Bob Wade (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Robert Pernell Wade is a former men's college basketball
head coach
for the University of Maryland (1986–1989), as well as an American football
defensive back
for the National Football League
.
at Morgan State University
. After his collegiate career, he played in the National Football League
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
(1968), the Washington Redskins
(1969), and the Denver Broncos
(1970).
captain Reggie Lewis
, who was the high school's team's sixth man, and 5'-3" Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who had a 14-year NBA career despite being the shortest player in league history.
Wade was originally hired to replace Lefty Driesell
, Maryland's basketball coach of 17 years. Driesell resigned over concerns about the death of All-America
n forward
Len Bias
and subsequent revelations about his players' academic performances; the fact that Wade and Driesell didn't like each other, and Wade had consistently said he hadn't wanted Dunbar prospects to play for Driesell at Maryland, was not overlooked by commentators. In high school, Wade had been a strong disciplinarian, and he was appealing to University of Maryland administrators who were attempting to clean up the basketball program. He was also hired in order to increase diversity, as he became the first African American
coach of a major sport in the Atlantic Coast Conference
, despite the fact that he had no prior experience in coaching a team at the collegiate level.
Largely due to the loss of several players, Wade's first season was one of the worst in school history. The Terps suffered what is still their only winless record in ACC play, as part of an overall 9-17 record. Wade managed to get the Terps back into the NCAA tournament a year later, but significantly regressed in 1988-89, losing 20 games, the most in school history. Wade resigned on May 12, 1989 after three years as head coach, compiling a 36-50 record. In addition to the team's lackluster on-court performance, his resignation came amid allegations that he broke NCAA
rules in dealing with players and recruits.
An investigation found that, among other things, Wade had provided a loan to one of his recruits and provided free clothes to his players. More seriously, Wade lied to the NCAA on several occasions, and even went as far as to hold a meeting with his staff to coordinate plans to lie to the NCAA. The Terps were placed on three years' probation, banned from postseason play in 1991 and 1992 and kicked off live television for the 1990-91 season. Wade was also hit with a five-year show-cause order
, which effectively blackballed him from the collegiate ranks until 1995. Noting the lack of institutional control and perceiving his departure as mistreatment of an African American coach, blue chip high school players from Baltimore City would largely avoid Maryland until Keith Booth
chose to attend Maryland in 1993.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the University of Maryland (1986–1989), as well as an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Football career
Wade played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
. After his collegiate career, he played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(1968), the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(1969), and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1970).
Basketball coaching career
Prior to his coaching stint at Maryland, Wade coached at Baltimore's Dunbar High School for ten years, where he compiled a 341-25 record and was often ranked in the nation's top 10. In his best two seasons at the inner-city high school, 1981–1983, Wade put together teams that produced a 60-0 record, the second of which was ranked first in the nation by USAToday. His 1981-82 team produced four future NBA players - three of them first-round draft picks - including Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
captain Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis
Reggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
, who was the high school's team's sixth man, and 5'-3" Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who had a 14-year NBA career despite being the shortest player in league history.
Wade was originally hired to replace Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
, Maryland's basketball coach of 17 years. Driesell resigned over concerns about the death of All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
and subsequent revelations about his players' academic performances; the fact that Wade and Driesell didn't like each other, and Wade had consistently said he hadn't wanted Dunbar prospects to play for Driesell at Maryland, was not overlooked by commentators. In high school, Wade had been a strong disciplinarian, and he was appealing to University of Maryland administrators who were attempting to clean up the basketball program. He was also hired in order to increase diversity, as he became the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
coach of a major sport in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
, despite the fact that he had no prior experience in coaching a team at the collegiate level.
Largely due to the loss of several players, Wade's first season was one of the worst in school history. The Terps suffered what is still their only winless record in ACC play, as part of an overall 9-17 record. Wade managed to get the Terps back into the NCAA tournament a year later, but significantly regressed in 1988-89, losing 20 games, the most in school history. Wade resigned on May 12, 1989 after three years as head coach, compiling a 36-50 record. In addition to the team's lackluster on-court performance, his resignation came amid allegations that he broke NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
rules in dealing with players and recruits.
An investigation found that, among other things, Wade had provided a loan to one of his recruits and provided free clothes to his players. More seriously, Wade lied to the NCAA on several occasions, and even went as far as to hold a meeting with his staff to coordinate plans to lie to the NCAA. The Terps were placed on three years' probation, banned from postseason play in 1991 and 1992 and kicked off live television for the 1990-91 season. Wade was also hit with a five-year show-cause order
Show-cause penalty (NCAA)
In the National Collegiate Athletic Association , a show-cause penalty is an order saying that for a set period of time, any NCAA penalties imposed on a coach involved in major rules violations at a university's athletic program will remain in force if he is hired by any other NCAA member institution...
, which effectively blackballed him from the collegiate ranks until 1995. Noting the lack of institutional control and perceiving his departure as mistreatment of an African American coach, blue chip high school players from Baltimore City would largely avoid Maryland until Keith Booth
Keith Booth
Keith Eugene Booth is an American basketball coach and former player. Booth played college basketball at the University of Maryland from 1994 to 1997. He was an assistant coach at his alma mater under Gary Williams from 2004 to 2011...
chose to attend Maryland in 1993.