Carl Tacy, Former Deacon Basketball Coach, Dies At 87

Carl Tacy, who led Wake Forest's basketball team to more than 200 victories and elite appearances in NCAA Tournament, has died. 

Tacy's son, Carl Jr., says his father was diagnosed with leukemia in December and had recently been transferred to hospice care in Yadkinville. 

Tacy grew up in a small West Virginia mountain town and played college basketball under legendary coach Press Maravich.

He coached Marshall University to the NCAA tournament before coming to Wake Forest, where he would take on the storied programs of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“The ACC in those days was a tremendous league,” says Ernie Nestor, one of Tacy's former coaching assistants. “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."

During his tenure, he led the Deacons to two Elite Eight appearances and, in 1977, a top 10 finish in the national rankings. Wake Forest stars who played under Tacy include Skip Brown, Rod Griffin, Frank Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. 

“I feel truly blessed for Coach Tacy to have been my head coach during my time at Wake Forest,” says former player Guy Morgan. “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.”

Tacy was a master at winning the Big Four Classic — a tournament that pitted North Carolina's ACC schools against each other. Tacy won four of those titles, more than any other coaches during the Classic's run. 

His 222 total wins still ranks third-most among all Deacon coaches.

His quiet demeanor earned him the nickname “Gentleman Carl,” but it was sometimes a difficult fit in the fiery confines of the ACC. Tacy resigned unexpectedly in the summer of 1985 after 13 seasons.

“In my opinion, he was never given the credit he deserved as a basketball coach,” former Wake Forest coach Dave Odom says. “He was a terrific tactician, teacher, and a fearless competitor who relished big games against the ACC's best.”

He was elected to Wake Forest's Hall of Fame and remained in Winston-Salem after his coaching days ended. Carl Tacy was 87. 

In addition to his son, Tacy is survived by his wife Donnie, and daughters Beth Tacy Kelly and Carla Tacy.