WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Former Wake Forest basketball coach Carl Tacy, who guided the Demon Deacons for 13 seasons from 1973-85, died Thursday at the age of 87.
A member of the Wake Forest Hall of Fame, "Gentleman Carl," as Tacy became known during his career, compiled a record of 222-149 at Wake Forest, the third-most wins in school history.
His 13 seasons ranks as the second-longest tenure of any Deacon coach, trailing only Murray Greason's 24 seasons. Tacy led the Deacons to three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs and led the program to five 20-win seasons including four of his final five seasons.
Tacy led the Demon Deacons to two NCAA Elite Eight appearances as he guided the program to five NCAA Tournament victories. Wake Forest finished the 1976-77 season ranked No. 9 nationally, posting a 22-8 record before falling to eventual NCAA Champion Marquette in the Midwest Regional Final. In 1983-84, Tacy guided the Deacs to a 23-9 record, breaking the school record for wins in a season. That team produced one of the finest moments in Wake Forest history when it defeated nationally-ranked DePaul in overtime to advance to the NCAA Midwest Region Final.
Other memorable games of the Tacy era of Wake Forest basketball include a 1975 victory over top-ranked and reigning NCAA Champion NC State in the Big 4 Classic, snapping the Wolfpack’s 34-game win streak and a 1982 victory in Chapel Hill over a top-ranked North Carolina team headlined by Michael Jordan.
Tacy guided Wake Forest to four Big 4 Classic titles in Greensboro, including three straight titles from 1975-77. He coached three players who have their numbers hanging in the rafters of the LJVM Coliseum, Skip Brown, Rod Griffin and Muggsy Bogues.
Inducted in the Class of 1985, Tacy is one of four basketball coaches in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, joining Bones McKinney, who led Wake to its first two ACC titles in 1961 and 1962; Murray Greason, the school's all-time leader in wins with his 288-243 record from 1934 through 1957; and Dave Odom, who captured two ACC championships in 1995 and 1996.
A native of Huttonsville, W.Va., Tacy graduated from Davis & Elkins College in 1956 and was inducted into his alma mater’s Hall of Fame in 1989. He coached 10 years on the high school level and compiled a 67-14 record in three years at Ferrum (Va.) Junior College. After one season as an assistant coach at Marshall University, Tacy guided the Thundering Herd to a 23-4 mark and an NCAA appearance in 1972. He replaced Jack McCloskey as Wake Forest's head coach in April of 1972.
Carl Tacy was born on June 18, 1933. He is survived by his wife Donnie, son Carl Tacy, Jr., and daughters Beth Tacy Kelly and Carla Tacy.
Quotes:
• Wake Forest Director of Athletics, John Currie:
"We are saddened by the passing of Carl Tacy, a great coach and leader for Wake Forest basketball during one of the most memorable stretches in Atlantic Coast Conference history. An inductee of the Wake Forest University Athletics Hall of Fame and our 2013 ACC Legend Honoree, Coach Tacy touched generations of players, families, staff, students and alumni and led the Demon Deacons back to national prominence. On behalf of the entire Wake Forest athletics family we extend our sympathies to his wife Donnie, son Carl Tacy, Jr. and daughters Carla and Beth.”
• Wake Forest Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Danny Manning:
"Carl Tacy made a tremendous impact on Demon Deacon basketball. I remember watching him coach when I was growing up in Greensboro and always had an immense respect for him. Since I came to Wake Forest, I enjoyed getting to know him and appreciated his wisdom and the stories of the program's history he shared with me. Everyone associated with our program is saddened by his passing and our thoughts are with his family."
• Former Wake Forest Director of Athletics Ron Wellman:
“Carl was a true gentleman. Whenever we spoke, I always walked away feeling fortunate to have had the conversation. He loved coming to our games and I was thrilled to have him there. I will miss him not being there cheering for his Deacs.”
• Former Assistant on Carl Tacy’s Staff, Former Wake Forest Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Dave Odom:
“I was a young high school coach when Coach Tacy called and gave me my first opportunity at the collegiate level. I will forever be indebted to him for the chance to be on his staff at Wake Forest with him as the head coach.
“Coach Tacy was often referred to as ‘Gentleman Carl,’ a description that was well earned. In my opinion, he was never given the credit he deserved as a basketball coach. He was a terrific tactician, teacher, and a fearless competitor who relished big games against the ACC’s best.
“Donnie and the entire Tacy family have always been a staple in the triad community, and no doubt, the prayers of friends everywhere will help them through these difficult days.
“Truly, Coach Tacy was the perfect coach for Wake Forest when its basketball program and University needed him most.”
• Former Wake Forest Director of Athletics, Dr. Gene Hooks
“Carl was a great coach and an even better person. I trusted him completely as he always valued the integrity of Wake Forest and his student-athletes over everything else. My heart goes out to Donnie, who was always a great support to him and is a wonderful person.”
• Former Assistant on Carl Tacy’s Staff, Current Men’s Basketball Special Assistant to the Head Coach, Ernie Nestor:
"Coach Tacy hired me in 1979. He didn't know me, but gave me the opportunity to coach in the ACC. He brought me to Wake Forest University, a place I have enjoyed working at during three different tenures. Coach Tacy built a strong program here and did a great job of maximizing our talent. The ACC in those days was a tremendous league. It was the league of Ralph Sampson, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Larry Nance and Buck Williams. Our kids were good but didn't have the level of recognition that those kids had. Coach Tacy had our teams prepared to play at that level. He was coaching against some extremely talented players and his teams were performing at a very high level."
• Former Wake Forest Student-Athlete, Guy Morgan:
“I feel truly blessed for Coach Tacy to have been my head coach during my time at Wake Forest. He was truly one of the great basketball minds of our time, as he always created schemes that allowed each of us individually, and as a team, to reach our full potential. Since I finished my playing career, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Coach Tacy away from the court. He is truly an unbelievable person whose values were in line with my own family’s since we first met him on a recruiting visit.”
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