Bzdelik Reportedly to Wake Forest

[GGGG]

Jeff Bzdelik, current Colorado head coach, is apparently the leading candidate for the Wake Forest job.

I am trying real hard to understand how this could be considered an upgrade over Dino Gaudio.  Bzdelik has really not been all that successful anywhere, except when he inherited a pretty loaded Air Force team.

[Dawson Rental]

Jeff Bzdelik, current Colorado head coach, is apparently the leading candidate for the Wake Forest job.

I am trying real hard to understand how this could be considered an upgrade over Dino Gaudio.  Bzdelik has really not been all that successful anywhere, except when he inherited a pretty loaded Air Force team.

He'll be the AD's pick, instead of the guy that the AD had to hire in an emergency.  That's the only positive spin I can put on this otherwise incomprehensible turn of events.

I wonder what the Wake Forest board is saying.  Anyone over there who was happy to see Dino go has to be disappointed. This can't be the replacement that they were hoping for.

[sailwi]

Wake board had 20+ pages on why this made no sense unless there was more to the story of firing Dino than the AD mentioned.

[MUBurrow]

i actually really like Bzdelik, and think he brings some significant things to the table.  then again, I really liked Gaudio too, and given his more consistent track record of late, remain flabbergasted that he was let go. if i were at Wake, I would be more pissed at change for the sake of change than the hire itself. 

[GGGG]

i actually really like Bzdelik, and think he brings some significant things to the table. 

Such as???

[Dawson Rental]

Wake board had 20+ pages on why this made no sense unless there was more to the story of firing Dino than the AD mentioned.

Either there is more to the Dino firing then anyone outside of a very few know (no rumors), or Wake's AD just went all in the pot on this hiring decision.

[MUBurrow]

Well, he's got a lot of NBA experience (some of it quality) which can be very appealing at a level where a coach could actually pull NBA talent.  Wake is certainly in that category, but I don't think its fair to judge that at Colorado.  A lot of kids wouldn't play for John Wooden at Colorado. 

The thought also might be that his structured style of offense can slow down high powered UNC teams (not sure how effective that would be with Duke) and his matchup zone is highly respected.  That would provide a look that might be different from what most of the ACC is used to seeing.

Again - this isn't to applaud the move.  I certainly don't think that in the grand scheme of things this is a step up from Dino Gaudio.  But Bzdelik does have some ties to Wake's AD, Ron Wellman, which explains a lot.  And if the move does add greater continuity to Wake's program, well there's a train of thought there too.  I really hope Gaudio gets a good rebound job though - he certainly hasn't done anything to show he doesn't deserve it.

[brewcity77]

My only concern in this is what impact it will have on the commitment of Carson Desrosiers. Does this give us a chance to pursue him, and if so, what will be the cost? If he gets a scholarship, someone else won't get one.

[Dawson Rental]

MUBurrow,

"And if the move does add greater continuity to Wake's program"

I don't know what you mean by this.  ???

[MUBurrow]

There was some speculation that the AD Ron Wellman, was never totally comfortable with Gaudio.  Given the circumstances after Skip Prosser's death, it would have been a PR nightmare to not install Gaudio full time, and rumor had it that the top of the Wake athletic department felt forced into a commitment they weren't particularly comfortable with.  This might have been an issue that, though never directly confrontational or anything, might have led to some discontinuity in the program.
Bzdelik is a longtime Wellman friend/associate.  Plus, Bzdelik's daughter goes to Wake.  The combination of the personal connections looking backward as well as the personal commitments moving forward might be something that really entrenches Bzdelik in the program, and something that Wellman was looking for in a new hire. If he felt forced into the Gaudio hire, bringing in an old friend might be refreshing to him. 
I still feel bad for Gaudio and think he deserved better, but it would stand to reason that the move might add some continuity between the athletic department and the basketball program.