Strictly reading tea leaves, it appears as if Danny Manning and Wake Forest could be closing in on a deal. Manning, the second-year Tulsa coach and former Kansas star, confirmed that he has been in discussions with the Wake Forest administration earlier this week.
Athletic director Ron Wellman has played this situation close to the vest, so few reports have leaked out. But those who follow Wake Forest closely noticed an interesting development Wednesday morning.
A plane flew from Winston to Tulsa this morning, presumably to pick up Danny Manning and bring him to Wake. Backs up what I’ve heard.
— Riley Johnston (@BSD_RaJohnston) April 2, 2014
Heard from a couple of sources that Wake offered a Manning yesterday and would be on campus today.
— Riley Johnston (@BSD_RaJohnston) April 2, 2014
This plane that is going to Tulsa is the same one that picked up Dave Clawson as well.
— Riley Johnston (@BSD_RaJohnston) April 2, 2014
@BSD_RaJohnston : it’s Budd’s plane.
— J.P. Mundy (@JP_Mundy) April 2, 2014
According to these reports, a plane owned by prominent Wake Forest booster Richard Budd was flown to Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday morning. This was the same plane that picked up Dave Clawson the day he was hired as Wake Forest’s new football coach in December.
This information obviously needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But if this speculation comes to fruition, the Wake Forest coaching search could be in the home stretch. It could even end today.