WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest University hires Jake Dickert as its next head football coach, sources tell CBS Sports and 247Sports. Dickert, the current head coach at Washington State, will take over the reins from Dave Clawson, who recently stepped down after a successful tenure with the Demon Deacons.
CBS Sports said that an emergency staff meeting was scheduled for 7 a.m. local time in Washington State, signaling that the announcement of Dickert's departure is imminent. The hiring marks a new chapter for Wake Forest, as the university looks to build on its competitive foundation in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Dickert’s tenure at Washington State has been marked by steady improvement and a focus on strong defensive play. His leadership has earned him respect across college football, making him an ideal candidate to lead Wake Forest into the future.
I" cannot tell you how excited, proud and honored I am to be the head football coach at Wake Forest University ..." Dickert said in a statement. "I enjoyed the opportunity I had to meet with the team via Zoom and I am looking forward to building relationships with our guys, recruiting additional top talent that fit Wake Forest University and hitting the ground running in building a staff and setting us up for success as we get going."
Statement from Coach Dickert:
Deacon Nation:
I cannot tell you how excited, proud and honored I am to be the head football coach at Wake Forest University. It has been an exhilarating journey since my first conversations with Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie, President Susan R. Wente and the Athletics & University leadership.
With that, I enjoyed the opportunity I had to meet with the team via Zoom and I am looking forward to building relationships with our guys, recruiting additional top talent that fit Wake Forest University and hitting the ground running in building a staff and setting us up for success as we get going.
The philosophy for our program is straight-forward:
- Build champions while relentlessly competing for championships.
- T.R.U.S.T.
- Truth, Relationships, Understanding, Sharing and Togetherness.
- Graduate everyone who competes in our program.
- Develop champion husbands, fathers, and future leaders in corporations and communities.
- Create servant leaders with a ‘Thank-You’ mindset.
- Play Hard. Play Fast. Play Together.
- Live the Standard - Deliver your BEST
- An explosive attacking offense that uses unique tempo, motion, and formations to create advantages.
- On defense, we will be complex yet simple and aggressive to allow our players to play an attacking style.
- On special teams, win the hidden yardage battle, create momentum swings, and win with technique.
As I continued to learn more about this extraordinary University, I couldn’t help but notice how well Wake Forest’s core values align with our program principles. Together, we will build on the incredible foundation laid by Coach Dave Clawson, Coach Jim Grobe, and those before them.
Our alumni, fans, students and the entire Wake Forest and Winston-Salem community will be proud of the way this team competes on the field, continues to excel in the classroom and represents our motto, Pro Humanitate, within the community.
Wake Forest is a top-national institution, has the top football program in North Carolina this century, and behind the broad-based success of all our Demon Deacons programs that include 59 ACC Championships and 10 NCAA Championships, we are committed to bringing more hardware home to Winston-Salem and enhancing the legacy of this storied program.
As we move forward together, lock in your season tickets for 2025 now, stop me if you see around town and tell me your favorite Wake Forest football memory and we all can collectively continue to support our student-athletes each day to help us win!
Candice, Rylee, Jett, Jace, and I look forward to meeting everyone in Deacon Nation soon and being a part of the unbelievable and passionate fan base that I have learned so much about. Thank you for supporting our program, staff, student-athletes, and the University and for welcoming us home.
Go Deacs!
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