When it comes to working hard, it's just about impossible to imagine anyone doing a better job than Wayne Waggoner, presently in his sixth year as the Demons assistant coach.
In a way, the Wag-man is a lot like a KGB agent: He's everywhere, He's everywhere. There he is hitting the recruiting trail. Yep, that's him at practice. Where's Waggoner now" He's up at the coliseum making some calls. Hey coach, can you help me with my outside game? There he is again, popping the 20 foot "j" with the same regularity that left him in the upper echelon of all basketball players privileged to wear the purple and white.
This is a guy who dribbled two basketball's to school each morning. This is the guy who of one writer scribed "they haven't made a gym yet that Wayne Waggoner couldn't break into."Â Â Countless coaches finally gave in, turning their keys over to the dedicated youngster who slipped through gymnasium windows the way Houdini slipped through handcuffs.
Dedicated is probably the best one-word definition of the Wag-man today. He's dedicated to bringing a winning program to Northwestern State, from where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in business in 1982 and a computer degree in 1985.
Last year, when the Demons were making a run at their first winning record in five seasons, Waggoner made an uncharacteristic move: He bragged about how that 1981-82 group could "whip" the current Demons. Wags should know -- he was the star of that club that ended the year with a 19-9 record, narrowly qualifying for a spot in the National Invitational Tournament.
The Wag-man tossed in 17.6 points per outing that year and 15.9 the year before. We're not talking lay-ups or a variety of dunks. Nope, when Wags took the floor, he dialed direct from downtown Natchitoches -- to the tune of 53.9% -- the fourth best field goal percentage for a career at NSU and the best mark ever for a guard.
His on the court efforts didn't go unnoticed by the NBA. After a very successful summer pro prospect camp at Portsmouth, Virginia prior to the 1982 draft, the Dallas Mavericks drafted the 6-3 sharpshooter in the sixth round. Waggoner, who reportedly asked Mark Aguirre to surrender jersey number 24 (Wags' college number) was eventually let go, whereupon he changed from shorts and socks to a suite and tie.
The 28 year old Logansport native enjoys lifting weights, running (twice a day), swimming, music and "doing ab work" (a few thousand times a day). His father, Bernard, was a standout basketball player during the mid 50's, earning a spot in the prestigious Graduate "N" Club in 1982.
