Earlier this week, Dave Clawson stepped down as coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, ending his 11-year tenure with the program.
While the timing was abrupt, it wasn’t shocking. Wake Forest finished each of the past two seasons with a 4-8 record and matching 14th-place finishes in the ACC.
Wake Forest wasted little time replacing Clawson.
On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Ralph Russo reported that the Demon Deacons were hiring Washington State Cougars coach Jake Dickert.
Sources with @BruceFeldmanCFB : Wake Forest is hiring Washington State coach Jake Dickert to replace Dave Clawson.
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) December 18, 2024
Dickert was named interim head coach of the Cougars in 2021 after Nick Rolovich was fired for refusing to comply with Washington’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In his six games as interim head coach, Dickert went 3-3 and was retained after the season. In his first full season as head coach, the team went 7-6 and lost in the LA Bowl. The team followed that up with a 5-7 finish in 2023.
The 2024 season was a success for Washington State and Dickert alike. After an offseason of uncertainty about the future, the team remained in the Pac-12 and entered a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference. They went 8-4 and will play the Syracuse Orange in the Holiday Bowl, which Dickert will not coach.
College football fans had much to say online about the shocking move.
Shoutout Jake Dickert for stabbing WSU in the back after preaching loyalty. Could have at least seen this thing through till 2026. Wake Forest fans enjoy being lectured about attendance and getting out coached every week
— Dr. StrangeGolf (@StrangeGolf69) December 18, 2024
Jake Dickert was a good coach in a bad situation at Washington State.
Any time he won anything, his team would be raided — two OCs poached in three years, two QBs — and he still produced a 23-20 record.
What can he do in a better situation? We’ll find out at Wake Forest.
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) December 18, 2024
Jake Dickert is a great hire for @WakeFB. I have no idea if it will work out.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 18, 2024
Dickert always made comments about being careful of chasing $$ and to invest where you are
Now moving family to east coast to a program with no CFP hopes – just for $$
I’d prob do the same but now Jake has revealed he’s just like everyone else when he acted otherwise
— WAZZU24 (@mariners123451) December 18, 2024
