From the Quad

Good Game Day Morning Demon Deacon Nation,

It's almost time to tune into the ACC Network for our noon men's basketball Big Four matchup in Cameron Indoor Stadium with the No. 21 ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Deacs rolled back into Winston-Salem about 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning after a hard-fought loss at Virginia Wednesday night. With today's game being Wake Forest's third-straight road game, we'll finally host our first home ACC men's game of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 4:30 p.m. against Louisville on the ACC Network.

Meanwhile COVID adjusted the ACC women's schedule, which now has the Deacs competing to remain undefeated in Joel Coliseum on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. as they take on Boston College. Tune into the ACC Network or listen live on the app tomorrow to catch Coach Hoover's squad, which now sits at 5-3 this season and is ranked No. 35 in the latest AP Poll. We opened up the new year the right way last Thursday with a great win over Miami after an 18-day holiday break. Senior Ivana Raca scored a game-high 22 points and moved into 19th on the all-time scoring list in program history!

I am glad to be able to watch basketball today as a distraction from the shocking events we saw unfold in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. As an undergraduate at Wake Forest, I was fortunate to learn from outstanding professors as I earned my degree with a major in history and minor in politics. Those images of the mob running through our Capitol and delaying our cherished democratic processes were repulsive to me. I am hopeful that our national energy can now be focused on unity and reconciliation for all.

As terrible as the television images were, we witnessed the resilience of America's democratic tradition as Congress reconvened after the clearing of the mob from the Capitol building. Following leadership statements by multiple members of both parties, the Electoral College results were certified and President-Elect Joe Biden will become our 46th President on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

I encourage you to read President Hatch's eloquent statement on behalf of Wake Forest University. And, Thursday Dean Jonathan L. Walton penned this thoughtful message as well.

Even though spring semester classes do not start until January 27, more Demon Deacon student-athletes started returning to campus last week, so let's get to the updates in From the Quad, No. 40.

Men's Golf Heading to Seminole Invitation Next Weekend
Jerry Haas' No. 5 ranked men's golf squad will be in action next weekend in Watersound, Fla. Earlier this week schedules were also announced for Kim Lewellen's top-ranked women's golf team. Make sure you've downloaded the continuously improving Wake Forest Athletics App for all the updates as we expect more schedules to be announced next week.

Big Preseason Honors for Baseball
Coach Tom Walter and his baseball program are set for an exciting spring season, which begins in late February. Earlier this week, senior Bobby Seymour and junior Ryan Cusick landed on Perfect Game's 2021 Preseason All-American list that will be the first of many preseason accolades for our veteran ballclub.

With Chris Lanzilli, Shane Muntz, Michael Turconi and the rest of our juniors and seniors, it will be an exciting spring at David Couch Ballpark!

Thank You, Bonnie; Congrats Chad!
Bonnie Rae has played an integral role in assisting Deacon football coaches, student-athletes and staff. During her two decades as administrative assistant to Coach Clawson and Jim Grobe, Bonnie was a part of 10 bowl trips, including the Orange Bowl, the 2006 ACC Championship and she has been to 130 consecutive home games! Our University is grateful to Bonnie, her husband, Jim, their children and grandchildren for being a part of our University community. The team honored her in a special way Christmas Eve during bowl practices.

Coach Clawson announced yesterday that Chad Bari has been promoted to director of sports performance. He has an almost decade-long relationship with Coach Clawson that began at Bowling Green State University and has continued since the staff arrived at Wake Forest in 2014. The comments from captains Ja'Sir Taylor and Luke Masterson speak volumes of the outstanding relationships he has built with our student-athletes and his investment in their success. We are thrilled that his wife, Rachael, and their children, Stella and Margot, will continue to be a part of the Demon Deacon family.

Duke's Mayo Bowl Recap
Although the Deacons fell short in a hard-fought game with Wisconsin, we'd like to say a special thanks to Executive Director Danny Morrison and his Charlotte Sports Foundation, the Carolina Panthers, and Duke's Mayo for a first-class experience in Charlotte.

Our Duke's Mayo Bowl gameday began with our annual football alumni breakfast (virtually this year!) with Coach Clawson and more than 60 former Demon Deacons. Following that call, Deacon Club staff connected with our International Leadership Circle and Volunteer Army members for a year end update with myself including a special introduction to incoming ACC Commissioner Dr. Jim Phillips. Finally one hour before kickoff, our outstanding Fan Experience staff put on a virtual pregame pep rally to get Deacon Nation fired up for the game.

While the "trip" was not the multi-day excursion that our student-athletes and staff have become accustomed to, Wake Forest now has the third-longest bowl streak (five!) in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coach Clawson's postgame message to his team was about taking the next step and raising our standard of success to an upper-echelon ACC program.

I am extremely proud of all our student-athletes for their hard work and commitment since they returned to campus last June.

#ProDeacs Update
By the amount of support on social media last Sunday, I know the majority of Deacon Nation joined me in watching WFMY News 2 as they broadcasted John Wolford's NFL debut as he led the Rams to the playoffs with a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite throwing an interception on his first NFL passing attempt, Wolford was scintillating the rest of the way, becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to debut with more than 200 yards passing and 50 yards rushing.

After our men's basketball contest at Duke on Saturday afternoon, I can't wait to watch the Rams take on Phil Haynes and the Seattle Seahawks on FOX at 4:40 p.m. Additionally on Sunday evening, former Demon Deacons defensive back Kevin Johnson and Cleveland Browns travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday night.

Additionally in NFL news, former Demon Deacons safety Jessie Bates III was named an NFL All-Pro by the Associated Press on Friday.

The Cincinnati Bengals' safety earned second team honors as he led all NFL safeties this season with a combined 18 interceptions and pass break ups, while also finishing second on his team with 109 total tackles.

On the NBA hardwood, six former Wake Forest men's basketball players are back in action during the first two weeks of the new season. John Collins, who recently posterized a member of the Brooklyn Nets in a 30 point and 10 rebound performance for the Atlanta Hawks, and Chris Paul are off to excellent starts individually and overall with their respective teams.

On the pitch, Wake Forest is anticipating a number of alums having professional contracts coming for both former men's and women's soccer players. While Michael DeShields has already signed with the New England Revolution II, Coach Bobby Muuss and our staff are excited to see what's next for Isaiah Parente, Calvin Harris, Machop Chol and many other Demon Deacons already in the professional ranks.

And, the National Women's Soccer League will have its draft next week and Hannah Betfort and other Demon Deacons are hopeful to have their names called on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The draft will be broadcast exclusively on the NWSL's Twitch channel that afternoon.

One More Glance Back at 2020
While COVID-19 presented challenges this past year, Athletics adapted. Guided by three COVID operating principles: Be as safe as possible; Provide student-athletes with an opportunity to compete; and Sustain the Enterprise – I want to thank our staff, coaches and student-athletes for their adherence to all health and safety protocols to allow us progress in achieving our vision of establishing Wake Forest as a Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.

Following news from earlier in the year that seven programs scored a 990 or better on the latest released Academic Progress Rate, in the latest data released by the NCAA in mid-November, Wake Forest Athletics scored a record 96% graduation rate, with 11 programs scoring a perfect 100% rate!

Wake Forest student-athletes, through the Student-Athlete Advisory Council's leadership, embraced their platforms in Pro Humaitate fashion. On Oct. 26, Wake Forest Athletics launched the Together We Stand website. In keeping with the University's commitment to lead, educate and inspire, Demon Deacon student-athletes and teams have brought awareness to social injustice and racial oppression in a variety of ways, including the ACC's unity symbol which is a visual representation of solidarity among the 15 member institutions.

Competitively, all our programs have won big games and made Deacon Nation proud with their effort. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and all our social media platforms for the latest news and information on all our programs ahead of an exciting spring semester!

From a University standpoint, our partners in the office of communications and external relations recapped the top stories of 2020 that included groundbreaking research, exceptional teaching and key initiatives. On a more somber note, we remembered the Deacons we lost last year.

Thanks to You … Donations Up!
Thanks to Deacon Club members worldwide, as of December 31, 2020 total cash giving to Wake Forest Athletics is significantly ahead of last fiscal year's pace. Our staff is extremely grateful for the generosity of those who have helped sustain our enterprise and continue to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience for our student-athletes.

I trust that you have been able to enjoy time with family and friends during the holiday season. Thank you for your support and continued vigilance in staying healthy and safe in the face of the pandemic. Please keep wearing your mask and sending your feedback to wfuad@wfu.edu!

Go Deacs!

John Currie
Director of Athletics

Wake Forest Athletics

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