April 14, 2010 wasn't involved with the basketball program, An Interview with: obviously, but he was always very impressive about the way he went about his job, about the way he treated his players, about the dependence COACH JEFF BZDELIK a head coach had upon a young assistant like Jeff Bzdelik. THE MODERATOR: Good morning. When he went to UNBC as the head coach Thank you all for coming out this morning. Again from Northwestern, he did a great job in we will be using a transcription service, the quotes transitioning that program from a Division II will be typed up for easy access for you all when program to a Division I program. The year after this is over with, so we do have a couple of Jeff left that program they were in a position to microphones, we would like you to ask your complete at a very, very high level in the Division I questions into the microphone as our person is in a level after just transitioning to Division I. remote location. At this time it's my pleasure to He then went to the Washington Bullets, introduce the director of athletics at Wake Forest, where he was an assistant for Wes Unseld, and he Mr. Ron Wellman. sings Jeff's praises, and after that he went to one RON WELLMAN: Thank you, Steve. of the best coaches maybe in NBA history, Pat Thank you for coming. We call you out at various Riley, and was his assistant for seven years, and times of the day, early morning, and so forth, and Pat had a similar comment about Jeff and his we do appreciate your attendance today. preparedness, his ability to X and O, his ability to It gives me great pleasure to introduce our prepare a team, his relationship with the players. new Wake Forest basketball coach, Mr. Jeff After that Jeff went to the NBA, Denver Bzdelik, from the University of Colorado. After a Nuggets in various capacities but eventually long review of various coaches who had interest in climbed to become the head coach of the Nuggets. Wake Forest, and in whom we had interest, Jeff He was there for a little over two years and the quickly rose to the top of that list for many, many experience led the Nuggets to one of the best reasons. First and foremost, I believe he turn­arounds in NBA history, when I think they won understands Wake Forest. 17 games the year before, and then the next year If you look at his background, he was an led them to the playoffs with over 40 wins that assistant coach at Davidson College, he was an particular year. assistant coach at Northwestern University ­­ and After leading the Denver Nuggets, he went the sprinkler systems are ready to go on we're all to the Air Force Academy where he was 50­16. going to take a bath in a minute! He was the head Unfortunately, I remember one of those 50 games coach at the Air Force Academy, three institutions when Wake Forest went out to play Air Force and that are similar to Wake Forest in terms of their we came back with a defeat. approach and in terms of their athletics. Then he went to Colorado, and Colorado I didn't realize I had this affect upon the was a very difficult job. Anybody in college system but we'll get it straightened out here in a basketball will tell you about the challenges at that minute, but that background certainly did give him particular time at Colorado. He took a program the understanding of what Wake Forest is looking that had many, many challenges to it, off the floor for. If you look at his career, it's a storied career, I and on the floor, and he improved that program believe. If you look at what he did at Northwestern, each and every year to the point where next year which I had the opportunity to observe as a they have everyone coming back, they should be a baseball coach there, and I observed it from afar, Coach Bzdelik – 04.14.10 1 visit our archives at asapsports.com contender for an NCAA Tournament birth, so he the community with their citizenship, and the way did an outstanding job at Colorado as well. they embrace the values set here at Wake Forest Jeff's uniqueness and attractiveness to me University in the classroom as well. go way beyond what he has accomplished as a I'm excited about the staff. We can start coach, and what he has accomplished as a coach with Lynne Heflin, who has been here for over 30 is significant and impressive, I think not only to me years, and she runs the place. I've actually offered but to our fan base as well, eventually, but it goes her my office and I'll take hers, because she is well beyond that. He is a person of integrity, he is "Ms. Wake Forest basketball!" We appreciate her a person of values. If you talk with his former staying on. players, they have a deep appreciate for what this Of course in creating stability a couple of man stands for and how he has treated them not other people, Jeff Battle, he's been extremely loyal only as a player but as a person. He develops a and a big part of Wake Forest basketball history relationship with his players that very few coaches here, and I've asked him to remain. I told him he's have the ability to do. not going anywhere unless he wants to go He loves his players. He treats his players somewhere and fortunately for me, and all of us, as family. At the same time he has very, very high he is staying, so welcome, Jeff. expectations of his players, both on and off the Rusty LaRue is another one that I ­­ Court. He expects them to be gentlemen, he second thing after talking to Jeff was to go see expects them to be tenacious competitors, he Rusty and say, "Hey, Rusty, I need you to stay." I expects them to represent the University in the heard they might change the name of Wake Forest manner that we all want to be represented. University to Rusty LaRue University, because he We have found a coach that will lead us to means so much to this school, but he is going to what we believe can be accomplished at Wake stay and that's a welcome thing for me as well, Forest University and it gives me great pleasure to Walt Corbean is another one who is going to introduce our new head basketball coach, Jeff remain on our staff. Bzdelik. Jeff. We have created stability here, we want to (Applause.) move forward in the vision that I said that we would JEFF BZDELIK: Thank you. Thank you set here, and I am really looking forward to this very much. I can tell you this, it's an honor and challenge. My introduction to Wake goes back privilege to be the new head basketball coach here many years, 17, 18 years ago when I was first of at Wake Forest University. Heartfelt thank you out all on the bench with the Washington Bullets. We to Dr. Hatch, Ron Wellman, Jim Williams, our had Frank Johnson and Muggsy Bogues, our two chairman of the board, for giving me this players that I was able to coach and have an opportunity, and everyone else in the Wake Forest opportunity to meet and develop a relationship Community who has embraced my wife Nina and with. Frank used to sit next to me on the bench our children, Brett and Courtney. because I was like the third assistant, and he was The vision that I have for this program is the sixth man, so we had a chance to interact quite simple, clear, we want to win, go to postseason frequently, and he would always talk about Wake play, advance in post­season play and do so Forest, and so would Muggsy. without compromising the moral and academic My wife and I, family, we vacationed down integrity of this great university. It's plain, it's here in North Carolina at the beach, and my son at simple, it's clear. the time 9, 10 years old, he's a golfer so we would I pledge you my unbridled effort in making travel to the state, play in these junior golf sure this happens. I'm going to roll up my sleeves tournaments and we always came to the and do the very best job I can to see this vision Winston­Salem area, and one time my wife said, through on a daily basis. Our style of play is going "Hey, let's look at Wake Forest!" So we drove to be something I think our fans will really enjoy. through the campus, and we immediately fell in We're going to be aggressive defensively, love with Wake Forest, it's beauty, what it stood hopefully culminate those defensive possessions for, Winston­Salem, what a beautiful city, and my with defensive rebounds, get out and go, pass the daughter who was just a couple of years younger ball, play team basketball. than my son at the time, she got her introduction We will be unselfish and play in a way that into Wake Forest, and she's a very intelligent gal, people will embrace this team because of their great effort on the court and also off the court, in Coach Bzdelik – 04.14.10 2 visit our archives at asapsports.com and low and behold, when it was time to choose a So we will score points if we have a good college she said, "I want to go to Wake Forest" and skill set of players who can pass, dribble and she's a student here right now.