Balogh Family Continues Coaching & Directorship Initiative Following Gift for Naming Demon Deacons Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers Position
9/25/2023 8:00:00 AM | Football, General
Ed Balogh's transformative gift to Wake Forest Athletics makes the Demon Deacons’ football program the second to have a named coaching position. Henceforth, the full-time assistant coach for wide receivers will reflect Balogh's name.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – In the continued effort to be A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program and ensure Wake Forest is providing a World Class Student-Athlete Experience each day, Ed Balogh and his family have generously made a transformative gift to the Demon Deacons football program.
The Balogh Family gift continues Wake Forest's initiative to sustain and elevate coaching or directorship positions though specific endowment gifts. In gratitude for the generosity of Ed Balogh and his wife, Kathy, the position currently held by football's wide receivers coach Ari Confesor will be forever titled, The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers Position.
About Ed Balogh ('88)
Long before high school players were rated and ranked by recruiting services on the internet, talented New Jersey wide receiver Ed Balogh earned the most important grade possible at that time — his services were being sought by more than half of the schools in the ACC.
That is until he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affected his immune system. The phone calls and visits stopped coming.
But then-Wake Forest assistant coach Bill Faircloth stayed in contact and offered Balogh a walk-on spot with the Demon Deacons.
"I decided I was really interested in Wake Forest, with that incredible combination of athletics and academics," Balogh said. "That was the opening I wanted. I wanted to be able to compete at the highest level."
Although he only stayed on the football team for less than a year, Balogh's experience at Wake Forest was transformational.
"I wasn't a big guy to begin with and my body was so deconditioned from cancer, I decided I wasn't in it for the long haul," he said. "But I made it to Wake Forest, loved football and loved the school."
Balogh, a 1988 Wake Forest graduate, and his wife Kathy have become the first to name a football coach position.
"I've been blessed in my life, and a lot of that had to do with the connections I've made through Wake Forest and the network it's created for me," Balogh explained. "I've remained a big supporter of the program through the years. I've always wanted to be able to do something like this, and I've gotten to know Coach Clawson personally over the last couple of years.
"It felt like the time was right. It was something meaningful that my wife and I wanted to do. We're thrilled to be able to do it."
Balogh was an inaugural member of the Athletics Advisory Council and is a current member of the Deacon Club Board of Directors.
"What I've enjoyed most about it is being close to the school and the athletics programs, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic initiatives," Balogh said. "They don't take all of our opinions, but they sift through it and get some of the best stuff."
He's served on the Deacon Club revenue subcommittee, focused on increasing attendance and revenue.
"I enjoy being in the know and watching the initiatives play out and enjoy the success that they have," Balogh said. "Winning helps, but (Wake Forest athletics director) John (Currie) has brought a lot of energy to creating a great fan experience and that's showing up in attendance.
"Part of the reason we're so involved is that I loved my Wake Forest experience so much. Wake has given me so much more than I have been able to offer it. This is my way of thanking the school for what it has done for me. It is so much fun to watch the young people have even more fun than I did. I just want to help create that atmosphere. Wake can be challenging, but it is a great school both academically, as well as, athletically. If we can further enhance everyone's overall experience, that's invaluable."
Seeing Rich and Gertrude Lyons establish the The Lyons Family Men's Golf Associate Head Coach position and The Lyons Family Women's Golf Associate Head Coach positions helped inspire Balogh to action.
"Rich Lyons was here, and had just made a major commitment to the golf program," Balogh said. "So we took a look at what we could do to accelerate the growth of the program.
"What I liked about this was we had an opportunity to do something right now, right before the football season, so what we did might get others to follow suit. I'm hoping others will jump in and do the same, and then everyone wins."
Balogh got a different level of Wake Forest experience in recent years as his daughter, Caroline, graduated in May, where she was a member of the Demon Deacons Field Hockey team for two seasons.
"I loved it," he said. "It just put a warm feeling inside of me. There was the pride of seeing my daughter compete at Wake Forest and having such a fun run. We'd always come up for the football games, so we'd come up a day before for field hockey then just stay in town for football and then the Sunday field hockey game as well."
Noting that Wake Forest has one of the top-rated accounting schools in the country, Balogh went into public accounting for eight years before joining NationsBank, which has since become Bank of America, working in private equity.
"Everybody needs a little luck in life, but half of that is putting yourself in position for luck to find you," he said. "It was the Wake Forest education that put me on the path to get the job at NationsBank when they were starting that business."
He was at Bank of America from the mid-90s and he's now the Chief Operating Officer at Ridgemont Equity Partners.
"We spun out and started our own firm in private equity in 2010," Balogh said. "We manage $9 billion. Our investors trust us with their money to make solid, middle-market growth-equity buyout investments."
With the Wake Forest football program in the middle of a record-setting seven-straight bowl game streak, Balogh feels the time is right to work toward taking things to the next level.
"Not only am I appreciative of Wake Forest and a big supporter of the football program, but I want to win," he said. "I want to compete. To be able to do that, we need the kind of resources we have now.
"What the football team has is off the charts. It has to be one of the top facilities in all of college football. We're well positioned to get the players we need to be successful."
What They're Saying About The Balogh Family Gift
The Balogh Family gift continues Wake Forest's initiative to sustain and elevate coaching or directorship positions though specific endowment gifts. In gratitude for the generosity of Ed Balogh and his wife, Kathy, the position currently held by football's wide receivers coach Ari Confesor will be forever titled, The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers Position.
About Ed Balogh ('88)
Long before high school players were rated and ranked by recruiting services on the internet, talented New Jersey wide receiver Ed Balogh earned the most important grade possible at that time — his services were being sought by more than half of the schools in the ACC.
That is until he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affected his immune system. The phone calls and visits stopped coming.
But then-Wake Forest assistant coach Bill Faircloth stayed in contact and offered Balogh a walk-on spot with the Demon Deacons.
"I decided I was really interested in Wake Forest, with that incredible combination of athletics and academics," Balogh said. "That was the opening I wanted. I wanted to be able to compete at the highest level."
Although he only stayed on the football team for less than a year, Balogh's experience at Wake Forest was transformational.
"I wasn't a big guy to begin with and my body was so deconditioned from cancer, I decided I wasn't in it for the long haul," he said. "But I made it to Wake Forest, loved football and loved the school."
Balogh, a 1988 Wake Forest graduate, and his wife Kathy have become the first to name a football coach position.
"I've been blessed in my life, and a lot of that had to do with the connections I've made through Wake Forest and the network it's created for me," Balogh explained. "I've remained a big supporter of the program through the years. I've always wanted to be able to do something like this, and I've gotten to know Coach Clawson personally over the last couple of years.
"It felt like the time was right. It was something meaningful that my wife and I wanted to do. We're thrilled to be able to do it."
Balogh was an inaugural member of the Athletics Advisory Council and is a current member of the Deacon Club Board of Directors.
"What I've enjoyed most about it is being close to the school and the athletics programs, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic initiatives," Balogh said. "They don't take all of our opinions, but they sift through it and get some of the best stuff."
He's served on the Deacon Club revenue subcommittee, focused on increasing attendance and revenue.
"I enjoy being in the know and watching the initiatives play out and enjoy the success that they have," Balogh said. "Winning helps, but (Wake Forest athletics director) John (Currie) has brought a lot of energy to creating a great fan experience and that's showing up in attendance.
"Part of the reason we're so involved is that I loved my Wake Forest experience so much. Wake has given me so much more than I have been able to offer it. This is my way of thanking the school for what it has done for me. It is so much fun to watch the young people have even more fun than I did. I just want to help create that atmosphere. Wake can be challenging, but it is a great school both academically, as well as, athletically. If we can further enhance everyone's overall experience, that's invaluable."
Seeing Rich and Gertrude Lyons establish the The Lyons Family Men's Golf Associate Head Coach position and The Lyons Family Women's Golf Associate Head Coach positions helped inspire Balogh to action.
"Rich Lyons was here, and had just made a major commitment to the golf program," Balogh said. "So we took a look at what we could do to accelerate the growth of the program.
"What I liked about this was we had an opportunity to do something right now, right before the football season, so what we did might get others to follow suit. I'm hoping others will jump in and do the same, and then everyone wins."
Balogh got a different level of Wake Forest experience in recent years as his daughter, Caroline, graduated in May, where she was a member of the Demon Deacons Field Hockey team for two seasons.
"I loved it," he said. "It just put a warm feeling inside of me. There was the pride of seeing my daughter compete at Wake Forest and having such a fun run. We'd always come up for the football games, so we'd come up a day before for field hockey then just stay in town for football and then the Sunday field hockey game as well."
Noting that Wake Forest has one of the top-rated accounting schools in the country, Balogh went into public accounting for eight years before joining NationsBank, which has since become Bank of America, working in private equity.
"Everybody needs a little luck in life, but half of that is putting yourself in position for luck to find you," he said. "It was the Wake Forest education that put me on the path to get the job at NationsBank when they were starting that business."
He was at Bank of America from the mid-90s and he's now the Chief Operating Officer at Ridgemont Equity Partners.
"We spun out and started our own firm in private equity in 2010," Balogh said. "We manage $9 billion. Our investors trust us with their money to make solid, middle-market growth-equity buyout investments."
With the Wake Forest football program in the middle of a record-setting seven-straight bowl game streak, Balogh feels the time is right to work toward taking things to the next level.
"Not only am I appreciative of Wake Forest and a big supporter of the football program, but I want to win," he said. "I want to compete. To be able to do that, we need the kind of resources we have now.
"What the football team has is off the charts. It has to be one of the top facilities in all of college football. We're well positioned to get the players we need to be successful."
What They're Saying About The Balogh Family Gift
- Football Head Coach Dave Clawson:
- "I have really enjoyed getting to know Ed Balogh and his wife, Kathy. On behalf of our football program, we are extremely grateful for their generosity and this transformative gift will be utilized to help our current student-athletes in a multitude of operational ways. Having passionate supporters who are invested in the success of our football program is truly special. We must continue to invest in the success of our student-athletes to sustain the winning program we have built in Winston-Salem and today's announcement is one way of furthering that commitment."
- The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers Ari Confesor:
- "Ed and Kathy's generosity is tremendous for our football program. I am honored to hold The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers Position. They are a true inspiration to me and I am excited to see the impact this transformational gift will have on our student-athletes."
- Director of Athletics John Currie:
- "Ed and Kathy's active leadership within the Wake Forest community continues to inspire generations of Demon Deacons. This incredibly generous gift allows us to continue to provide a World Class Student-Athlete Experience and helps us fulfill our vision of being A Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. Specifically, this endowment gift allows us to enhance investments in performance training and technology, provide additional summer school and academic support, and recruit at an elite level. I deeply enjoy spending time with the Balogh's whose perspectives and values truly reflect the Pro Humanitate spirit of our University."
- Wake Forest Athletics Excellence Funds program launched in 2018 as an avenue for alumni, family and friends to directly impact a specific program of their choice through a budget-enhancing gift specifically to that program. Join Ed and Kathy in their support of the football program or make an experience-enhancing gift to the program of your choosing today!
- The Lyons family moved forward in May 2023 to become the first to participate in the Coaching and Directorship Initiative at Wake Forest, establishing the The Lyons Family Men's Golf Associate Head Coach position and The Lyons Family Women's Golf Associate Head Coach position.
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