Sendek: “I am not in play for Wake Forest”

In a statement that will surely relieve Demon Deacon fans, former NC State head coach Herb Sendek said in an interview on an Arizona sports-radio show that he’s staying put in Tempe:

It looks like you can put the speculation to bed.

A report came out Monday linking Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek to the opening at Wake Forest.

As a guest of the Dan Bickley Show with Vince Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday, Sendek dispelled any notion that he could be leaving Tempe for the job.

“I am not in play for Wake Forest,” he said.

NC State fans might remember similar statements from Sendek during his time here – he would claim to not be in play for a high profile job elsewhere before anyone credible had reported any potential interest from the hiring school.  At the time, that dashed the hopes of people who were dissatisfied with Sendek while simultaneously pleasing his supporters.  Ultimately, Sendek left Raleigh for Arizona State rather suddenly after a late-season meltdown and early NCAA Tournament exit had many Wolfpack fans irate at the state of the basketball program.

When this story was released today, Arizona State fans reacted in a way that might sound familiar to people who remember those times in Raleigh:

I wouldn’t put this to rest, Herb is a lame duck coach so he should strongly consider this…I was hoping WF would come through.

Another said

This sucks, but is no surprise. frown

And finally, someone else posted

If Wake hired Herbert, there would be a mutiny of epic proportions. Ron Wellman would be lynched by the weekend.

That last statement is probably a very accurate statement.

Thing is, it is extremely unlikely that Wake Forest has ever given serious thought to contacting Herb Sendek, much less hiring him.  The bottom line here is that Herb is being Herb and going back to his old playbook: when the heat gets turned up on him in his current job, feign disinterest in a good job, whether or not that school is at all interested in him.

We as NC State fans remember that tactic quite well — but unfortunately for Herb, ASU AD Ray Anderson is probably a lot smarter than “Coach” Lee Fowler was in his most insightful moment.

We also probably would say that Sendek needs time to build his program.  Much wood needs to be chopped, the sun will rise many times, inexplicable losses and offensive droughts must be endured and above all, patience during wholesale transfers and regular late-season meltdowns will be required if the Sun Devils hope to ever get a glimpse of basketball’s promised lands.  According to many in the national press, they already have a great coach and who do they think they are to even dare to aspire to what Arizona, UCLA and others in the Pac-12 achieve year after year.

Or maybe not.  Seems Sun Devils fans are pretty reasonable in their hopes for their basketball program.  They just happen to be watching the movie we’ve already seen and like us, they don’t like it and already know how it’s going to end.

You have to think that Herb may be a bit on borrowed time in the desert. He’s got a new AD and these old tricks of declining jobs he was never considered certainly got him lucrative contract extensions from @Lee_Folwer and Lisa Love, but Anderson comes from the NFL, has degrees from Stanford and Harvard, read: he’s no dummy and can sniff bullshit with the best of them. After all, he spent time in Boston and San Francisco. Hey Herbie, there ain’t but one Jed.

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Home Forums Sendek: “I am not in play for Wake Forest”

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 32 total)
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  • #49699
    Alpha Wolf
    Keymaster

    In a statement that will surely relieve Demon Deacon fans, former NC State head coach Herb Sendek said in an interview on an Arizona sports-radio show
    [See the full post at: Sendek: “I am not in play for Wake Forest”]

    #49700
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Just for the record, I am also out of the running. My chances were pretty much exactly the same, though my hiring would have led to fewer instances of Deacon seppuku.

    #49706
    tractor57
    Participant

    The wheels on the bus go round and round.

    #49710
    wilmwolf80
    Participant

    I would like to announce that I am officially a candidate for the Wake Forest head coaching vacancy. I don’t have any prior experience, but I can’t do any worse than the last guy, right Deacs fans?

    #49718
    13OT
    Participant

    Maybe if Lutz goes to ASU, Sendek can go from ASU to NCSU?

    Naw…………..

    #49720
    ryebread
    Participant

    Slow clap….. That is EXACTLY what I thought, almost verbatum, when I read the “article.”

    The only thing that you left out is that the same media buddies that blasted NC State for running off HWSNBN were the same ones that HWSNBN leveraged to put out his “messaging.” They thought they were getting some sort of scoop, but it was just HWSNBN’s camp playing Fowler.

    For all of HWSNBN’s documented and well debated pros and cons, I think his biggest pro was how he played the media. Granted, it wasn’t for the best interest of NC State (or ASU). It was always for the best interest of HWSNBN.

    #49722
    cWOhLFrPAiCKs
    Participant

    He will never come back to the ACC. Imagine having to play NCSU every year. Even at home (especially at WF) he would get berated by State fans every second of the game.

    If things don’t pan out at ASU, he will be coaching a mid major or smaller conference school somewhere, but only until his luck finally runs out.

    #49725
    eas
    Participant

    Side note…Archie Miller’s squad is giving the “business” to Standford. Wonder why every big man on Dayton can shoot the three? I’m afraid somebody is going to get a REALLY good coach with Miller. Just wish there was a way he could end up in Raleigh though.

    Go Archie!

    #49726
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Miller’s stock can get no higher. Either he has caught lightning in a bottle, or he’s the next great one. And Sean is well on his way. What a tremendous coaching family.

    #49728
    eas
    Participant

    I’m just happy to see his success. I loved watching Archie play. The Miller family has figured something out for sure. Archie’s stock is Sky high for good reason. Those Dayton boys are impressive. Lots of intensity and movement. Well coached for sure. Go get’em Miller boys.

    #49730
    choppack1
    Participant

    OK – there are more than a couple of ironies here in this thread.

    1. The “early exit” in sendek’s last year was in the round of 32. As we all know, the last 2 years we’ve lost in the round of 64.
    2. Regarding meltdowns….the meltdowns vs. UNC, Syracuse and then finally st Louis rival some of the sendekian collapses that caused us so much pain.
    3. A lot of praises (and rightfully so) for arch and Sean….strangely enough both either played for or coached with sendek. I really have no idea what kind of relationship they have with him, but if they respect him there’s a good chance that they don’t really want to come back to Raleigh as a coach.

    The feelings about sendek are very mixed for me. I think he was very close to being a great coach, but he couldn’t and still can’t get out of his own way. I think he moved our program forward significantly but had 2 bosses who naturally pitted him against the fan base…and I am afraid those who had a close relationship with him won’t harbour warm feelings towards nc state.

    #49731
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    I’ll give ya another:

    Archie, in just his third year of his head coaching career, has already advanced as far as Gott ever has in his 17 years.

    #49733
    choppack1
    Participant

    Not true – gott took one of his bama teams to the elite 8.

    #49734
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    Read what I said: “as far”.

    #49736
    Texpack
    Participant

    I figured Herb made that statement from his daylight compartment. How could he honor the process otherwise?

    #49737
    eas
    Participant

    Both good points. However, Archie & Sean’s style of play is NOT even remotely similar in any way to HWSNBN. Both Miller “boys” have an up tempo offense. I don’t have mixed feelings for HWSNBN simply because he was a square peg in a round hole in Raleigh. Like him or hate him he never connected to the school, fans or area. Enough of that…I respect his work here but was glad he is chopping imaginary wood in the desert.

    Most interesting stat spoken by Mr. Wulfpack, the short version “Archie has made it as far in 3 years as Gott has in 17”
    Add in the fact Archie is only 34 yrs old and you have a coach with a pocket full of rabbits feet or a pretty good idea of how to coach. Same can be said for Sean plus a few years.

    This is in no way bashing Gott. Just simply saying the Miller “boys” have a darn good hold on how to run a BB team. If it’s lighting in a bottle then they figured out a way to bottle it in their basement and carry it with them.

    #49742
    Pack1998
    Participant

    For Herb’s sake – he may have been asked the question.

    We all wanted him to be successful at NC State – it just didn’t happen – best of luck

    #49743
    wufpup76
    Keymaster

    This is beyond awesome.

    #49769
    Whiteshoes67
    Participant

    ^I don’t have any insight into the Millers relationship with Sendek, but I think Sean’s leaving for Xavier, even if it brought with it an increase in pay and responsibility, speaks volumes. You can respect a coworker or boss, but you can also recognize that some of them have limitations, and there’s a time to hitch your wagon to another horse. He did. And look where he is.

    But I agree with Chop, I see some of the same parallels with Gott and Sendek. Gott is a far better coach, but he doesn’t seem to be able to get over the hump, due to own his unwillingness to address glaring deficiencies.

    #49774
    ryebread
    Participant

    choppack: Sorry, but I don’t agree with you. Sean Miller has so much respect for HWSNBN that he wouldn’t come to NC State? BS! By all accounts, Miller was begging for the job when we hired Lowe, but Fowler wanted a “name.”

    Also, if that held any truth at all, Sean wouldn’t have gone to Arizona, to compete with HWSNBN directly head to head. Sean would’t take a job against his beloved mentor at the rival school.

    Not only did he take the job, but his Arizona teams have stomped ASU most of the times they played (granted, ASU won a close one this year). HWSNBN had a big head start on Miller, but Miller has blown by him, much like Roy did at UNC.

    With respect to Archie, I’m sure he’d love to come to NC State. Who wouldn’t want to coach at their Alma Mater? This is doubly true given that he participated in an activity by playing basketball for four years that had him way more involved in the campus life and alumni than the average student. Heck, the Millers pushed for Arch to get the job publicly in the newspapers. That wouldn’t happen if he weren’t interested.

    Pack1998: I’d love to give HWSNBN the benefit of the doubt, but we saw this season after season in Raleigh. Also, if you look at that article, those were very specific and carefully worded statements — that are eerily similar to what we saw. HWSNBN and his camp put that out there intentionally.

    eas: I agree. I really hope that Arch ends up at NC State. He’s got the pedigree to be a great coach.

    #49776
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    I don’t think either Miller has a whole lot of respect for Sendek. I know Archie considers his mentor to be Thad Matta. They are both excellent coaches that will be doing this forever. The timing isn’t right for Archie, yet. Maybe a couple of years from now if he isn’t already plucked, who knows.

    #49777
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    Miller Bros could be the college equivalent of the NFL’s Harbaugh Bros…
    stay tuned and find out next weekend…

    … and here’s my “nickel’s” worth…

    First… I believe everything said so far about all our recent Coaches and the Miller Bros is 90-95% on the money…

    That said…

    If I was writing Million Dollar Checks for Basketball Coaches…

    I would want one who had successfully navigated the UPs and the DOWNs of Coaching… I would want a Coach who had proven he could handle Adversity on the court, off the court, with his school’s lunatic fringe…

    Archie’s success, in his short career, speaks very well of his future…

    but let’s say he makes a move elsewhere — and he will because when this season is over — he’s done everything he can do at Dayton —

    …and after a couple of seasons, it’s clear that things aren’t working out the way he intended… maybe the school oversold the Job… ya’ll know that’s happened on occasion… maybe the AD who hired him retired and the new AD had ‘different ideas’… that kinda of thing…

    That “Archie” will be ten times better Coach than the one you’ll see courtside tomorrow night… And, if the “bond to his Alma Mater” is as true and as solid as we all think it is… Archie will come home.

    That’s the “Archie” I would want to hire.

    Besides… is this not what a whole lot of Coaching is about these days… teaching ‘kids’ how to handle adversity… both on the court and off ??

    As far as Archie, or anyone, not “being available” when the next Wolfpack coaching vacancy occurs…. if Uncle Roy can leave Kansas and come back to Chapel Hill… then there’s no such thing as “not being available”… it’s simply just a matter of “the right man or woman saying the right thing on the right day..”.

    In the meantime… I will be both pleased and satisfied to watch GOTT & Company grow and improve as Coaches as they continue to rebuild our basketball program to the levels of excellence we all rightfully expect.

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #49782
    MP
    Participant

    That is a mighty fine post, BOTB.

    The general tone toward Gott since the NCAAT loss has been a bit surprising to me. I’ve been through enough ‘fails’ to try to avoid the rose-colored glasses… But I find it very hard to call the 2013-2014 ‘Pack a bad coaching season. In some ways it was an extremely well-coached and well-managed season.

    #49786
    Go Army 89
    Participant

    Leave Herbie alone! Bad mouthing a former coach, who (by the way was the best coach we had between JTV and GOTT) is just bad form.

    #49790
    wilmwolf80
    Participant

    If that Coach K was willing to develop post players instead of relying on shooters, he’d be a heck of a coach.

    If Tony Bennett was willing to work more on offense and less on defense, he’d be a heck of a coach.

    So tired of seeing coach Gottfried being labeled as some sort of stubborn curmudgeon with some sort of fatal hubris that prevents him from changing his coaching style. If you can’t see the changes that have been made in three years, then I can’t do anything to change your mind. He knows the game, both basketball and public perception, he knows you have to keep winning or die. These are the same critiques that people have had since the day he was hired (mostly based on things heard from disgruntled Bama fans), and they won’t stop until he leaves.

    You think the media backlash about us “running off” Sendek was bad?? What do you think would happen if we were to let Mark go after the three very successful seasons he has had (let us not forget those accomplishments) to hire young Mr. Miller after only one tourney run? If, and when, Coach Gottfried’s tenure has run its course, I have no doubt that we will be in a much better situation to hire a coach than we were when we lucked into hiring him. If Archie is available at that time and is the right person for the job, I will welcome him with open arms. Pack fans are so friggin frustrating sometimes.

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