Wake Forest hires ETSU's Forbes as new head coach

Wake Forest has hired Steve Forbes as its new men's basketball head coach, the school announced Thursday.

Forbes oversaw East Tennessee State's dominant stretch in the Southern Conference in recent seasons, leading the team to a 130-43 record in five years as head coach. The Buccaneers qualified for March Madness by virtue of winning their conference tournament in 2017 and 2020 - though this year's event was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

For his most recent efforts, Forbes was named the 2019-20 SoCon Coach of the Year.

"Leaving ETSU was not an easy decision for me and for my family," Forbes said in a statement. "I will be eternally grateful to (school president) Dr. Brian Noland, the fans, and those student-athletes with whom I shared such special experiences. They have taught me so much and changed my life."

Wake Forest has amassed a 78-111 record and posted just one winning season since Danny Manning took over as head coach in 2014. The Demon Deacons have made just one NCAA Tournament appearance dating back to 2010, bowing out in the First Four in 2017.

The program dismissed Manning last week. Stadium's Jeff Goodman reports the school believes it can withhold more than half of the $15 million remaining on the former coach's contract due to unmet performance criteria.