Deacon Sports Xtra: Nick Friedman Uses Lessons from Coaching Journey to Bring Expertise and Energy to Wake Forest Men’s Basketball
8/7/2025 8:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball
I wanted to be a source of light for other people, and coaching allows you to do that. You can get wrapped up in the other nature of the business but, at the end of the day, I’m in the business of helping people.Nick Friedman
As summer practices conclude, Wake Forest men’s basketball has maintained a productive level of competition in the gym over the last few months. With a roster that features seven newcomers for the 2025-26 season, the Demon Deacons’ collective focus has been what one would expect – building chemistry and challenging each other on a daily basis.
Among the new faces for the program this year, one has stood out that is not even in uniform. Enter assistant coach Nick Friedman. Primarily handling duties as an offensive coordinator for the squad, Friedman has an infectious energy that spreads immediately upon stepping foot into a practice. Guidance through sets. Constant encouragement. Advice when deemed necessary. It’s all there in his attention to detail, something that has built through a decade’s worth of coaching roles at the highest levels of basketball.
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Originally from Cambridge, Mass., an area that has housed notable names like Patrick Ewing and Karl Hobbs, it didn’t take long for the ball to land in Friedman’s hands. Participation in youth leagues at an early age were some of the first memories of his introduction to the game.
“I remember playing at the Cambridge Family YMCA around six years old,” Friedman noted. “Then, during the summers, I spent hours on the court. Both of my parents were psychiatrists and gave me the freedom to go play ball. Growing up in a city like Cambridge allowed access to a lot of competition and helped me develop a genuine love for the sport, which has stuck with me forever.”
Honing his skills over the years led to an opportunity at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine – competing for the men’s basketball team from 2009-11. An unfortunate injury cut Friedman’s playing career short before he found himself returning back to his roots.
“I got hurt and actually decided to take a year off from college. In that year, I was doing some voluntary coaching work at Wentworth Institute of Technology for one of my mentors, Tom Devitt, and also helping an AAU team that I grew up playing with, alongside another mentor, Nkrumah Jones,” Friedman said. “Working with those kids, while still playing some myself, was where I fostered my desire to be a coach and knew that the calling was for me.”
Following the year off, another door opened for Friedman, getting his first taste of ACC basketball.
“I ended up transferring to the University of Miami to finish my undergraduate career in a management job,” Friedman said. “Coach Jim Larrañaga and others signed off on it.
"I’ll never forget walking into the gym and helping a workout featuring DeAndre Burnett and James Kelly. From that day, I thought to myself, ‘This is what I want to do.’ That’s when I started the coaching journey.”
Inspiration can be drawn in different ways, and Friedman is quick to give credit to his mentors for his coaching mold. It gets deeper than just the result on the hardwood.
“Coach (Nkrumah) Jones has been the biggest influence in terms of my want to be a coach, simply because he inspired me, as a kid, to be more confident. He used his coaching tactics and mentorship in a special way to do so. Whenever I was at my highest of highs, it was always through a conversation or workout with him.
“I wanted to be a source of light for other people, and coaching allows you to do that. You can get wrapped up in the other nature of the business but, at the end of the day, I’m in the business of helping people. Coach Jones was the one to teach me about that core value. How can you change a life?”
After serving as a graduate assistant for Miami in 2015-16, capped off with an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, Friedman took those values with him into the offseason as he started running NBA pre-draft workouts. The new phase of his young career brought an increased responsibility of thinking outside the box.
“In my mind, that’s when I started to work with my own team,” Friedman said. “I was essentially a head coach of a group of 15 guys, and I had to regiment their entire pre-draft process while helping them get ahead of the learning curve on how to play at the next level. I was really structuring my own practices and that’s when I felt the want to go coach in the NBA.”
Friedman’s knack for building relationships continued to pay off, as he was soon offered a video coordinator role with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League after hearing from another mentor, Cody Toppert – the current head coach of Washington affiliate Capital City Go-Go. Linking with Toppert and a few other league veterans, Friedman saw his career take a notable shift. Being put in a position with plenty of freedom, he took advantage of wearing several hats.
“During my first year in the professional game, I remember doing a bunch of different things – scouts, opponent personnel, helping co-coordinate the offense. You gain more and more confidence at still a young age, I was 25 years old at the time. We had a fantastic year and ended up going to the G League final.”
Another opportunity alongside Toppert was earned by Friedman in 2017-18, as the pair worked for the then-Northern Arizona Suns, now known as Motor City Cruise. Friedman embraced a bigger role in his duties, running the entire offense for the year.
The result? A team ranked top three in the league in scoring efficiency and points per game (119.3). Additionally, five call-ups were made for players.
Building up his resume, Friedman made his next move, serving as associate head coach for the Maine Celtics during the 2018-19 campaign. That offseason, in the midst of keeping his pre-draft training active, he received a memorable phone call.
“Cody (Toppert) called to let me know that the Charlotte Hornets were interested in a two-way player development coach,” Friedman said. “The role involved being connected to assignment players that also play for their G League Team, the Greensboro Swarm. I would go with players to both the NBA and G League, depending on where they were assigned.
“The opportunity was on James Borrego’s staff, and he was such a blessing to me because he was very inclusive. He valued my opinion from not only a player development standpoint, but also an offensive philosophy standpoint. So, I started to slowly provide my input on that end and gain more trust. We went through that entire year, saw several guys have success, and then boom… COVID-19 hits.”
The pandemic was an unprecedented period for everyone, of course, but nevertheless marked the start of a full-time position for Friedman on the Hornets’ staff as an assistant coach. He spent more time on the offensive side of things than ever before, helping Charlotte lead the NBA in assist percentage for 2021-22, and pushing the limits of creativity.
Friedman ultimately spent two more years in Buzz City after a staffing change, working under previous head coach Steve Clifford, before reuniting with Toppert in the Capital City Go-Go organization this past 2024-25 season. There, he took on a different role as a defensive coordinator.
“It opened my eyes a bit more after spending so much time on offense for a good while. We were a 31-win team in D.C. last year and made the G League Showcase Cup, along with the playoffs. We had a top-five defense and a very successful year.”
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The G League is a testament to how special it is to play in the NBA. I can't tell you how impressed I was by the level of talent in the G League. If you approach it the right way, as coaches and players, it is very fulfilling.Nick Friedman
The next question for Freidman is one Demon Deacons fans likely think – What brought you to Wake?
Frankly, it’s always been about challenge and opportunity. Nothing less and nothing more.
“I felt college was a world that I had not necessarily been in. I was a graduate assistant years ago at Miami, obviously, but the landscape of college basketball has changed so dramatically since. What made me very interested in being a part of Wake Forest and its basketball program was knowing that being able to teach at the college level is truly a testament to how good of a coach you are. You have to teach these young men how to play the right way, and that translates to winning at every level.
“If you can be a teacher at this level, I feel you can teach anywhere. It has pushed me leaps and bounds to be incredibly detail-oriented. I’m learning a lot every day and that’s what I wanted at any coaching opportunity. At this point in my career, pushing myself to grow was what I needed to do the most, and Wake Forest was offering the best opportunity in that aspect.”
Being a figure in the college hoops scene brings a change of scenery for Friedman just as it would for anyone else. Still, his transition has been pretty seamless up to date. For starters, he already had familiarity with the state of North Carolina thanks to his five-year tenure in Charlotte. His first impression of Winston-Salem was a very strong one.
“Man, Winston-Salem is awesome. It reminds me a bit of Charlotte, but I would say this city has a more unique identity since it’s more of a true college town. I’ve really enjoyed it so far and have been to a few local food spots, like Mozelle’s.
“I’m still getting my bearings in getting to know this place and am excited to see what it looks like once students are on campus. It’s a new environment for me and having an entire alumni base devoted to your program is incredible. I’m just excited for that level of commitment, passion and knowing that I’m coaching for something bigger than myself.”
Long before he became a Demon Deacon, Friedman was introduced to a program alum whose name should sound all too familiar – Chris Paul. Opportunities to work Paul’s Elite College Guard Camp trace back to 2016 for Friedman and became part of his summer schedules for the next several years.
“Best basketball experience I’ve ever been a part of. I remember it started for me during my first year in the G League when our head coach at the time, Matt Brase, asked me if I’d be interested in coming to the camp. I ended up being selected as one of the camp coaches.”
Originally structured by Paul in 2009, the level of teaching throughout camp stood out to Friedman right away. Developing trust with The Point God, he was tasked with running film sessions – viewed as one of the most imperative components of the game in Paul’s eyes.
“Chris always wanted to watch film with the players during lunch,” Friedman said. “He talked through things such as his read through a pick and roll, attacking the switch and guarding certain situations. My job was to pull clips of Chris executing on both ends. It just blew my mind to be in this situation with a Hall of Famer who’s one of the best point guards of all time. The humility and acceptance he showed towards me in that role was a transcendent moment. From there, I had been part of the camp for five consecutive years.”
Friedman had the chance to catch up with Paul merely weeks ago in the Shah Basketball Complex, during his stop at summer practice. Wake players are used to seeing the former Deac around on occasion and were all ears during a post-workout huddle when he emphasized the importance of communication.
Worth the listen ??? pic.twitter.com/ymHQNWS56Z
— Wake Forest Men's Basketball (@WakeMBB) July 8, 2025
For Friedman and the staff, seeing a professional in his element up close was not taken for granted.
“The IQ just completely stands out, and it is something we are able to show as an example for our own guys. When (Paul) doesn’t have the ball, he’s still running up the floor. He still has the awareness to cut. Even when he touches the ball for the first time in a few possessions, he is still willing to make the quick swing. All of those things just tie into playing the right way. Chris plays a simple and efficient game. It takes a lot of leadership and grit to consistently teach on the fly as a player-coach. Him being here with our guys made us grateful that he can share that experience – it’ll help the players and us as a whole go forward this season.”
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To reiterate, Friedman brings an energetic presence to the floor in his approach, as his passion for the game needs no further explanation. Additionally, with that comes a common understanding – the sport is constantly evolving. Friedman has seen the best of the best over time. In efforts to prepare college players for their next step, whether it be NBA, G League or overseas, he puts emphasis on a few specific elements.
“I tell our guys all the time – if the focus they have going into practice is concentrating on how they run, space and cut, they will get one percent better every day. The shot selection will come, but focusing on those things will lead to high-volume assists and efficient shooting. It’s all about what you can control.
“Running habits are important for all players, and that’s why we use the offseason to get in the best possible shape. You have to be able to play both ends and be ready for the minute the change of possession happens. Know how to be fully invested in the first three steps of your next play, because if you are, it puts you in a position of awareness on the floor. You can know how the floor is developing simply by running hard. Those habits all play into helping the team and yourself play better. I truly believe in it and have seen it. It’s been the equation to help guys get to the next level and stick there. The skill piece will come if you’re invested in the process over the result. You have to be process oriented.”
Mic drop. Friedman and the crew know the process will require camaraderie, and he’s enjoying every day around his new Demon Deacons family.
“I just love our group’s work ethic. We are consistent in that and willing to learn every single day. I feel we have a committed, selfless group – everyone is going to put the work in and play tough. That’s all you can ask for as a coach. It’s just up to our staff to give the players the keys to play the right way, especially when you’re at home in a packed gym and it’s too loud to hear a play call. It’s about being able to trust your instincts of how to play with the concepts that we are teaching.”
You can feel @CoachNickyFree's energy as soon as you step in the gym ??
— Wake Forest Men's Basketball (@WakeMBB) July 29, 2025
Presented by @Truist pic.twitter.com/zCue48W3yN
