In the Words of Buddy Holly, Rave On
Like many, if not most, coaches I’ve known, Dave Odom said he didn’t read the paper. So after about the third or fourth time he brought up something we’d written in the Winston-Salem Journal, Lenox observed that “For a man who doesn’t read the paper, you sure seem to read the paper a lot.”
Odom was taken aback, but only for a moment.
“No I don’t,’’ he insisted. “Other people read it and tell me about it.’‘
Dave, looking back on it, had it easy in one regard. When he was coaching Wake from 1989 through 2001, the heaviest barrage of incoming fire was launched from local papers, and/or maybe a few hardy souls brazen or just absolutely fed up (usually both) enough to try to pin him down on his radio show. Now the traditional fourth estate is the least of a coach’s worries, what with the cyber proliferation of a vast and ear-rattling array of national internet sites, message boards and comments by the readers of blogs such as this one you’re reading now. Anything anybody has to say these days can—and will—be heard by far more people than read, let along buy, the daily newspaper. And those voices are so often raised voices, railing at you for the color of your socks. Today’s coach has to please a far more connected and mobilized constituency packing post-modern bullhorns capable of being heard in Timbuktu.
In that I was socked in over at Greensboro covering the Friday and Saturday sessions of the ACC Tournament (I did indeed take today off, and didn’t have one second thought), today was the first opportunity I had to talk with Coach Dino Gaudio since Thursday’s 83-62 loss to No. 12 seed Miami in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Mostly we talked about the Deacons’ No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the prospects for Thursday’s first-round game against Texas in the Birthplace of Jazz, the eagerly anticipated New Orleans. But I couldn’t help but wonder about his reaction to the firestorm of criticism that has raged these last three days.
“Honest to God, with my right hand on Skip, I never look at any of that,’’ Dino said, referring to his mentor and former boss at Wake, Skip Prosser. “It has no factor in my life. It has no bearing on me whatsoever. And I never look at that. And that’s the honest-to-goodness truth. I can look you in the eye and tell you, those things don’t matter. They don’t matter.
“So you know what, there are a lot of coaches who have coached in the ACC that in two of their first three years haven’t gone to NCAA Tournament. And there were four schools that had multiple guys go in the first round in the NBA draft—Wake Forest, UCLA, North Carolina and Louisville. Two of those teams are in the Tournament, Wake Forest and Louisville.’‘
Being a democratic kind of guy by background and inclination, there is much about this brave new age of the cyber soap box that I love. If a person has something to say, they should, at least within the often smudged bounds of propriety, be able to say it. It’s good to see the marketplace of ideas a’ booming. If you’re convinced that Dino Gaudio is not the right man for the job at Wake Forest, that’s your opinion and, in the words of Briscoe Darling of the Andy Griffith Show, more power to you. Personally, I don’t like to draw conclusions that I have to revise later and I never felt the need to be the first to have the last say. So I’m more measured in my opinions than many of you that I’ve heard from over the weekend, not to say that makes either of us right. But I’ve also never been in the business of hiring and firing coaches for performance-based reasons. I can and will opine whether I think a coach is doing a good or bad job, but I just can’t take myself seriously enough to tell Ron Wellman how to do his job.
What has bothered me has been the smattering instances of incivility or disrespect. Just because a person has disappointed you, that’s really no reason to call them names or question their character. I have to hope we’re all better than that.
Back to the main page.
By Dan Collins on 03/15/2010 (12:08 am)
Comments
I agree with your article Dan. I also agree with some that with Dino not keeping in tune with the fan base is a classic example of what we’ve been talking about. While at the ACC Tournament and having the opportunity to talk to many members of the Deacon Club I would strongly suggest that Dino open his ears and listen to the ground swell beginning to grow. The fan base is uneasy and another melt down in the Big Easy will only solidify what most already know. And like it or not, he was hired to bring ACC Championships.
Tony C on 03/15/2010 (6:57 pm)
When the Deacs go down to New Orleans they will have the LEDENDARY Chris Paul on their bench. Just his presence will make Texas ;then Kentucky lay down and brake the drought for Dino.
He will tell them how to create turnovers, pass the ball to an open man, and he will also tell Dino that he needs to play unpredictable Deacon Basketball.
Like changing their defense on occassion instead of playing the “pack line” defense the whole game. They will start out with something different (1-3-1 maybe?) from the very beginning and then change to pack line and then something else; this is what the best “coaches do”.
Dino could be a great Coach if he just listen to one like myself and Chris Paul.
Here’s to Dino’s mentor:
Please come into Dino’s thought process TO GAME PLAN UNPREDICTIBLE, 200% EFFORT, PASSIONATE BASKETBALL for May God bless his Soul; Skip Prosser.
Coach Howie on 03/15/2010 (5:27 pm)
Dan,
Good post, good comments, seems to me the Deacon faithful would be satisfied with a moral victory. Just play hard, don’t embarrass yourselves or the fan base, it is just an honor to be here, someone has to lose, you know - all those things Deacon fans have been saying for decades. We deserve an honest effort from the team and the coaching staff. Texas will be fired up, will the Deacons?
EJ on 03/15/2010 (5:25 pm)
Dino’s task at hand is one of the toughest tasks you can have with a team; taking a team that is down emotionally and does not have momentum, and getting them to respond positively and aggressively to the situations they will face in the game. What they have going for them is that Texas is in a similar situation. One of these teams will pull out of the “nose dive.” Let’s hope it is the Deacs! My major concern is McFarland. He is going against a talented and big center and will need to play big physically, and more importantly, emotionally.
Breakaway on 03/15/2010 (2:33 pm)
Given previous experiences and the team’s struggles down the stretch of the current season, I can’t say that I blame people for tempering expecations.
But I have to acknowledge that we have a lot of talent on this team, and we are playing a beatable team in Texas. This is the NCAA Tournament. Nothing else matters. There is no room for complacency or tentativeness, but if our team wants this game, they have the opportunity to take it. Go Deacs!
DC on 03/15/2010 (2:06 pm)
I’d like to change focus on Dan’s (well-timed and well-put) post for a minute to Dino’s comments about not reading the comments. Dino’s quote, to me, sounds similar to a politician saying he or she doesn’t listen to constituents or a minister saying he or she doesn’t listen to the members of his church. In these examples, the attitude would appear to be: ‘the opinions don’t matter and I couldn’t benefit from hearing any of them.’
Football Coach Mark Richt of UGA got himself in a little trouble with fans the last couple seasons when, with his team underperforming, he made a comment or two about how if you hadn’t ever played or coached college ball, you didn’t know what you were talking about. My favorite response was that you don’t have to have had a job shoveling cow manure to know what it smells like.
I would hazard a guess that the majority of the posters on this forum are committed fans, thus more likely to attend games and contribute funds to the athletic department. We care about Wake Basketball just as much, if not more, than any employee of the school. When Dino is gone, whether it be next week, next year, or after a long and successful career, we will all still be Demon Deacons. When his assistants move on to better positions or along with him to another school, we will all still be Demon Deacons.
I’m not saying that Dino needs to agree with or even address the concerns of posters, but refusing to “look at any of that” seems to me like he is burying his head in the sand. A coach should keep his finger on the pulse of his fan base. Heck, maybe he could use it as a motivational tool for himself, his assistants, and the players.
Best of luck to Dino and the Deacs this weekend. Best of luck to Dino next year. He’s not going anywhere and I sincerely hope that I get to eat crow in the coming years.
John on 03/15/2010 (2:03 pm)
Dan,
I agree with your comments that personal attacks on the character of Dino or the players are way out of line. To that point, I think the Journal staff should edit out more of the really low class tastless comments. The commenters on your blog here generally have more class than some of the ones (one person in particular) I read on the main Journal site.
I hope Dino and the Deacs prove everybody wrong Thursday night, but I’m not holding my breath and would not place any bets on them. Teams in free-fall rarely pull a rabbit out of a hat come tournament time. I think most people would settle for a competitive game at this point. Enough being the butt of jokes.
Charles on 03/15/2010 (1:28 pm)
In the words of Michael Corleone “It’s not personal, it’s just business”. Dino’s criticism is warranted, but don’t make it personal. Dan is correct.
I hope that I am wrong, but I expect another uninspired performance from this team. This team is correctly being criticized for being taken by the NCAA over VA Tech.
Play hard and much of this criticism will go away. Go Deacs!!
John on 03/15/2010 (1:03 pm)
I agree in principal with this posting. I think Dino and staff needs next year and the class it brings in to get fully ground. I especially like the part: “Personally, I don’t like to draw conclusions that I have to revise later and I never felt the need to be the first to have the last say. “
I would like to see more consistent and energized play by our squad. Not sure exactly how to accomplish this. Coach K seems to have somewhat of a handle on that aspect of the game.
JIm on 03/15/2010 (12:20 pm)
Attacks on Dino’s character are out of line, but that cannot hide the fact that he is not up to the job. We should always strive to be the best and not be satisfied, in Ish’s words with a fifth place ACC finish. Unless we can figure out how to attack a zone, Thursday is going to be very ugly! And KTY lurks! Be careful what we wish for.
Jim on 03/15/2010 (11:32 am)
Dan,
Thanks for the reminder to keep things civil. There is no place for ad hominem attacks. Not in the Wake Forest community.
As to the criticisms of Coach Gaudio, I have my opinions, but I am currently more focused on the matchup against Texas. What are your initial thoughts?
Also, what is your impression of the mood of the team and Coach Gaudio? What are they doing to prepare for the game? What are their expectations/goals for the tournament?
Thanks!
DC on 03/15/2010 (10:55 am)
Country,
Good article. Times change, more information to a greater # of folks @ the blink of an eye.
That said, much of the criticism against Dino is justified but I agree w/you to keep it civil. There is no reason for personal attacks on ones character.
In an earlier post I mentioned if WFU wins twice this weekend I will issue an apology to the team and Coach Gaudio.
I believe Dino has another year or so on his contract and WFU like any business does not want to buy out his contract in these uncertain economic times.
With the much heralded class arriving next season he will undoubtedly have 12 mos. to prove whether he is retained or dismissed…Just provide some W’s instead of L’s and the matter will be resolved…
Tom on 03/15/2010 (10:47 am)
I have been one of those critical of Dino as a coach, certainly not of him as a person. With that said, I still don’t like the direction that the basketball program is taking under his leadership, or lack thereof. It’s the lack of real drive and intensity that the kids play with that concern me. That (in my opinion) is a direct image of the coaching staff. the inability to adapt to certain game situations, the lack of any real offensive game plan, the inability to come out of timeouts with set plays time and time again, the inability to get the ball in bounds..All these support the fact that Dino may very well be an outstanding individual and person, but I think supports that he may also not be the right coach/leader to get the Wake B-ball program where I think we all want it to be..Again, it’s not that he is a bad peson, unfortunately, it may be thathe is just not a very goo HEAD coach..I foe one, just want Wake to show up in New Orleans and give it a real 100% plus effirt..I think that would go a long way to making all of us feel better about the season..GO DEACS!!!
beachdeac on 03/15/2010 (10:45 am)
Dan,
I will always cheer on my squad, but the fact remains that Dino is a lame duck coach. The majority sentiment among the fan base is that he is not the long term answer. The cries for “2 more years” are not a great endorsement or show of faith that he can deliver. It pains me to hear people say we should give him more time and it’s okay for us to “just go to the NCAAs”. Yeah, I love being the team that is a perennial upset special and underperforms year in and year out both in conference and in the national tournament. If Coach Gaudio doesn’t read the boards or listen to fans, that’s fine - doesn’t bother me. My only hope is that Ron Wellman does.
Go Deacs.
Want A New Coach on 03/15/2010 (10:36 am)
It’s a bit depressing that it even has to be said—basketball is just one aspect of our coaches’ and players’ lives. To insult them personally is mean, ignorant and has no place.
With that said, on strictly a basketball front, Gaudio deserves a lot of criticism. With great power comes great responsibility… or to whom much is given much is required. You get my drift. The fact that his teams haven’t even been competitive in four postseason tries (i.e. haven’t come within 10 points) all as the higher seed is quite troubling.
As always though, Go Deacs! I had a Seminole fan tell me this weekend that he actively rooted against his team in hopes of accelerating the end of the Bowden Era. I know we true Wake fans would never stoop to that level.
Lee, B. on 03/15/2010 (10:31 am)
Like the comment about the socks. Regrettably, we now live in a world where venom is injected into our lives daily. Truth is the internet has provided a forum for the perpetually angry to be heard. All posters can represent themselves as experts, when in fact none are. Posters can hide behind an online name and lash out at the world. I have a suspicion that many of these posters are actually enthralled with being heard (being read) as opposed to their real life where no one pays them any attention.
But I guess you have to take the good with the bad. This same internet that allows anger to be spewed also provides a method of staying in touch. I do not live in NC and use the internet to access both the Journal and your blog Dan. Great way to stay in touch.
Wouldn’t it be great if the public could remember that the college athletes are kids, students like everyone else that are playing a game.
jcg on 03/15/2010 (10:29 am)
Thanks Dan. I assume you may have seen comments from doctorlcc ont he Wake Forum. I try not to get too caught up in the stuff, but occasionally cannot help but be somewhat sarcastic to the kids on the board that think they know more about coaching than Dino. He’s not perfect; I haven’t seen a perfect coach yet. As I pointed out recently, he’s tied with Roy Williams for the most conference wins in the first three years on the job.
Larry Crawford on 03/15/2010 (9:51 am)
I agree that baseless name-calling and finger-pointing is not constructive and serves no real purpose. However, as the old adage goes, “The numbers don’t lie.”
Of the 4 schools that had 2 first round picks on their 2009 roster (Louisville, UCLA, UNC, and Wake), the Deacs did significantly “less with more.”
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE (Seed):
Louisville(1): Beat ‘CUSE(6) to win Big East Title
UCLA(2): Lost in semi-finals to USC(6).
UNC(1): Lost to FSU(4) in semi-finals.
WAKE(2): Lost to Maryland(7) in quarter-finals
NCAA TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE (Seed):
Louisville(1): Lost in Elite 8 to Mich State(2)
UCLA(6): Lost in 2nd Round to NOVA(3)
UNC(1): Won National Championship
WAKE(4): Lost to Cleveland St(14)
DYKMB? on 03/15/2010 (9:29 am)
Great post Dan. I have been very dissapointed in the comments Deacon fans have been putting out there. Dino certainly still has some learning and growing to do, but I think he is the right man for the job. Wake basketball has been fun to watch under his leadership and I am confident that the program is heading in the right direction. Sure he needs to improve his tournament results, but a dissapointing season is ending with a 9 seed in the tournament and a top 10 recruiting class coming in… after loosing two sophmores to the first round.
Chris on 03/15/2010 (9:20 am)
I’m as dissapointed as everyone else at what has happened to the team. However, I want Dino to succeed because, if he succeeds, Wake succeeds. He’s only been on the job three years. Ask Coach K or Coach Smith, etc. how their fans liked them in the first few years of their program. Let’s get behind the team. Disparaging players is about as low as you can go. These kids don’t intentionally go out there to lose and if you have ever participated in athletics, you know that there are invariably more lows than highs.
Jim on 03/15/2010 (8:40 am)
