Comments

Dan, I’m really interested to get your take on how all of this has played out.  We’ve gotten articles from Ed Hardin, the guys at the N&O, ESPN, FoxSports etc. (in other words the guys who don’t generally know squat about the dynamics here).  We’re all doing some reading between the lines about not having been able to meet Bz yet, how you hoped to meet him at the baseball game last night, how most of the info on this process has come out of Colorado.  You’ve given us a bit of hinting about the process, so to speak, and you’re the guy we’re looking to to strip away the questions swirling around this unusual hire.  I was not overly impressed with the press conference, and certainly disappointed Ron didn’t take questions, but one would think the AD’s office would have made Bz available to you by now for some Q&A time (would be a little disturbed if they didn’t, as if they’re guarding this roll out a little too closely given the negativity surrounding this hire with the fan base).  So can you spill the beans, Country?  You’re the guy who gives it to us straight and that’s what makes you a great journalist.  Thanks.

John. on 04/14/2010 (5:18 pm)

This selection smells “safe”. At best he coaches for 5 years or so without much upside and not much downside, more of a caretaker. Bzdelik’s selection seems more akin to Guthridge taking over at UNC than Duke’s hiring of Kryzewski or, for that matter, UNC’s hiring of Smith. There is no “Buzz” in this hire but there are many “red flags”, such as the implication that he doesn’t like recruiting (hardly a sin but clearly one of the more important functions for a coach today). He has had a lifetime to show what he can do and, with one exception, he has been a losing coach with abysmal post season success, which makes the reasons given for the termination of Gaudio laughable and hypocritical. Wellman knows his craft so either he knows something about Bzdelik that no one else involved with collegiate basketball knows, or there is some other reason for his selection. The proof will come in 3-4 years so we’ll have to wait to see how it plays out. I hope that Wellman has chosen wisely but for now I am completely befuddled by his choice.

Larry on 04/14/2010 (9:14 am)

Dan,

No doubt you have a book of questions that you want to ask at the 10am press conference. 

But if you get a chance, I would be curious to know how much Bzdelik already knows about our returning players.  And what role he plans to play in their development from now until the 2010-2011 season begins from both a fundamentals and schematic perspective? 

Also, what are his opinions on the incoming recruiting class?  And how does he see them fitting into his scheme? 

Thanks as always for the updates.

DC on 04/14/2010 (8:26 am)

Joe,

I agree with you that members of the Wake Forest community have reason to be skeptical about this hire.  We were not going to get a coach who has already been to the Final Four, but we certainly should have been able to get a coach was looked like he was headed there. 

However, Coach Gaudio did not get fired solely because of postseason failures.  It was how his teams achieved those failures.  So to dismiss (Coach) Bzdelik simply because he did not have a great record at Colorado last year is not quite fair either.  We have to look deeper at how the Colorado teams evolved over the years under Bzdelik.  And we have to look at his entire resume. 

The bottom line is that it looks like Bzdelik is going to have the opportunity to show whether hiring him was a good idea.  At the moment, he has my full support.

DC on 04/14/2010 (8:22 am)

Interesting reporting from the Boulder Daily Camera:

“During his first two years at CU, Bzdelik entertained offers to become an assistant with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, only to remain in Boulder.

This time Bohn was blindsided by the news of Bzdelik possibly leaving CU for ACC country.

Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman did not call Bohn—who attended the Master`s in Augusta, Ga., over the weekend as part of a fundraising trip—to ask permission to speak with Bzdelik about the job.

“I can ensure that is the case,” Bohn said when asked if he gives his peers courtesy calls when seeking to interview or hire candidates from other schools. “If you want, call and ask (Metro State athletic director) Joan McDermott.”

Read more: Bohn prepares for search to replace Bzdelik - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/top-sports/ci_14872558#ixzz0l33ysxYg

TLM on 04/14/2010 (1:13 am)

Frank says it won’t be a fiasco? Wake is the laughing stock of the country with this hire. We could have gone for a proven winner like Brownell- who Clemson has hired. Instead we went for a guy who has a terrible record at Colorado. As a Wake fan I want it to work out. But you would have to be delusional if you don’t have serious doubts about the wisdom of this hire.

Joe on 04/13/2010 (8:13 pm)

Hope it works out.  At least it won’t be fiasco like nc state had, or Carolina when they got stuck with Doh.

I was okay with Dino for another year, but the carolina, fsu, Miami, Kentucky losses sure were painful.  Dino failed to motivate, and the half court O definitely sucked.

This guy better work out. Go Deacs!

Frank on 04/13/2010 (6:07 pm)