LaRue joins Wake Forest staff

One of the most versatile athletes in Wake Forest history will return to his alma mater as a member of Dino Gaudio's men's basketball staff.

Wake Forest announced Wednesday that former three-sport Deacon standout Rusty LaRue will return to the school as an assistant coach.

“As a student-athlete he excelled in the classroom as well as on the court and fields of competition. "No student-athlete has better represented what Wake Forest is all about better than Rusty," Gaudio said. "He will be a great addition to our staff as a coach and recruiter and will serve as a terrific mentor and role model."

In 1995, LaRue became the second athlete in ACC history to compete in football, basketball and baseball in the same year. He scored 667 career points as a guard on the basketball team from 1993-96, and is one of seven players in school history to play in four NCAA basketball tournaments.

As a quarterback, he finished his football career with 5,016 career passing yards, the fifth-highest total in school history.

LaRue, 35, played five NBA seasons and was a member of the NBA champion Chicago Bulls team in 1998. He also played professionally in Italy and Russia.

He served as head men's basketball coach at Greensboro College in 2004-05 and most recently was athletics director and basketball coach at Forsyth Country Day School in Winston-Salem.

LaRue replaces Pat Kelsey, who left last month to become an assistant coach at Xavier. - Ken Tysiac