🏀 KuBuckets Archive

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Danny isn't used to losing college basketball games. As a player, he was the dominant force that brought Kansas a national title. His start in college coaching brought him back to Lawrence as a coaching assistant. Kansas won a lot of basketball games with Danny in a suit on the sidelines. Then Danny earned his head coaching debut at Tulsa. Once again, Danny brought winning basketball to Tulsa, accumulating a 38-29 record before heading off to Wake Forest.

I believe we can make a good argument for the Wake Forest job being a trap for Danny and his career in coaching.

It is going to be hard for Danny to change the power positioning of the ACC. To date, Danny's record at Wake Forest is 39-48. Danny isn't used to losing in the college game.

Can Danny turn Wake Forest around? He is in his third year at Wake and has now signed his first ESPN Top 100 recruit, Chaundee Brown. This is big news for their fans, who became excited when they landed Manning as a coach, but haven't had anything to cheer about since. That may also be changing because the Demon Deacons have a winning record (so far) this year at 15-10.

Wake Forest Basketball: Will Danny Manning’s team avoid the ACC basement? ↗

@drgnslayr well, if he doesnt make it as a head coach, Im sure he would always be welcomed back to Lawrence.

My money is on Danny to start having some success in the next 2 years. The old ACC guard is changing and it presents an opportunity for him. Roy, K and Boeheim are not going to coach much past 2020 if they get that far.

@bskeet

I am working with a top-level administrator at WF right now who is a huge basketball fan. I hope to get the inside track on Danny next time we talk, which will probably be right after March Madness. She told me how excited the fans were when Danny signed on... but now are just feeling a bit let down.

It might have been better for Danny if there weren't such high expectations placed on him right out of the gate. It will take quite a bit of time to turn that program around beyond just having a good run for a year or two, but to become known as a legit program... especially in the ACC.

Granted, many of the old guard will be retiring soon... I'm not counting on their programs degrading because of that. In some cases... maybe there will be improvements. Duke might have the toughest challenge keeping up with where they are now.

@drgnslayr That will be interesting. I agree, that expectations are hard to manage... but WF has to realize how many HOF coaches are in their league and the recruiting patterns are deeply established... WF has a little history, but it's asking for a lot.

@drgnslayr In the perfect worl, would be Danny return to KU and go back to Coaching our Big Men, would be a sweet recruiting tool for us. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@jayballer54

Yeah... that would be great for us, but I don't think it is in Danny's future to step down as a head coach in D1.

@drgnslayr YA me neither, and I don't blame him - just dreaming and would be perfect for us - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

@drgnslayr I don't really know if he is a good head coach or not. Certainly we believe he was a good big man coach.
Sometimes the most talented players aren't necessarily the best coaches.

@Hawk8086

True.... and the responsibilities of an assistant coach are completely different from that of a head coach.

I don't know how gifted Danny is as a head coach. But I also think that Kansas basketball success is accomplished by team ball, including team coaching. I don't think Bill could have the success he has had without all the help from his assistants, including Danny when he was with us. If Danny comes back to be a head coach for Kansas, he will be supplied with some great assistants.

Anyone know how good Danny is with Xs and Os? Game coaching?

Danny inherited a complete mess at Wake. That's a job that takes a few years to rebuild at because they are 4th in North Carolina and tge only one not in the Raleigh/Durham region. That's a tough job and why not a lot of coaches have been successful there.

@bskeet

I believe all three, particularly Coach Williams and Coach rat face are wanting to win one more championship and retire while at the top. The academic scandal has not quite hit the fan at UNC yet but it will be in the near future and Coach Williams probably wants to be gone when that happens.