coach while Wake Forest starts searching for a new men’s basketball head coach, Currie said.

Manning has been the head coach of the Demon Deacons basketball team for six seasons, with a record of 78-111. The team ended this past season with a losing record of 13-18.

The team lost in the first round of the Athletic Coast Conference Tournament that was canceled earlier this year because of the coronavirus.

“Our future is bright, and we are confident in what comes next for Wake Forest men’s basketball,” Currie said. “I am grateful to President Hatch and University leadership for their support as we move forward.”

from Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer and that’s an interesting name….Almost makes you think back to Jeff Bzdelik, former Wake Forest University head basketball coach…..

Wake Forest fires basketball coach Danny Manning

Wake Forest has fired basketball coach Danny Manning after six seasons, the school announced Saturday.

“After a comprehensive review of the men’s basketball program, and with the support of President Hatch and University leadership, I have determined that it is time for a change in our head coaching position,” athletic director John Currie said in a statement.

CLICK HERE to read more from ESPN and their staff writer, Jeff Borzello…

And checking the wire on Twitter….
from Conor O’Neill with the Winston-Salem Journal/News and Record:
Wake Forest fires Danny Manning after six seasons
CLICK HERE to read more from Conor O’Neill…

from Kevin Connolly with FOX 8 Sports:
@kconnollyfox8
Danny Manning being fired at Wake Forest is not a surprise. The timing is. What took so long after the season ended to come to this conclusion?
CLICK HERE for more from the digital desk at MyFOX8 Sports…Very nice read and closure here…

from Amanda Ferguson with WFMY NEWS 2 Sports:
@_amandaferguson
BREAKING: Wake Forest has fired Danny Manning.
CLICK HERE for more from WFMY NEWS 2 Sports and they are using the resources of Gary Parrish, with CBS Sports….

from Jordan Stowe, earlier this week at GreensboroSports.com:

Looking at the Danny Manning Numbers at Wake Forest:Is it time to Dial 911???(Jordan Stowe in the Know)
Special to GreensboroSports.com, from Jordan Stowe, Wake Forest Basketball Researcher…..

When you look at the current affairs that is plaguing Wake Forest University Basketball it is easy to see why they are struggling, and where the blame should be placed. Let us look together at some quick facts about Danny Manning first, before we dive into this wormhole. Danny Manning was recruited by Hall Of Fame coach, Larry Brown. Larry Brown was in his second year at Kansas University. He played all four years and was selected first overall in the NBA Draft in 1988. He has won two National Championships with Kansas, one as a player and one as am=n assistant coach. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist. However, he has been quoted that the Gold medal game against the Soviet Union was the biggest disappointment of his life. He was not able to score a single point. Wake Forest thought when they hired him to be Jeff Bzdelik’s successor they were striking a gold mine. However, it has been anything but. But, don’t take my word for it, let’s look a the numbers and specifics.

In the 2014/2015 season, Danny Manning inherited a basketball team that saw only three Deacons graduate. And that trend has continues. The 2015/2016 season saw five seniors graduate, none of which Manning recruited. In total, Manning’s program has only seen nine players graduate in six years. Nearly half, four of which were non-scholarship walk on players. Sixteen Players make up a roster on a Division 1 basketball team. Danny Manning has seen a staggering FIFTY-ONE new players in his six years at Wake Forest. Meaning he has had to replace nearly half of his whole squad in only six years. Sixteen people to a roster, sixteen times six (for the seasons he has coached), is only ninety-six. Seeing fifty one new players in your career means a lot of different issues from recruiting to lack of leadership, to lack of quality individuals, to poor judgment.

This last season alone shows four have either declared for the NBA Draft, which none are projected to be drafted. (Sarr and Brown) or have entered the transfer portal (Wright and Wynn). Bryant Crawford is now playing in Lithuania after leaving early for the NBA draft; again undrafted. Sixteen people have transferred to other programs or declared prematurely for the draft. Several have been dismissed from the program due to various “athletic policy reasons”. Jaylen Hoard and John Collins are the only two that are in the NBA. John Collins is a stud in Atlanta for the Hawks and Hoard has a two way contract with the Portland Trailblazers.

Every year has become a rebuilding year for Danny Manning. He is creating a pattern for the best players only staying one year at best and then they will be replaced the next year, because he will encourage them to enter the draft or they transfer to make another team better. This was exactly the case for Aaron Rountree at Iona University. Having only a 5.6% Graduation rate among his players is worthy enough of a termination in my book. Especially when half of those are non-scholarship walk on players.

Wake Forest University needs to WAKE UP and realize it’s time to CANN the MANN. ECU, UNCC, IONA, Old Dominion, Drexel, among others are happy to get our players in the transfer portal. However, with these numbers I have to wonder when will this trend end and when will Danny Manning finish building this program that seems to have to rebuild every year? With an 18 million dollar guaranteed buyout you can’t say he’s going to step down on his own before 2024. Most coaching contracts have an amount that decreases year after year. Recently, it has been discovered that his buyout is $18,000,000 regardless of when it happens and does not depreciate as time goes on, as some believe.

This article was written and researched by Jordan Stowe. He is a North Carolina resident and can be reached at 336-500-5638 or jordan.stowe@hotmail.com . Until we see the ball bounce or hear the crack of the bat again, remember everyday above ground is a good day!