From the Quad- Special Edition
4/25/2020 11:14:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball
April 25, 2020
Dear Demon Deacon Nation:
Let me begin by sharing my sincerest wishes for the health and safety of you and your family during this trying time. The events of the past few months on campus, in our state, nation and world, are truly unprecedented and those of us tasked with leading Wake Forest University are making difficult decisions every day to positively impact our student-athletes, coaches and staff.
While our sole focus in the early weeks of the crisis was on helping our student-athletes, coaches and staff transition to a new way of learning, coaching and working, we have begun to return to the "normalcy" of department work, and that includes the end of season reviews of our winter sports, including our beloved men's basketball program.
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.
Coach Manning has represented us with class since taking over our men's basketball program in 2014. Earning a berth in the 2017 NCAA Tournament will always be meaningful. Following that season, Coach Manning deservingly received the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award.
Additionally, Coach Manning had six individuals garner All-Conference honors and had five student-athletes earn All-ACC Academic accolades, along with three players (John Collins, Jaylen Hoard, Doral Moore) who are now representing the Deacs in the NBA.
We thank Coach, Julie and Evan for their service to Wake Forest and for their commitment to our student-athletes. We wish them all of the best in the next chapter of their lives and I know that Demon Deacons everywhere join me in thanking them for their service and dedication to the Winston-Salem community and to Wake Forest University.
Because of COVID-19 social distancing measures, almost all of our men's basketball student-athletes are currently at home and away from campus and therefore my and Coach Manning's meeting with them earlier today was via video conference rather than in person.
I now turn our attention to what comes next.
Randolph Childress has agreed to serve as our acting head coach. Coach Childress is deeply devoted to Wake Forest and is the right person to lead our student-athletes during this time of transition.
As we move forward, I ask for the full support of Deacon Nation for our basketball student-athletes who played with determination throughout this past season and are working hard to finish the academic semester successfully. We are grateful for the contributions of our seniors, Brandon Childress, Torry Johnson, Andrien White, and wish them all the best as they complete their degrees this spring/summer and prepare for their next step.
A comprehensive search will begin immediately, and I will be in regular contact with President Hatch throughout this process.
Thanks to your support and the efforts of our past student-athletes and coaches, we offer tremendous advantages including the world-class Shah Basketball Complex and Sutton Sports Performance Center; a top-ranked university; a passionate fan base; a basketball savvy region; a vibrant city and a winning tradition.
Our future is bright, and we are confident in what comes next for Wake Forest men's basketball. I am grateful to President Hatch and University leadership for their support as we move forward.
Please stay safe during these challenging times and Go Deacs!
Sincerely,
John Currie
Director of Athletics
