A Look at Wake Forest Basketball Coaches over their First Four Years and Overall

Note: This article only looks at the coaches since the Atlantic Coast Conference was started, as data would be inconsistent if years before were used.

Note: Because Murray Greason’s first four years were before the start of the ACC, I will use his overall record from his first four years, and his conference record from his first four years in the ACC.

Note: 1965-66 was Jackie Murdock’s only season as head coach, as he was hired as an interim for one year.

Note: From 1971-79 the conference only had 7 teams so only 12 conference games were played. Beginning in 1991-92, 16 conference games were played when the conference grew to 9 teams. Since 2012 with the further expansion of the conference 18 conference games have been played.

Danny Manning has just finished his fourth year as the head coach of Wake Forest, so I thought I would compare his first four years to every Wake Forest coach since the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953.

Murray Greason

wakeforestsports.com

First Season: 1933-34, 5-9 Record

Second Season: 1934-35, 6-10 Record

Third Season: 1935-36, 9-12 Record

Fourth Season: 1936-37, 15-6 Overall Record, 9-4 in Southern Conference for a 3rd place finish

First Four Seasons Overall Record: 35-37

First ACC Season: 1953-54, 17-12 Overall Record, 8-4 in ACC for a 3rd place finish

Second ACC Season: 1954-55, 17-10 Overall Record, 8-6 in ACC to finish tied for 4th

Third ACC Season: 1955-56: 19-9 Overall Record, 10-4 in ACC for 3rd place finish

Fourth ACC Season: 1956-57: 19-9 Overall Record, 7-7 in ACC to finish tied for 4th

First Four ACC Seasons: 72-40 Overall, 33-21 ACC Record

Accomplishments: 1938-39 Southern Conference Regular Season Champions, 1952-53 Southern Conference Tournament Champions, Appeared in inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939

Postseason: 1939 NCAA Tournament Appearance-One of only eight teams selected for inaugural tournament, 1953 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 288-244, .541 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 33-21, .611 ACC win%

Career Coaching Record: Unavailable

Bones McKinney

Raleigh News and Observer

First Season: 1957-58: 6-17 Overall Record, 3-11 in ACC to finish tied for 7th

Second Season: 1958-59: 10-14 Overall Record, 5-9 in ACC to finish tied for 6th

Third Season: 1959-60: 21-7 Overall Record, 12-2 in ACC to finish tied for 1st, 1959-60 Co-Regular Season ACC Champions

Fourth Season: 1960-61: 19-11 Overall Record, 11-3 in ACC for 2nd place finish, 1961 ACC Tournament Champions, 1961 NCAA Tournament Regional Finals Appearance

First Four Seasons: 56-49 Overall Record, 31-25 ACC Record

Accomplishments: 1959-60 Co-Regular Season ACC Champions, 1961 ACC Tournament Champions, 1961 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, 1961-62 ACC Regular Season Champions, 1962 ACC Tournament Champions, 1962 Final Four Appearance, 1962 NCAA Third Place Game Winners

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 122-94, .565 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 69-43, ,616 win%

Career Coaching Record: 122-94, .565%

*Jackie Murdock

Wake Forest Magazine

First Season: 1965-66, 8-18 Overall Record, 4-10 in ACC to finish tied for 6th

Career Coaching Record: 8-18, .308 win%

Jack McCloskey

Wikipedia

First Season: 1966-67: 9-18 Overall Record, 5-9 in ACC to finish tied for 5th

Second Season: 1967-68: 5-21 Overall Record, 3-11 in ACC to finish tied for 7th

Third Season: 1968-69: 18-9 Overall Record, 8-6 in ACC to finish tied for 3rd

Fourth Season: 1969-70: 14-13 Overall Record, 6-8 in ACC for 5th place finish

First Four Seasons: 46-61 Overall Record, 22-34 ACC Record

Accomplishments: None of Note

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 70-89, .440 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 32-50, .390 win%

Career Coaching Record: 216-194, .527 win%

Carl Tacy

First Season: 1972-73: 12-15 Overall Record, 3-9 in ACC for 7th place finish

Second Season: 1973-74: 13-13 Overall Record, 3-9 in ACC for 6th place finish

Third Season: 1974-75: 13-13 Overall Record, 2-10 in ACC to finish tied for 6th

Fourth Season: 1975-76: 17-10 Overall Record, 5-7 in ACC to finish tied for 4th

First Four Seasons: 55-51 Overall Record, 13-35 ACC Record

Accomplishments: 1977 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, 1981 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 1982 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 1983 NIT Semifinals, 1984 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, 1985 NIT Tournament Appearance

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 222-149, .598 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 71-97, .423 win%

Career Coaching Record: 245-153, .616 win%

Bob Staak

First Season: 1985-86: 8-21 Overall Record, 0-14 in ACC for 8th (last) place finish

Second Season: 1986-87: 14-15 Overall Record, 2-12 in ACC for 7th place finish

Third Season: 1987-88: 10-18 Overall Record, 3-11 in ACC for 8th (last) place finish

Fourth Season: 1988-89: 13-15 Overall Record, 3-11 in ACC for 7th place finish

Accomplishments: None of Note

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 45-69, .395 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 8-48, .143 win%

Career Coaching Record: 133-155, .464 win%

Dave Odom

First Season: 1989-90: 12-16 Overall Record, 3-11 in ACC for 8th (last) place finish

Second Season: 1990-91: 19-11 Overall Record, 8-6 in ACC to finish tied for 3rd, NCAA Tournament Second Round

Third Season: 1991-92: 17-12 Overall Record, 7-9 in ACC for 6th place finish, NCAA Tournament Appearance

Fourth Season: 1992-93: 21-9 Overall Record, 10-6 in ACC to finish tied for 3rd, NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

First Four Seasons: 69-48 Overall Record, 28-32 ACC Record

Accomplishments: 1991 NCAA Second Round, 1992 NCAA Tournament Appearance, 1993 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, 1994 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 1995 ACC Regular Season Champions, 1995 ACC Tournament Champions, 1995 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, 1996 ACC Tournament Champions, 1996 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, 1997 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 1998 NIT Tournament Second Round, 1999 NIT Tournament Second Round, 2000 NIT Tournament Champions, 2001 NCAA Tournament Appearance, Only #1 seed in Wake Forest history in 1995 NCAA Tournament

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 240-132, .645 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 101-87, .537 win%

Career Coaching Record: 406-278, .594 win%

Skip Prosser

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

First Season: 2001-02: 21-13 Overall Record, 8-8 in ACC to finish tied for 5th, NCAA Tournament Second Round

Second Season: 2002-03: 25-6 Record, 13-3 in ACC for 1st place finish, ACC Regular Season Champions, NCAA Tournament Second Round

Third Season: 2003-04: 21-10 Overall Record, 9-7 in ACC to finish tied for 3rd, NCAA Sweet Sixteen

Fourth Season: 2004-05: 27-6 Overall Record, 13-3 in ACC for 2nd place finish, NCAA Second Round

First Four Seasons: 94-35 Overall Record, 43-21 ACC Record

Accomplishments: 2002 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 2003 ACC Regular Season Champions, 2003 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 2004 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, 2005 NCAA Tournament Second Round, 2006 NIT Tournament Appearance, First Ever #1 Ranking in Wake Forest history in 2004 AP Poll, One of only four coaches in ACC history and only coach in Wake Forest history to take team to NCAA Tournament in each of his first four seasons, Wake Forest single season record 27 wins in 2004-05

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 126-68, .649 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 52-44, .541 win%

Career Coaching Record: 291-146, .666 win%

Dino Gaudio

First Season: 2007-08: 17-13 Overall Record, 7-9 in ACC to finish tied for 7th

Second Season: 2008-09: 24-7 Overall Record, 11-5 in ACC to finish tied for 2nd, NCAA Tournament Appearance

Third Season: 2009-10: 20-11 Overall Record, 9-7 in ACC to finish tied for 5th, NCAA Tournament Second Round

Accomplishments: 2009 NCAA Tournament Appearance, 2010 NCAA Tournament Second Round, Wake Forest record 16-0 start to 2008-09 season, 2nd ever #1 ranking in Wake Forest history in 2008-09 season

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 61-31, .663 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 27-21, .563 win%

Career Coaching Record: 129-155, .454 win%

Jeff Bzdelik

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

First Season: 2010-11: 8-24 Overall Record, 1-15 in ACC for 12th (last) place finish

Second Season: 2011-12: 13-18 Overall Record, 4-12 in ACC to finish tied for 12th

Third Season: 2012-13: 13-18 Overall Record, 6-12 in ACC to finish tied for 9th

Fourth Season: 2013-14: 17-16 Overall Record, 6-12 in ACC to finish tied for 11th

Accomplishments: None of Note

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 51-76, .402 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 17-51, .250 win%

Career Coaching Record: 160-179, .472 win%

Danny Manning

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

First Season: 2014-15: 13-19 Overall Record, 5-13 in ACC for 12th place finish

Second Season: 2015-16: 11-20 Overall Record, 2-16 in ACC for 14th place finish

Third Season: 2016-17: 19-14 Overall Record, 9-9 in ACC for 10th place finish, 2017 NCAA Tournament First Four Appearance

Fourth Season: 2017-18: 11-20 Overall Record, 4-14 in ACC for 14th place finish

Accomplishments: 2017 NCAA Tournament First Four Appearance

Overall Record at Wake Forest: 54-73, .425 win%

ACC Record at Wake Forest: 20-52, .278 win%

Career Coaching Record: 92-101, .477 win%

Summary

Murray Greason is the all-time winningest coach in Wake Forest basketball history with 288 wins over 23 seasons. Dave Odom is second with 240 wins in twelve seasons, Carl Tacy is third with 222 wins in thirteen seasons, Skip Prosser is fourth with 126 wins in six seasons, and Bones McKinney is fifth with 122 wins in eight seasons.

Dave Odom has the most ACC wins with 101 in 12 seasons. Carl Tacy is second with 71 wins in 13 seasons and Bones McKinney is third with 69 wins in 8 seasons. Skip Prosser had 52 wins in 6 seasons.

Dino Gaudio has the best overall win percentage at .663 in his three seasons, with Skip Prosser second at .649 and Dave Odom third at .645.

Bones McKinney has the highest ACC win percentage at .616. Murray Greason is second at .611 and Dino Gaudio is third at .563.

Dave Odom has the most career wins with 406. Skip Prosser is second with 291 and Murray Greason is third with 288.

Skip Prosser has the highest career winning percentage at .666. Carl Tacy is second at .616 and Dave Odom is third at .594.

Skip Prosser has the best record over his first four seasons at 94-35 overall and 43-21 in the ACC. Prosser is also one of only four coaches in the history of the ACC to lead a team to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four seasons.

Dave Odom had eleven consecutive postseason appearances, and his teams made a postseason tournament in 11 of his 12 seasons as head coach. Skip Prosser and Carl Tacy each had five consecutive postseason appearances, and Prosser’s teams made the postseason in 5 of his 6 seasons as head coach.

Bones McKinney led the Deacs to the only Final Four appearance in Wake Forest history.

Murray Greason, Bones McKinney, Carl Tacy, Dave Odom, and Skip Prosser all led teams to at least one Sweet Sixteen during their time as head coach.

McKinney, Tacy, and Odom led teams to at least one Elite Eight in their time as head coach.

Jack McCloskey, Bob Staak, Jeff Bzdelik, and Danny Manning all had losing records in their first four seasons.

Danny Manning’s record over his first four seasons is not all that much better than Jeff Bzdelik’s, with the major difference being that Manning led the Deacs to an NCAA Tournament appearance in his third season.