Wake AD sits ‘tight’ as coach goes through legal process
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman says the school is "sitting tight" while the legal process continues for an assistant basketball coach who police say punched a New York City tourist who later died.
Wellman spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday, four days after the school placed assistant coach Jamill Jones on leave, and says there have been no further updates.
Police say Jones attacked digital marketing guru Sandor Szabo early on Aug. 5, causing him to fall and smash his head on a Queens sidewalk.
Jones has pleaded not guilty a charge of misdemeanor assault and has an Oct. 2 court date. Wellman said "what transpires between now and then, we have no idea. We're not in control of that, so we're just sitting tight at this point."
Wellman declined to discuss the situation further.
In the less serious realm on the basketball court, the AD has some other issues to sort out that aren't nearly as grave.
The program took a step back in Danny Manning's fourth season, finishing 11-20 a year after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 and then losing two key players early. But the roster turnover continued this year, with the top three scorers from last year's team all leaving early — Bryant Crawford and Doral Moore turned pro, while Keyshawn Woods transferred to Ohio State.
Wellman isn't concerned about the roster churn, called the season "a disappointment on the surface" but expressed confidence in Manning and his assistants, pointing to an incoming recruiting class ranked in the top 25 nationally by Scout.com.
"This staff can recruit. This staff can coach," Wellman said. "This staff can do all of the things that need to be done to build a championship-caliber program."
But it's obvious the progress in basketball has lagged behind the school's other high-profile sport, with Dave Clawson leading the football team to consecutive bowl victories after going 3-9 in each of his first two seasons.
"He's building a program with depth," Wellman said of Clawson. "He has all of the right approaches for a Wake Forest, the type of people he's recruiting, recognizing that we are something of a developmental program where guys come in and are going to develop, and he has the right coaches to develop those players. And I think you're seeing the results on the field."
Overall, the recently completed academic year was a success at Wake Forest, which finished 48th in the standings for the Director's Cup, which is awarded to the top overall athletic department. The unquestioned highlight of the year was the team national championship the Demon Deacons claimed in men's tennis as well as the individual crown won by Petros Chrysochos, who beat teammate Borna Gojo in the final.
Wellman is hoping for even more improvement in all of the school's sports in 2018-19, and is eager to open some new facilities in the coming year. Set to open in January are a pair of buildings that together cost $50 million — an all-sports facility for strength, conditioning and coaches' office space, as well as a basketball player development center to include a practice gym and strength and conditioning space for both basketball teams. That comes after the school opened its indoor practice facility for football a year ago.
"What we want is for facilities to be an asset," Wellman said. "They were a liability in the recruitment game and they were a liability once our players got here, in training our players the way you want to be able to train them. With the facilities that are coming on line now, we will be in as good a position as anyone in the country."
