this guy has it all. ties to the program. a history of mid-major coaching success. contacts in the western kansas recruiting hotspots. young. beautiful. cheap. he would get people energized about ksu basketball again!
A good time to be home
Former Goddard star Donnie Wallace joined the staff at Wichita State at an opportune time.
BY JEFFREY PARSONThe Wichita Eagle
The situation seemed too perfect to work.
Former Goddard High basketball star Donnie Wallace, who played two seasons at Kansas State, was trying to get into graduate school at Wichita State.
After a year and a half in San Diego, Wallace and his wife, Laura, had decided to move back to Kansas so Laura could complete physician's assistant coursework at WSU.
Donnie wanted to get his master's degree in sports administration at the same time, but he was told all remaining spots were being reserved for people working in support or assistant roles elsewhere on campus.
"I couldn't get in unless I found one of those jobs," he said.
Coming off a season as an assistant coach at Cuyamaca (Calif.) Junior College, Wallace decided to ask WSU coach Mark Turgeon if he could use a graduate assistant.
"He knew who I was, and he was like, 'Sure,' " Wallace said. "I remember thinking, 'Well, that was easy.' I guess I should have went to him first."
It's unfolded better than Wallace could have envisioned. While taking night classes, Wallace has worked each practice and helped keep statistics for coaches at home games. He tried to remain inconspicuous, but his 6-foot-9 frame was tough to miss even seated a row behind the Shockers' bench.
"It's more just a matter of tagging along, trying to fit in while learning the ropes," Wallace said. "I want to get into college coaching after this, so this has to help."
Wallace was an All-Class 5A player at Goddard in 1999. He chose K-State over numerous major-conference programs, but things did not work out perfectly in Manhattan. Coach Tom Asbury was fired after his freshman season, and Wallace did not feel comfortable in coach Jim Wooldridge's system.
During his two seasons, Wallace played in 34 games while the Wildcats went 20-37.
He said there is no animosity toward Wooldridge nor K-State. He met his wife there -- Laura was a libero on the Wildcats' volleyball team -- and graduated from K-State after playing one season at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
And it's helped create this opportunity.
"I told him it's a great time to be a Shocker," said Dan Buchanan, Wallace's former coach at Goddard High. "He's subbed here a couple times, and we've talked about how great the fans are, what a great season it's been."
While Wallace has spent most of his time learning from administrative assistant Jerome Haden, he said watching Turgeon has made quite an impression.
"In my college career, all the head coaches let assistants do everything while they stood back and worried about the Xs and Os," Wallace said. "Coach Turgeon gets in there on every drill, setting screens and doing everything. It's amazing, seeing him teach that toughness and getting all the guys to believe in him. I haven't been part of a head coach being that positive, that supportive."
