Steve Forbes - Head Men's Basketball Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Steve Forbes

Title:
Head Men's Basketball Coach
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Steve Forbes was named Wake Forest basketball's 23rd head coach on April 30, 2020. A 30-year coaching veteran, Coach Forbes is a proven winner and builder of championship cultures with a 390-168 (.698) overall record in his five seasons at Wake Forest, five years at East Tennessee State and at three previous community college head coaching stints.

Over the last four seasons, Wake Forest holds a 61-10 record at home since the start of the 2021-22 season and is one of only six teams nationally with 61 or more home victories over the last four seasons, joined by Houston, Saint Mary’s, Duke, Grand Canyon and Kentucky.

During that same span, the Demon Deacons have earned 86 victories – fourth-most overall in the ACC – and claimed 47 ACC victories, most over a four-year period in program history.

In 2024-25, Forbes led the Demon Deacons to 21 victories overall and the program’s first-ever double bye in the ACC Tournament. With 13 ACC victories – tied for the most in a single season in school history and the second time in four seasons the Deacs have hit that mark – Wake Forest earned its highest regular season finish since the 2008-09 campaign.

Wake Forest matched the school record for road ACC victories with six, as the Demon Deacons defeated Syracuse, Miami, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Cal and SMU on their home courts. In February, the Demon Deacons became the first – and only – ACC program to sweep the West Coast swing with victories over the Cardinal and Golden Bears.

In non-conference play, Wake Forest earned eight victories including a 72-70 result over Big Ten Tournament champions Michigan.

The 2023-24 season marked Wake Forest’s eighth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament and second in the past three seasons. Additionally, Wake Forest saw a resurgence in season attendance numbers during the year with 164,931 fans packing Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This marked the highest total attendance since the 2014-15 season when Wake Forest hosted 174,336 fans during the 2014-15 season.

With the win against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament, Wake Forest reached the 20-win mark for the second time in the last three years. The 65 wins over the last three seasons mark the most wins in a three-year stretch since the 2002-03 to 2004-05 run. The Demon Deacons defeated five teams that reached the NCAA Tournament including at least one Sweet 16 team at the conclusion of Wake Forest’s season.

With an overall record of 21-14 this season, 19-14 in 2022-23 and 25-10 in 2021-22, Wake Forest has had back-to-back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2007-08 (18-13), 2008-09 (24-7) and 2009-10 (20-11). The Deacs also had back-to-back 10-0 starts at home for the first time in program history during 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

2021-22 was one of Wake Forest's best seasons in the past 20 years, finishing the season with 25 wins, the most since 2004-05. With a regular-season conference record of 13-7, Wake Forest tied the single-season program record for ACC wins with 13 (2004-05, 2002-03). With just three league wins during 2020-21, the Deacs had the largest year-to-year improvement ever in ACC win totals with 10. Wake Forest finished conference play fifth in the standings, its highest finish since 2010.

With a 19-win differential from Forbes’ first year to his second, Wake Forest had one of the largest improvements from year to year in NCAA history. Wake Forest also broke the program for most home wins in a season during the first and second rounds of the NIT for 18 home wins in 2021-22.

At the conclusion of the regular season, Forbes was named the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year, along with Alondes Williams earning ACC Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team honors and Jake LaRavia being named to the All-ACC Second Team.

Forbes was the fifth Wake Forest coach to earn the honor and the first since Skip Prosser in 2003. That same season, Josh Howard took home Player of the Year honor and was the last Demon Deacon to garner this prestigious honor before Williams. With Williams and LaRavia's selection on the All-ACC First and Second Team, respectively, they were the first Wake Forest tandem to garner that honor since 2005 (Chris Paul First Team, Justin Gray and Eric Williams Second Team).

Wake Forest also had their first postseason appearance since the First Four in 2017, being named a two seed in the National Invitation Tournament and advancing to the Quarterfinals. It was the longest postseason run for the Deacs since 2000, when they won the NIT.

Forbes won at least 24 games in each of his five seasons as the head coach for the Buccaneers while finishing third or better in the SoCon every year. ETSU won 130 games and two SoCon championships during his tenure, while all 22 of his seniors earned their ETSU degrees. Forbes joined elite company in 2018-19, becoming one of just 10 active Division I head coaches who have reached the 100-win mark in their first four seasons at an institution.

During the 2019-20 season, ETSU was having its best season in program history before the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. The Bucs finished with a 30-4 record and SoCon regular season and tournament titles. Forbes earned conference coach of the year along with the Hugh Durham Award, given to the most outstanding mid-major coach in the country.

An assistant under three Final Four coaches over the course of his career, Forbes developed his coaching style under some of best head coaches in the game. National powers Tennessee and Wichita State both reached the pinnacle of success with Forbes on the bench.

The Vols ascended to their first No. 1 overall ranking in program history in 2008 while winning a program record 31 games. In 2015, Wichita State won a NCAA record 35-straight games to start the season, earning the first No. 1 seed in program history.

In addition, Forbes spent two record-breaking seasons in College Station, Texas (2004-06) when Texas A&M set a program record for Big 12 Conference wins. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 prior to the 2004-05 season, the Aggies won their first 11 games and went on to a 21-10 record and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. In 2005-06, Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 while recording a 22-9 record, the third-most wins in school history.

A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career.

Forbes and his wife, Johnetta, have three children, Elizabeth, Christopher and Johnathon.

Forbes NBA Players (Round Drafted)

• G Alondes Williams (UDFA) – Wake Forest – Brooklyn Nets

• F Jake LaRavia (1st - 19th overall) – Wake Forest – Memphis Grizzlies

• G Fred VanVleet (UDFA) – Wichita State '16 – Toronto Raptors

• G Ron Baker (UDFA) – Wichita State '16 – New York Knicks

• F Cleanthony Early (2nd) – Wichita State '14 – New York Knicks

• F Jordan McRae (2nd) – Tennessee '14 – San Antonio Spurs

• F Tobias Harris (1st – 19th overall) – Tennessee '11 – Milwaukee Bucks

• G Scotty Hopson (UDFA) – Tennessee '11 – Dallas Mavericks

• G Acie Law III (1st – 11th overall) – Texas A&M '07 – Atlanta Hawks

• F Paul Millsap (2nd) – Louisiana Tech '06 – Utah Jazz*

*Recruited to Louisiana Tech but did not coach

• F Antoine Wright (1st – 15th overall) – Texas A&M '05 – New Jersey Nets

• F Kaniel Dickens (2nd) – Idaho '00 – Utah Jazz

East Tennessee State (2015-20)

• Forbes finished his fifth season with 130 wins and a .748 win percentage.

• After winning his 100th game at ETSU in the 2018-19 season, Forbes joined an elite group as only 10 current active Division I head coaches have reached the 100-win mark in their first four seasons – Shaka Smart, Eric Musselman, Brad Underwood, Josh Pastner, Jamie Dixon, Mark Few, Steve Prohm, Roy Williams, Mike White, Chris Beard and Jim Boeheim.

• Individually in his first four seasons at ETSU, Forbes has coached 10 All-Southern Conference selections, including Desonta Bradford earning Player of the Year and Bo Hodges claiming Freshman of the Year honors in 2017-18.

Wichita State (2013-15)

• Helped coach Wichita State to two of the most successful seasons in program history.

• The Shockers went 30-5 on the season and recorded its third consecutive season of 30 wins or more. The No. 7-seeded Shockers advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to No. 3 seed and ACC champion Notre Dame.

• In 2013-14, Wichita State won a NCAA record 35-straight games before losing to eventual National Runner-up Kentucky in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers' 35-1 record also shattered all of WSU's and the MVC's winning streak records, including Indiana State's 33-game record in 1977. WSU entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, a first for the program.

NW Florida State (2011-13)

• Coached the Raiders to a 62-6 record during his two-year tenure in Niceville, Fla.

• Five of his junior college players recently transferred to Division I schools after he coached them.

Tennessee (2006-11)

• In the five seasons in Knoxville, Forbes helped coach the Vols to an average of 26 wins per year, and advanced to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments – making three Sweet Sixteen appearances and advancing to the program's first-ever Elite Eight in 2010.

• The Vols won a school-record 31 games in 2008, and their 14-2 league record gave the program its first outright SEC championship in more than 40 years. Following a 66-62 win at top-ranked Memphis on Feb. 23, 2008, UT earned the first No. 1 ranking in school history.

• Forbes' experience also helped Tennessee's 2006, 2008 and 2010 recruiting classes to a top 10 national ranking by multiple ratings services.

Texas A&M (2004-06)

• In just two seasons the Aggies went from a team that had posted a 7-21 record the previous season and hadn't received a postseason invitation in 11 years, to a program that averaged more than 21 wins in his two seasons and advanced to postseason play both years.

• A&M posted back-to-back seasons with the most Big 12 Conference wins in school history with Forbes on the bench. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 prior to the 2004-05 season, the Aggies won their first 11 games and went on to a 21-10 record and made an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.

• In 2005-06, Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 while recording a 22-9 record, the third-most wins in school history. The Aggies defeated Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four participant LSU on a last-second shot.

• Texas A&M's recruiting also benefited from Forbes' experience, as each of the Aggie's two recruiting classes during his time in College Station were ranked among the top 10 in the nation.

La. Tech (2000-03) / Illinois State (2003-04)

• Coached at Illinois State and spent three years at Louisiana Tech (2000-03), where he helped sign two nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including a top-10 class in 2003.

• In 2002 the Bulldogs posted a 22-10 record and went 2-1 in the National Invitation Tournament, their first postseason appearance in 10 years.

Idaho (1998-99)

• Joined the staff in 1998 before being promoted to associate head coach for the 1998-99 season.

• In his first season, the Vandals improved to 16-11 and signed a nationally-ranked recruiting class.

Barton County Community College (1995-98)

• Forbes compiled a 68-28 record in three years as the head coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan.

• During his three seasons competing in the Jayhawk Conference, the Cougars produced three All-Americas, twice finished the season with a national ranking and earned victories over 15 nationally-ranked teams.

Southwestern Community College (1989-91)

• After spending two years as an assistant coach at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa, Forbes was promoted to head coach in March 1991.

Background

• A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career.

Personal

• Forbes and his wife Johnetta have three children, Elizabeth, Christopher and Johnathon.

Head Coaching Records & Notes

Year	School	Record	Pct.	Conf.	Pct.	Postseason
2024-25	Wake Forest	21-11	.656	13-7	.650
2023-24	Wake Forest	21-14	.600	11-9	.550	NIT Second Round
2022-23	Wake Forest	19-14	.706	10-10	.500
2021-22	Wake Forest	25-10	.714	13-7	.650	NIT Quarterfinals
2020-21	Wake Forest	6-16	.272	3-15	.166
2019-20	ETSU	30-4	.882	16-2	.889	SoCon Champs, NCAA cancelled due to COVID-19
2018-19	ETSU	24-10	.705	13-5	.722	CIT First Round
2017-18	ETSU	25-9	.735	14-4	.778
2016-17	ETSU	27-8	.771	14-4	.778	NCAA First Round
2015-16	ETSU	24-12	.667	14-4	.778	Vegas 16 Semifinals
2012-13	NW Florida State	30-4	.882	11-1	.916	NJCAA DI National Runner-Up
2011-12	NW Florida State	32-2	.941	11-1	.916	NJCAA DI National Runner-Up
1997-98	Barton County CC	29-4	.878	14-2	.875
1996-97	Barton County CC	24-8	.750	11-5	.687
1995-96	Barton County CC	15-16	.937	5-7	.416

Coaching History

Seasons	School/Team	Title
2020-Present	Wake Forest	Head Coach
2015-20	East Tennessee State	Head Coach
2013-15	Wichita State	Assistant Coach
2011-13	Northwest Florida State	Head Coach
2006-11	Tennessee	Assistant Coach
2004-06	Texas A&M	Assistant Coach
2003-04	Illinois State	Assistant Coach
2000-03	La. Tech	Assistant Coach
1998-2000	Idaho	Assistant Coach
1995-98	Barton County CC	Head Coach
1993-95	Barton County CC	Assistant Coach
1991-93	Southwestern CC	Head Coach
1989-91	Southwestern CC	Assistant Coach