Our Staff

In his 19th season at Wake Forest in 2022-23, David Bass is currently serving as the Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance. 

Bass provides oversight to the Sports Performance and Sports Nutrition departments, along with developing and implementing the unit’s objectives to coincide with the Athletic Department’s vision of Developing Champions.

At Wake Forest, he works directly with, men's golf, men's soccer, men's cross country/middle distance, and Track and Field throwers. He has previously worked with baseball, football, women's basketball, women's golf, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's track and field.

Bass is certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association and holds the credential of MSCC (Master Strength and Conditioning Coach). He also holds certifications from the NSCA, Titleist Performance Institute, FMS, RPR, and USAW.

Bass joined the Demon Deacons from James Madison University where he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach for two years from 2002-04.

While at James Madison, Bass earned his Master's of Science degree in Exercise Physiology in 2004.

A native of Ridgeway, Va., Bass received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical and Health Education from Concord University in 2001. While at Concord, Bass was a three-year starter on the Mountain Lion offensive line, earning all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons.

Bass and his wife, Janie, currently reside in Winston-Salem with their daughter Lillyan and son Thomas.

Mark Seaver is in his 16th season at Wake Forest in 2021-22, serving as Assistant Director of Sports Performance. Seaver works primarily with the Demon Deacon baseball, women's golf and volleyball programs.

Seaver was a pitcher on the Wake Forest baseball team from 1993-96. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1996 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played professionally in the minor leagues for six seasons.

Seaver finished his degree in health and exercise science from Wake Forest in 2003.

He is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA).

Originally from Pittsburgh, Seaver currently resides in Winston-Salem with his wife, Kelly, their daughter Emily and son Kade.

Lauren Kelly was named the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Wake Forest University in September 2020 and will work with the student-athletes inside the women's soccer and track & field/cross country programs. A two-year letter-winning keeper for Murray State University's soccer program as an undergraduate, Kelly brings a wealth of championship experience to Winston-Salem after five years at the University of Cincinnati where she worked with women's soccer, track & field, women's tennis, and swimming & diving.

During her tenure in Cincinnati, Kelly's Bearcats enjoyed continued growth and success as she assisted the track & field team to new heights in the American Athletic Conference as well as the NCAA. On the national stage, Kelly worked with several outstanding individuals, including Annette Echikunwoke as the then-junior captured the 2017 NCAA Indoor Weight Throw crown, winning her first national title and the first - male or female - NCAA title in program history. Along with the national title, Kelly's student-athletes accumulated 22 USTFCCCA All-America accolades, four of which came with NCAA runner-up showings. 

As a team, the Bearcats also were among the all-around top programs annually in the AAC, especially on the women's side as the Bearcats captured three team titles during Kelly's tenure. UC solidified several more firsts as the Bearcats won their first AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship in 2016 before winning their first AAC Indoor Track & Field Championship title in 2018. UC also was victorious at the 2017 outdoor meet while adding a pair of runner-up finishes on the indoor surfaces in both 2016 and 2017. All told, Kelly's Bearcats collected more than 40 AAC titles during her tenure.

Ahead of her time in Cincinnati, Kelly previously served as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (January 2014 to May 2015). At ULM, she worked directly with women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and women’s softball while also assisting with football. Kelly also completed internships at the University of Missouri, where she worked with football and women’s soccer, and Murray State, where she worked with all Olympic sports.

A 2013 graduate of Murray State with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Exercise Science, Kelly was a two-year member of the Racers' soccer program where she played goalkeeper. Following her time at MSU, Kelly earned her Master’s of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from ULM in May of 2015.

Kelly holds certifications from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (SCCC), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS), USA Track & Field (Level 1), and USTFCCA (Strength and Conditioning).

Ken Knox joined Wake Forest in 2021 after working as a graduate assistant strength & conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky. While in Lexington, Knox worked primarily with the Wildcats' Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Cheer, and Diving teams, while also assisting with Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Gymnastics, and Baseball. Before arriving at Kentucky, Knox previously worked at his alma mater, Emory & Henry College, where he played football and baseball, as well as the University of South Carolina. 

Knox holds certifications as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Athletic Trainer. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Athletic Training from Emory & Henry in 2018, and his master's in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Kentucky in May 2021.