Wingate University To Honor Coach Johnny Jacumin Saturday

Wingate, N.C.----On Saturday, February 10, Wingate University will honor Johnny and Cookie Jacumin for full lives of mentoring, teaching and coaching young people. The Wingate University Board of Trustees has designated February 10 as Johnny Jacumin Day at Wingate University.

On Saturday, February 10, 2007, the festivities will begin with a women's basketball Alumni Game at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women's basketball team taking on Tusculum College at 2 p.m. in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldog men will face the Pioneers at 4 p.m.

The University will honor Coach Jacumin in a ceremony between the women's and men's games on Saturday. In addition, a dinner and roast will be held Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Wingate Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Jacumin is retiring at the conclusion of the 2006-07 basketball season.

Bulldog fans can ask Jacumin about the whereabouts of one of his former players…and he will give them a full-scale report. When one considers the fact Jacumin is the dean of SAC women's basketball in terms of number of wins and longevity, the number of players he remembers is astronomical. Many of his former players will attend Saturday's festivities.

In 27 Wingate seasons, Jacumin has compiled an overall record of 584-216. The 2006-07 Bulldog team (16-5 overall, 8-2 SAC) won two games last week to remain in a tie for first place in the SAC standings. In many conversations, Coach Jacumin is quick to credit his players and assistant coaches for the success of his teams.

In 2005-06, the Wingate women's basketball team advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament. Along the way, the Bulldogs earned their ninth SAC regular season title with a 13-1 league slate. Wingate was a perfect 11-0 in the friendly confines of Cuddy Arena last year.

Since the SAC became an all-sports league in 1989, Jacumin's clubs have won or shared the regular season title in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Wingate won the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1997.

In 1987-88, Wingate was 33-2 overall, winning 33 games in a row and earning a berth in the NAIA Final Four. Wingate has a long history of postseason success. The Bulldogs have participated in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament eight times. Wingate won the NCAA regional in 1995 and 1996, advancing to the Elite Eight.

Jacumin won his 500th game as head women's basketball coach at Wingate as the Bulldogs defeated host Tusculum College 74-60 March 1, 2003 at Alpine Arena. Coach Jacumin is fourth on the NCAA Division II winningest active coaches win list. His .729 winning percentage ranks 15th among active NCAA Division II coaches (entering this season).

A graduate of Goddard College, Jacumin is in his 10th year as a full-time employee at the University after a 29-year teaching career in the public schools. Jacumin spent two years as the director of the multimillion-dollar Cannon Athletic Complex.

Prior to his coaching tenure at Wingate, Jacumin compiled a 102-47 record in six seasons as women's basketball coach at Parkwood High School. He also taught industrial cooperative training at Parkwood.

His wife (and number one Wingate fan) Cookie is a long-time employee of the Union County Public Schools. They have two children (Ginger and Scott) and four grandchildren. Both Ginger and Scott are Wingate graduates and teachers in the Union County Public Schools.