Wake Forest University men's basketball head coach Danny Manning will return for the 2019-20 season. Athletic Director Ron Wellman made the announcement on Friday.
“Following the season, Danny and I had an extensive series of meetings to discuss the future of the program,” said Wellman in a university press release.
“We were in agreement that this past season did not approach the expectations either of us has for Wake Forest basketball. Our discussion focused on the steps that are needed to ensure that our team is highly competitive on the court next season. I expect that Danny will take the steps needed to show improvement on the court next season while continuing to lead our student-athletes to represent Wake Forest positively in the classroom and in the community.”
Manning has a 65-93 record over his first five seasons at Wake Forest, leading the Demon Deacons to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Before that, he was the head coach at the University of Tulsa.
Manning, a 6-foot 10 former college player of the year and Greensboro native, officially accepted the men's basketball coaching job at Wake Forest University in 2014. He replaced Jeff Bzdelik, who resigned after four lackluster seasons.
“I am excited about the future of our program,” said Manning. “Even though it took longer than we wanted, I believe we have the foundation for future success.”
“We didn't have the record we wanted last season, but our team showed its potential, especially toward the end of the season," says Manning. "This group of players kept fighting and improved throughout the year. With our returning players, our transfers who will become eligible next season and our incoming recruiting class, I believe that this team will have the ability, desire and chemistry to take a step forward next season.”
The university says each of Wake Forest's top seven scorers in 2018-19, and nine of the top 10 scorers, have eligibility remaining for next season, as those players combined for 92 percent of the Demon Deacons' minutes last season.
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