Ernie Nestor to be Honored in A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2025
4/2/2025 3:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The late Ernie Nestor, a former Wake Forest men's basketball assistant coach, has been selected to the A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2025, announced by the committee on Wednesday.
A native of Philippi, W.Va., Nestor served as a long-time assistant at Wake Forest, including an eight-year stint (1993-01) for head coach Dave Odom and a six-year stint (1979-85) under head coach Carl Tacy. He returned to the Demon Deacons in October 2018 for his third tenure on the basketball staff when he was named special assistant to then-head coach Danny Manning.
During Nestor's first tenure with the Demon Deacons as an assistant coach on Tacy's staff from 1980-85, the program played in three NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the 1984 Elite Eight, while also making two NIT appearances.
He returned to the program as an assistant coach on Dave Odom's staff for eight seasons from 1994-01, helping the Deacs reach five NCAA Tournaments, win two ACC Championships and secure the 2000 NIT Championship. Among the players Nestor coached at Wake Forest included program legends Randolph Childress and Tim Duncan.
In addition to his two stints as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, Nestor also served on the staffs at James Madison, California, South Carolina, Penn State, Missouri and Navy.
As a head coach, he recorded 135 wins through 11 combined seasons at the helm of George Mason and Elon's men's basketball programs. Nestor ultimately built over 40 years of Division I coaching experience while working in every Power 5 conference. He also spent one season working in the NBA as an advance scout with the New Jersey Nets. Before rejoining the Demon Deacons in 2018, Nestor was an assistant coach at Navy for five seasons from 2013-17 before announcing his retirement following the 2016-17 season.
Nestor received degrees at Alderson-Broaddus College and West Virginia University in 1968 and 1970, respectively, before beginning an eight-year coaching run at Ravenswood (WV) and John D. Bassett (VA) High Schools, preparing him for his remarkable career in the college ranks.
In 2014, Nestor was awarded a "Guardians of the Game" award for education by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
This year's A STEP UP induction ceremony will be held on May 21 in Charlotte, N.C.
Criteria for hall of fame candidates includes:
A native of Philippi, W.Va., Nestor served as a long-time assistant at Wake Forest, including an eight-year stint (1993-01) for head coach Dave Odom and a six-year stint (1979-85) under head coach Carl Tacy. He returned to the Demon Deacons in October 2018 for his third tenure on the basketball staff when he was named special assistant to then-head coach Danny Manning.
During Nestor's first tenure with the Demon Deacons as an assistant coach on Tacy's staff from 1980-85, the program played in three NCAA Tournaments, including a run to the 1984 Elite Eight, while also making two NIT appearances.
He returned to the program as an assistant coach on Dave Odom's staff for eight seasons from 1994-01, helping the Deacs reach five NCAA Tournaments, win two ACC Championships and secure the 2000 NIT Championship. Among the players Nestor coached at Wake Forest included program legends Randolph Childress and Tim Duncan.
In addition to his two stints as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, Nestor also served on the staffs at James Madison, California, South Carolina, Penn State, Missouri and Navy.
As a head coach, he recorded 135 wins through 11 combined seasons at the helm of George Mason and Elon's men's basketball programs. Nestor ultimately built over 40 years of Division I coaching experience while working in every Power 5 conference. He also spent one season working in the NBA as an advance scout with the New Jersey Nets. Before rejoining the Demon Deacons in 2018, Nestor was an assistant coach at Navy for five seasons from 2013-17 before announcing his retirement following the 2016-17 season.
Nestor received degrees at Alderson-Broaddus College and West Virginia University in 1968 and 1970, respectively, before beginning an eight-year coaching run at Ravenswood (WV) and John D. Bassett (VA) High Schools, preparing him for his remarkable career in the college ranks.
In 2014, Nestor was awarded a "Guardians of the Game" award for education by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
This year's A STEP UP induction ceremony will be held on May 21 in Charlotte, N.C.
Criteria for hall of fame candidates includes:
- Well respected among colleagues for high moral character and integrity
- Made a significant contribution to the game and/or teams you have coached
- Current college basketball assistant coach or retired as a college basketball assistant coach
- Has been a part of multiple conference championships and/or teams that have advanced to the Final Four or the NCAA Tournament
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