Wake Forest fires Dino Gaudio

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After three seasons and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, it looks like Dino Gaudio has been fired by Wake Forest. A press conference is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Check back later today for more and check out the forums for more discussion.

WXII: Gaudio out at Wake Forest

Wake Forest University head basketball coach Dino Gaudio was fired Wednesday after mounting a 61-31 record during his three seasons as head coach, sources at the university confirmed.

An announcement was planned for 4:30 p.m.

Gaudio coached the team to two NCAA basketball tournament appearances and one NCAA tournament win.

He was hired in 2007 after coach Skip Prosser died suddenly from a heart attack

Gaudio, 53, joined Prosser in 1981 at a Central Catholic High School in West Virginia, and the native of Yorkville, Ohio, took over the program at tiny Wheeling Central in 1985 when Prosser left to join Xavier’s staff.

Here’s the release from WFU, which was up immediately following Wellman’s press conference, which lasted about 25 minutes.

Wake Forest’s Dino Gaudio Released From Contract

Wake Forest University Director of Athletics Ron Wellman announced today that head men’s basketball coach Dino Gaudio would not be retained. A national search for a new basketball coach will begin immediately.

“I met with Dino this afternoon and informed him that he would no longer be our basketball coach,” said Wellman.

“Dino has made contributions to this program over the last 10 seasons. He stepped into a difficult situation at a very trying time when Skip Prosser passed away and he steadied the program.

“But from a competitive standpoint, it has been disappointing that we have developed a pattern of not playing well late in the season and in the postseason. Wake Forest has a proud history of basketball success but we have not been as competitive in the postseason as we would like.”

Wellman said there was no timeline for the hiring of a new coach.

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166 Responses to Wake Forest fires Dino Gaudio

  1. Noah 04/07/2010 at 4:54 PM #

    There is an animated gif of a stick figure typing on a keyboard. The figure gets angrier and angrier and starts pounding away until his fists turn bloody…and then turn to stumps…and then the figure dies.

    That would be an appropriate image right about now.

  2. highstick 04/07/2010 at 4:55 PM #

    How long will this continue?

    What did we do to deserve this?

    Has the WPC, the Alumni Association, and everything associated with NC State’s Administration got their heads up their butts? I really think we’re being led by the worst of the worst!

  3. Mike 04/07/2010 at 4:57 PM #

    One interesting point I saw – they are not paying him the final 4 years? This means he must have done something wrong.

  4. Derek Medlin 04/07/2010 at 4:59 PM #

    No No Mike…

    They ARE honoring the buyout in Dino’s contract. He will get a bunch of money.

  5. Mike 04/07/2010 at 5:00 PM #

    OK, I missed that. Saw on WRAL they were not honoring the final 4 years. My bad.

  6. ncsufan13 04/07/2010 at 5:01 PM #

    Noah, I think you are referring to this one. [Warning stick figure violence]

  7. Alpha Wolf 04/07/2010 at 5:02 PM #

    ^ that was a rumor from a TV station reporter at WXII, if I heard Ovies and Gold correctly a little while ago.

  8. one00_proof 04/07/2010 at 5:03 PM #

    There are some whispers about recruiting violations… sound familiar?

  9. Derek Medlin 04/07/2010 at 5:05 PM #

    That gif is hilarious and sad at the same time.

  10. Alpha Wolf 04/07/2010 at 5:08 PM #

    Derek, it reminds me of every school’s fanbase on their message forums after a loss.

  11. Derek Medlin 04/07/2010 at 5:09 PM #

    Or when another school fires a coach.

  12. StateFans 04/07/2010 at 5:36 PM #

    whispers on recruiting violations that can be used to leverage an improvement…not ignored.

    But, I would think that whispers on recruiting violations could lead to not being obligated to pay a buyout. Wellman made it clear that they will be paying the buyout.

  13. one00_proof 04/07/2010 at 5:48 PM #

    ^– If you use that though, you risk setting your program back a few years because you’re basically telling the NCAA to come do an investigation. Unless you’re ABOSULTELY sure the cat’s out of the bag (ie. The NCAA is already knocking), as hard as it may seem, I’d pay the buyout. IMO, Wellman sees the smoke, but no fire. Combine this with repeated sub par performances, the fact Dino DOES NOT get along with big boosters, Dino’s pitiful resume, potential “big fish” lurking, this is actually a pretty rational decision.

    But like I said, there are some parallels here to a certain other program that should not be ignored and you could substitute the lack of one for the complete abysmal performance of another.

    All I can say is, this whole thing is another take of propane in the inferno of anger directed at Fowler.

  15. poorathletics 04/07/2010 at 6:12 PM #

    I have no confirmation on this, but rumor around Arizona State is that good ‘ole HWSNBN has been contacted about the coaching job. I have no idea if its true or not, just a few things I have heard. BTW, I am new to statefansnation as a member, but have been reading for quite a long time.

  16. bradleyb123 04/07/2010 at 6:22 PM #

    I think it would be hilarious if Herb ended up at Wake! Of course, it would BLOW every time we lost a game to Wake (actually, that blows anyway… but it would blow even worse!)

    I tend to think there HAS to be something to the rumors. That’s the only way any of this makes sense. Dino has only been there three years, and he’s done pretty well in that time (unlike Doherty who was also fired after his third year at UNX — at least THAT firing was kinda justified). He’s been to a couple of NCAA tournaments, and done pretty well in the conference. AND he has a pretty stout recruiting class coming in. Four 4-star guys, and one 3-star guy. Guys that are ranked in the top-10 at their position.

    It doesn’t make sense to fire a guy under these conditions.

    Unless there’s something to the rumors of recruiting violations.

  17. RickJ 04/07/2010 at 6:25 PM #

    It is clear that Ron Wellman understands that the post season is what matters in college basketball. Being number 1 in January is great but it does not matter at all if you flame out in March.

    I am sure Wellman can hire someone that can at least win 2 ACC Championships and make it to the Final 8, you know, like Dave Odom did.

    Brad Stevens coaching Ari Stewart and JT Terrell – this is going to be fun.

  18. StateFans 04/07/2010 at 6:40 PM #

    BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAAA!!

    Herb has been contacted? or Herb has been doing the contacting?

    Just like when Fowler and the folks in Herb’s camp blatantly lied about Pitt’s supposed interest in Herb a few years ago.

    Just like he did last year at Virginia and Georgia…can’t believe those schools didn’t want to hire him. Don’t they know what they passed up.

    Oh…yes…they know what they passed up.

  19. LRM 04/07/2010 at 6:47 PM #

    That Wellman would be proactive and fire an underperformer and get a big name shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us. Wake has been a far better — leagues better — overall program than us for two decades.

    Kudos to them for not being simply content with their supposed role on Tobacco Road. I still hate ’em though.

  20. Pack Mentality 04/07/2010 at 6:51 PM #

    So, any fan would put Wake and Clemson as schools that we could compete with and beat recruiting wise (as opposed to the blue schools). They both had far superior coaches to us and are looking to improve on that. Wake fired a coach that has been FAR superior to ours in less time than our coach EVERY YEAR. We are a national disgrace.

  21. LRM 04/07/2010 at 6:57 PM #

    “We are a national disgrace.”

    Nah. Most people outside the ACC have no clue who we even are. So *fortunately* for us, we’re simply just a regional disgrace.

  22. poorathletics 04/07/2010 at 6:58 PM #

    I doubt that the supposed rumors of Herb being contacted are true, I just think it would be hilarious and a disgrace to Wake if they hired him. There is surely no way they would ever be interested in him. If they do then I feel really sorry Dino.

  23. leewolf 04/07/2010 at 7:00 PM #

    Pretty crazy off-season so far in the ACC. Purnell leaves for Depaul, Skinner gets canned, and now Gaudio. I thought there wouldn’t be any changes but I guess that was wrong.

    If HWSNBN ends up at Wake, I would laugh, but I highly doubt it happens. Wellman is no dummy. He saw that Herb couldn’t compete with Duke/UNC…or Wake Forest for that matter, and Herb had recruiting advantages over Wake when he was here. No way the Desert Fox returns to NC, unless it is to UNC-W.

    I think Stevens is going to stay put at Butler..heck if he plays his cards right and Calipari leaves UK, he could land that job. I think the more likely answer is someone like Gregg Marshall, Xavier’s coach, Dayton’s coach…maybe the guy at Richmond.

    Some were floating Rick Barnes but I just don’t see him leaving Texas for Wake.

  24. LRM 04/07/2010 at 7:07 PM #

    All the reasons Rick would come to State…Wake offers them as well (with infinitely better management).

    If it happens, that’ll end me. I’ll snap.

  25. 61Packer 04/07/2010 at 7:15 PM #

    The one thing this past NCAAT showed was that there are a multitude of outstanding, many of them young, basketball coaches out there. Wellman apparently gets that. You don’t have to sit back and watch the world march past you. Right now, we’re Exhibit A in that category.

    The best-case scenario for Wake that could possibly put more heat on NCSU to do something would be if the Deacs hired Rick Barnes. However, I’m just about convinced that if the ACC suddenly ended up with 11 new basketball coaches before next season began, Sidney Lowe would still be here at NCSU.

    I won’t criticize Gaudio, but I didn’t think he had good control of his players, especially Chas McFarland. We have a similar loose cannon on our team who also continues to exhibit a bad temper and uncontrolled behavior to which the coaches are seemingly totally oblivious.

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