Steve Forbes lauded both his wife’s progress after suffering a stroke last month and Wake Forest for supporting him on a Zoom press conference Monday morning.

Wake’s men’s basketball coach is entering his fourth season at the helm and is adjusting after what’s been a difficult month for his family.

Forbes won’t be stepping away from the program, to dispel that possibility.

“John Currie, he’s the best. He flew to Pensacola (Fla.) on that Saturday,” Forbes said of Wake's athletics director and the time around his wife’s stroke. “I got there on that Thursday. We sat and talked for a long time and I had kind of formulated a plan in my mind.

“I wasn’t sure if it was going to work. … Wake has stood behind me the entire time and they’ve given me the space that I needed to do what I have to do.”

The Deacons are practicing for an hour and 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Forbes’ plan is to fly to Atlanta on Monday nights after practices and rejoin the team on Fridays before that day’s scheduled work.

“This plan gives me the best chance to be a husband, father, caregiver, head men’s basketball coach and mentor to my players,” Forbes said.

Johnetta Forbes has been a constant presence around Wake’s program since Steve took the job in spring of 2020. She doesn’t seek the spotlight, Steve said of his wife, and in 34 years of coaching he’s only heard her voice during a game once.

“Her actual words were, ‘Come on, stripes!” Steve said. “It shocked me so bad that I turned around and looked because I had never, ever at a game.”

Johnetta suffered multiple strokes while in Destin, Fla., where the family owns a condo. She has since been moved to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where her release date is scheduled for Sept. 22.

Steve has seen improvement, having spent 12 of 13 days with her before returning to Winston-Salem this weekend for official visitors in recruiting.

“Each day she’s getting better,” Steve said. “She’s bound and determined to walk home.”