Recalling the good ol' days: Wake Forest to honor Odom, 1995 title team
WINSTON-SALEM — Wake Forest reaches to its past Wednesday night to recognize a former coach and celebrate a championship from 25 years ago.
Dave Odom guided the Demon Deacons for 12 seasons, including for two Atlantic Coast Conference championships.
A banner honoring Odom will be unveiled in the arena rafters.
“I have always felt the most important thing about championship moments are the memories created, stored and revisited by those teams and their fans,” Odom said. “Our ACC championships were a product of the hard work by a group of players and coaches who believed they were worthy, and their efforts were motivated by the hard work of the teams that came before them and set the foundation.”
Odom has listed the names of the players who have a banner up in the arena, making it special for him as well.
Odom will be the second coach honored with a banner, following the late Skip Prosser. Odom compiled 240 victories and directed the Demon Deacons to the NCAA Tournament eight times and to a National Invitation Tournament title.
“He’s also the coach who 30 years ago pumped new life into the Demon Deacon basketball and reestablished Wake Forest as a marquee program and championship contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference,” said athletics director John Currie, who was a student during part of Odom’s coaching tenure.
Odom will be honored prior to the game against Georgia Tech. The 1994-95 team, which won the ACC Tournament championship, will be feted at halftime.
Odom’s banner will hang alongside four of the players he coached: Rodney Rogers, Randolph Childress, Tim Duncan and Josh Howard.
“It humbles me just to think I’ll have a banner up there as well,” Odom said. “I look forward to a wonderful Wednesday evening.”
Childress, now an assistant coach for Wake Forest, said Odom’s impact remains strong on his life.
“I have had countless conversations with him over the years and I haven’t made an important decision in my life without talking to him first,” Childress said. “He is equally important to me now as he was 25 years ago and he is someone I still count on for his wisdom, advice and support.”
This is part of the 30-year celebration of Joel Coliseum. Odom has won more games (146) in the building than any other coach. His first season came when the building opened in 1989-90.
Tim Duncan, who went on to a legendary NBA career and was on the Wake Forest title teams in the mid-1990s, is expected to attend.
“It’s going to be a great celebration … how special that season was,” current Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said. “I’m looking forward to our current players spending time with the former players.”
Manning said he has known Odom for years. Odom was on recruiting circuits as an assistant coach when Manning was a high school standout from Greensboro.
More recently, the retired coach has offered support and counsel.
“When I was going through the interview process, had a chance to visit with him,” Manning said. “He comes by practice quite a bit. We love having him. He’s someone who has shared a lot of things with me.”
Ernie Nestor, now a special assistant to Manning, was Odom’s top assistant coach during the championship runs.
“We got a lot of wins in this building,” Odom said. “When we teed it up, we expected to win.”
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Tip-off
Who: Georgia Tech (12-13, 6-8) at Wake Forest (11-14, 4-11)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday (RSN)
Where: Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem
Series: Georgia Tech leads 43-40, including two consecutive victories