Wake Forest fires Dino Gaudio

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After three seasons and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, it looks like Dino Gaudio has been fired by Wake Forest. A press conference is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Check back later today for more and check out the forums for more discussion.

WXII: Gaudio out at Wake Forest

Wake Forest University head basketball coach Dino Gaudio was fired Wednesday after mounting a 61-31 record during his three seasons as head coach, sources at the university confirmed.

An announcement was planned for 4:30 p.m.

Gaudio coached the team to two NCAA basketball tournament appearances and one NCAA tournament win.

He was hired in 2007 after coach Skip Prosser died suddenly from a heart attack

Gaudio, 53, joined Prosser in 1981 at a Central Catholic High School in West Virginia, and the native of Yorkville, Ohio, took over the program at tiny Wheeling Central in 1985 when Prosser left to join Xavier’s staff.

Here’s the release from WFU, which was up immediately following Wellman’s press conference, which lasted about 25 minutes.

Wake Forest’s Dino Gaudio Released From Contract

Wake Forest University Director of Athletics Ron Wellman announced today that head men’s basketball coach Dino Gaudio would not be retained. A national search for a new basketball coach will begin immediately.

“I met with Dino this afternoon and informed him that he would no longer be our basketball coach,” said Wellman.

“Dino has made contributions to this program over the last 10 seasons. He stepped into a difficult situation at a very trying time when Skip Prosser passed away and he steadied the program.

“But from a competitive standpoint, it has been disappointing that we have developed a pattern of not playing well late in the season and in the postseason. Wake Forest has a proud history of basketball success but we have not been as competitive in the postseason as we would like.”

Wellman said there was no timeline for the hiring of a new coach.

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166 Responses to Wake Forest fires Dino Gaudio

  1. Rochester 04/08/2010 at 1:26 PM #

    bradley, you forgot a common opponent in Northwestern. Butler beat them by 13 points two weeks before we lost to them by 12. I don’t want to take anything away from our miracle win against Duke, but the Duke team in the NCAAT was not the same team we faced in January.

    As for Butler not playing anyone, their non-conference schedule: Davidson (W), at Northwestern (W), at Evansville (W), Minnesota (L), UCLA (W), Clemson (L), at Ball State (W), Georgetown (L), Ohio State (W), Xavier (W), at UAB (L), Siena (W).

    That looks a bit stronger than our non-conference schedule to me. They also won 25 games in a row, not losing from Dec. 22 until the refs handed Duke the title on Monday.

    But what does that prove?

  2. choppack1 04/08/2010 at 1:42 PM #

    “Hmm… of Butler and NC State’s common opponents, who fared better? State beat Duke, Butler lost to Duke. Butler was good, but they feasted on weak opponents for most of the season, then got hot in the tournament. The so-called good teams that they beat were either not that good (Michigan State), or they were faltering late in the season (Syracuse).

    And if Butler had been in the ACC, would they have gotten a 5-seed? Would they have gotten in at all?

    Everyone needs to stop worshiping at the altar of Brad Stevens. He may be good. He may not be good. He has proven nothing. Everyone would be better-served to stop worrying so much about him.”

    Very, very selective memore there.

    But hey – if this is what it takes for you to say to yourself, “Everything is fine – we are heading in the right direction.” Don’t let that stop you.

    I’ve stated before that it’s certainly possible that Brad Stevens will be a stinker when he gets to the major conference, but I think that’s highly unlikely….here’s a list of coaches who have made it to or coached in the championship game in recent memory:

    Billy Dononvan
    Tom Izzo
    Jim Boeheim
    Jim Calhoun
    Coach K
    Paul Hewitt
    Roy Williams
    Rick Majerus
    Tubby Smith
    Ben Howland
    Rick Pitino
    Gary Williams
    Bruce Weber

    Now, you can say a lot about those guys, but they’ve proven themselves able to advance in the tournament – and usually more than 1 time.

    I don’t know what your point is – I’m not sure if you think he’s a bad coach – or just unproven. However, a proven winner at the major level usually repeats his success or is pretty damn successful for a few years then his “magic” wears off. Even in these cases, the coach has usually demonstrated a consistency for a period of time.

    In his very brief career, Stevens is showing the kind of consistency that the great ones have. You can say, “this proof of success doesn’t mean he’ll be great.” And you’re right – Billy Gillespie was horrible.

    However, at times like this, I go back to the poker analogy. Just as Lee Fowler went all in on 2-7 non-suited when he hired Sidney Lowe…if Stevens were a poker hand, he’d be American Airlines….You could lose w/ this hand, but it’s not stupid to go all-in if you get this hand.

  3. wolf2003 04/08/2010 at 1:58 PM #

    Don’t really care about who we get put a change needs to take place.

    Of those non-conference oppnents, they lost to teams of the “big conference’s per se. Ohio State was without Evan Turner for the first time when they played. UCLA was terrible this year finishing 14-18. Evansville finished last in the MVC. UAB beat us but Butler lost to them.

    I would say the non-conference schedules are pretty even and our conference is on a better scale than the Horizon League even in a down year.

  4. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 2:04 PM #

    There are several great options for any big school looking for an upgrade- Marshall, Bronwell, Stevens, Jacobsen. I wonder who will still be available next year.

  5. LRM 04/08/2010 at 2:05 PM #

    If only we had something tangible by which to measure the overall Butler product…something like a single-elimination tournament with the nation’s best teams all participating…

  6. wolf2003 04/08/2010 at 2:07 PM #

    If the tournament expands to 96 teams next year, I think the coaching carousel will be alot bigger than this year.

  7. Rick 04/08/2010 at 2:24 PM #

    “Butler was good, but they feasted on weak opponents for most of the season, then got hot in the tournament. ”

    This statement tells me you either did not watch the game or you know nothing about basketball. They did not shoot well for most of the tournament. They played hard D and worked as a team. Things that are constant as opposed to hot shooting.

    “He has proven nothing. ”
    He has proven he can win in the NCAA tournament with a bunch of sophomores. What has Lowe proven? Nothing. He has finished averaged a whopping 5 ACC wins.

    It boggles the mind that someone can prop up Lowe and degrade Stevens at the same time.

  8. choppack1 04/08/2010 at 2:26 PM #

    Yea LRM – I don’t know how you call it a fluke when a guy does what he did in the NCAA tourney.

    You know, I remember Bunting thought that Urban Meyer’s spread wouldn’t really do much in the SEC, even though it had done a lot at Bowling Green and Utah.

    I just don’t get it – it’s kind of like a stock – we all know “past performance doesn’t guarantee future results”. You don’t want bet that someone who has consistently won will start losing and you don’t want to bet that someone who has consistently lost will start winning.

    But hey, let’s keep on telling ourselves what Bud Fox said in Wall Street:
    “You won’t regret this Mr Gecko. You’re with a winner!”

  9. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 2:32 PM #

    If what I was just told is accurate, we won’t need to worry about who is available next year.

  10. bradleyb123 04/08/2010 at 2:44 PM #

    So I’m curious what Sid has proven to you and why you feel he deserves another year (or two).

    Because of the level of recruiting he has reached. Stevens did what he did at a Butler school that was already established by his predecessor. There is NO guarantee that he could repeat that success in the ACC. Sidney deserves this because of what he is BUILDING. He has not had the personnel to have success, and people talk of firing him just as he is getting them. It makes no sense whatsoever.

    We had a bad run of seven games that cost us our NCAA invitation. Those were seven ACC games that Butler didn’t have to play. We beat the eventual national champions by 14 points.

    Sid hasn’t proven anything, either. But he got off to a rough start due to his late hiring. He was saddled with several leftover players that I believe 100% were poisonous to the team chemistry. I consider this Sid’s first real year, and all things considered, with such a young team, it WASN’T that bad. This team could have easily won just 10 games, yet we won 20 and made a splash in the conference tournament, falling just short of the championship game. We have a top-level point guard coming in, and another 5-star recruit, too. THIS is the piece we’ve been missing. Yes, it took a long time, but people want to pull the rug out from under Sid just when he FINALLY has a real shot to prove himself.

    I really think there are people that don’t WANT Sid to prove himself. I’m not sure why, maybe because they are unable to forgive his first 3-4 years of bad basketball. But it makes no sense to talk about bringing in ANOTHER mid-major coach that just had one (maybe two?) decent years. But we have no idea what kind of credibility he’d bring with him to NC State as far as recruiting goes. He would be ANOTHER roll of the dice for us. Why is it so horrible to give Sid this year (and I mean JUST THIS YEAR, not one more, not two more…) to prove himself with his players, now that the pieces are all there to do something?

    I’ve already said, if we’re not .500 in the conference, and in the NCAAT this year (AT A MINIMUM), then I’ll stop saying give Sid a chance. This is the year to get something done. But it’s this year… or let him go. To me, that’s less of a risk than starting over with a guy that hasn’t shown he can recruit. We know Sid can. Wouldn’t it be better if we succeed with him, going forward?

    I’m tired of losing, too. But I don’t want to trade a guy that just might be turning the corner, and has shown he can recruit, for the next Herb.

  11. bradleyb123 04/08/2010 at 2:46 PM #

    If what I was just told is accurate, we won’t need to worry about who is available next year.

    More? Surely you can give more than this teaser, without naming names or giving away your source.

  12. Rick 04/08/2010 at 2:48 PM #

    “Stevens did what he did at a Butler school that was already established by his predecessor. There is NO guarantee that he could repeat that success in the ACC.”

    What is more likely?
    A) Stevens is able to continue his winning ways at the ACC level or
    B) Lowe will keep losing as he has done at every level he has coached

    I know what I would bet on.

  13. PackHooligan 04/08/2010 at 2:50 PM #

    bradley, I’m not sure it is even worth it to argue with you, but recruiting at NC State is not and has never been difficult. I could get recruits to come to NC State. Plus, you don’t think Butler’s run to the championship game and the constant praising by the MSM of Brad Stevens will raise Brad Stevens reputation in recruiting circles?

  14. LRM 04/08/2010 at 2:52 PM #

    Same old tired argument: Sid is a great recruiter. Unbelievable.

    If you could only see the flaws in your logic. Sid has done nothing but lose for four years and yet he’s somehow sold you on his mad recruiting prowess. But yet your argument is that Stevens wouldn’t succeed at WF because he isn’t recruting ACC-caliber talent at Butler and therefore couldn’t do so at WF? What on earth would make you think a guy that has done nothing but win at lowly Butler and is the NCAA’s newest rock star wouldn’t be able to draw top talent at ANY ACC school?

  15. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 3:17 PM #

    Someone posted Butler’s recruiting rankings over the past 6 years and they’ve gotten progressively better under Stevens, fwiw.

  16. Rick 04/08/2010 at 3:19 PM #

    The other point is who gives a crap about recruiting? Do you get a banner for it?

    No

    What Stevens has done is win. What Lowe has done is not.

    Recruiting is nothing but a means to an end.

  17. Thinkpack17 04/08/2010 at 3:21 PM #

    “If what I was just told is accurate, we won’t need to worry about who is available next year.”

    Huh?

  18. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 3:41 PM #

    Sorry- just screwing around with ya’ll. Boring day at the office

  19. PackBacker001 04/08/2010 at 3:43 PM #

    “If what I was just told is accurate, we won’t need to worry about who is available next year.”

    This could mean several things:
    1) We are dissolving the basketball team to focus on bass fishing.

    2) The Mayans were wrong and 2012 is coming a year early.

    3) The current roster in addition to the incoming recruits have torn ligaments in their knees and ankles. We have no team for next year.

    4) Iran successfully produced a nuclear weapon.

    4) ????

    5) PROFIT!!

  20. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 3:45 PM #

    1 would be a reasonable choice

  21. pack44fan 04/08/2010 at 4:27 PM #

    The way I see it, our athletic administration is satisfied by the status quo. If you expect nothing, you achieve nothing. All you hear from the administration is be patient, wait till next year. Next year never arrives. It was delightful to listen to Ron Wellman yesterday. The man actually has a plan. WF was proactive instead of reactive. NCSU is reactive instead of proactive, a fatal mistake in my judgement.

  22. choppack1 04/08/2010 at 4:57 PM #

    pack44 – It would be delightful if he was at NC State or if we had a great AD. Since he’s at Wake – it’s just painful.

  23. Thinkpack17 04/08/2010 at 5:23 PM #

    Whelp….That’s that.

    http://www.butler.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=1097&z=22

  24. jbpackfan 04/08/2010 at 5:29 PM #

    I think he’d hold out for a top tier job or any of the big Indiana jobs (IU, Purdue, ND) anyway.

  25. tjfoose2 04/08/2010 at 6:00 PM #

    How dare Wake Forest have such expectations Lunatic fringe fandom must be contagious.

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