Wake Forest Athletics News
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Gold Rush: 100% Cotten
Jan. 15, 2003 by Stan Cotten As a youngster, Tim Fuller, like so many kids, had dreams of becoming a professional athlete. Specifically, Fuller had his sights on the NBA. He was a solid high school player at Woodbridge High School in Virginia and earned all-district recognition as a senior. Although Fuller had scholarship offers to play Division-I basketball at Lafayette and Bucknell, he chose the academics of Wake Forest and the opportunity to compete in the ACC for Dave Odom as a practice player. He played in a few games, but his role was to make others better. Which he did. In more ways than one. Everybody liked Tim Fuller. Everybody still does. He always greeted you with a smile and word of encouragement. Nothing has changed. Those who know him are better because of it. He keeps up with his former teammates Antwan Scott, Craig Dawson, Robert O'Kelley, Josh Shoemaker and Darius Songaila. And although they all have been able to pursue careers in professional basketball, Fuller had to lay that dream aside. But in doing so, he's found another - as a coach. Fuller has moved from an assistant's job at West Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem to Elon University. Fuller was in the Joel Coliseum again recently when the Phoenix came to play the Deacons, but the bench he was on this time was unfamiliar. "I couldn't sleep the night before because of the anticipation," Fuller admitted. "I was like a kid who couldn't wait to go to school the next day. It was a thrill in this new role to compete against a great Wake Forest team." The game was never close. The Deacons dominated from the beginning. Fuller says the lessons mastered as a coach differ from those learned as a player. "As a player you always want to get better so you can play to your full capacity," explains Fuller. "But as a coach you're trying to find chemistry. You're trying to find those guys who can go out there and play together. You may have five studs, but what good are they to you if they can't play together? That's the secret - the mystery you have to solve as a coach." There were times after Fuller realized his NBA dream would never materialize that he considered careers in law and the ministry. But he's got the coaching bug now. And he's reaching for the top. "My ultimate goal is to be back here as a Deacon coaching," Fuller says. "Hopefully I'll be able to join Coach Prosser at Wake Forest one day, maybe even be the head coach after he decides to retire. That may be a while, because I think he will stay here until he decides to hang it up. But my ultimate goal is to come back here." Fuller gushes when you ask him about one of his former players, West Forsyth phenom Chris Paul who has signed on to be a Demon Deacon. We may never know how much Fuller figures into the equation of Paul coming to Wake Forest. Deac fans are hoping that Paul ends up being so good that nobody could ever pay Fuller back for whatever role he had in the process. Fuller says Paul won't disappoint. "The sky is not his limit," Fuller beams. "This kid will come to Wake Forest and totally help revamp the program and take it to the level where Coach Prosser wants to be. He makes everyone around him better." He makes everyone around him better. The same can be said for Tim Fuller. |