Two For The Show
Charlie Bryant wasn’t a benchwarmer. However, he did spend a number of years seated next to one of the NCAA’s finest bench jockeys.
How does Bones McKinney, the famous Wake Forrest coach sound?
Charlie, who was a terrific high school and college athlete would later spend a half a decade as an assistant college coach and administrator and eventually wind up as the Executive Director of the North Carolina State University’s Wolfpack Club. Later Bryant would be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
But for all his accomplishments it wasn’t just his memories of the winning games. He was a bench coach for nine ACC Championship games—winning two at Wake Forrest and two at NC State. And in addition, he was on the bench for seven straight Championship games five at Wake and two at State.
But it’s his recollections of his days seated next to Bones McKinney on that Wake Forest Bench that bring back the smiles.
Bryant said, “He was one of a kind, God threw the mold away when he created Bones McKinney---great bench coach, and an even better referee baiter. His partner in this Smothers Brother act was Lou Bello, the most flamboyant referee in ACC history.
Boy, did those two go at it and I was well seated there on the bench to hear it all. Lou would come flying by the bench after making yet another objectional call in favor of a Duke and Bones would be on his feet screaming at Lou, ‘Lou? Lou? Lou?’ What’s the score?’ And Lou would back peddle to our bench and shout loud enough for the crowd to hear it, “Bones, we’ve got you by four now!’
This kind of thing, with Bones waving a white handkerchief at Lou, to tell him that he was personally winning and that Wake was giving up.
There were times when Bones would shout at Lou and then kick over an (empty) water bucket. “Lou you’re going to make me kick the bucket with those rotten calls!”
One of my favorites was the one where Lou came trotting by and Bones shouted, “Lou, Lou you’re working really hard tonight do you know how I know?” And Lou, whistle clenched between his teeth shakes his head no. Then Bones shouts, I can tell because you’re sweating so hard that I can see your NC State T-shirt under your ref’s shirt!”
Now this act didn’t stop when the final buzzer blew after ACC games. Bones and Lou were in great demand for sports banquets, charity dinners, etc.
And later Bones would tell Bryant that he really liked Lou Bello but the thing that pissed him off was the fact that somehow Lou would get with the folks organizing the dinners where the two of them performed on the dais and Lou would manage to makes sure that he spoke before Bones.
“The bastard stole my material. He’d get up and do all my bench stories and when it was my turn there was nothing left in the act for me!” Bones said.
