NCAA Basketball: 10 Coaches who have overstayed their welcome entering 2019-20
By Bryan Mauro
8. Danny Manning – Wake Forest
Over a 20 year stretch from 1990 to 2009 the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were one of the most consistent programs in the ACC. They made NCAA tournaments and ACC championships. They played in sweet 16’s and Elite Eights and produced one of the best players in the history of the NBA in Tim Duncan, and another NBA star in Chris Paul. Those days are long gone for a once proud program.
The current coach Danny Manning is responsible for the one NCAA tournament appearance since 2009, a loss in the first four game. Other than that single season the rest of his five years have been unimpressive. Under Manning, Wake Forest is a perennial bottom feeder in the ACC and has not produced much talent, at least not talent that is to the level the Wake Forest is used to.
Manning had an illustrious NBA career and had two moderately successful years at Tulsa leading them to the NCAA tournament before heading off to Wake Forest. It has been five years in Winston-Salem and many would argue that Manning has turned the Demon Deacons into an undesirable job. It was a tremendous surprise that Manning was given a stay by the athletic director.
Five years is long enough to develop a program, even if they made the NCAA tournament in year 3. Wake Forest is further from an NCAA tournament now than they were when Manning took the job. If Wake Forest decides to go another way it will be interesting to see the list of names who would be interested in the job. It could be a good job once again with the right hire.