Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Wake Forest hires Washington State’s Jake Dickert as head coach

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By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have hired Jake Dickert as their new head football coach. He comes to North Carolina after spending time in the Great Northwest.

Dickert replaces Dave Clawson, who stepped down at the end of the season. Before Wake Forest, Dickert was the Washington State Cougars head coach.

Former Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert reacts to a play call during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers
Jake Dickert reacts to a play call during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

“Jake Dickert’s demonstrated commitment across his coaching career to fostering excellence and developing student-athletes with character and integrity are closely aligned with Wake Forest’s mission and values, ” President Susan R. Wente said. “Coach Dickert’s experiences and his coaching and leadership philosophies make him an excellent fit for Wake Forest at this important moment in our football program’s history. I look forward to welcoming Jake, his wife Candice, and their children Rylee, Jett and Jace to the Wake Forest and Winston Salem communities.”

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He led their program for the last three seasons. During the 2021 season, he was named interim head coach.

The 41-year-old is 23-20 as a head coach. This past season, he guided the team to an 8-4 record.

The Cougars will play in the upcoming Holiday Bowl game. However, an interim head coach will be named for that game.

Dickert is now taking over a program in one of the top college football conferences in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Behind the Southeastern Conference, it is either the second or third best conference, competing with the Big Ten Conference for the position behind the SEC.

“I cannot tell you how excited, proud, and honored I am to be the head football coach at Wake Forest University,” Coach Jake Dickert said. “It has been an exhilarating journey since my first conversations with Vice President and Director of Athletics John Currie, President Susan R. Wente and the Athletics and University leadership. Throughout this process beyond President Wente and John, I was grateful to be able to meet with Provost Michele Gillespie, Vice President of Campus Life Dr. Shea Kidd Brown, President of the Faculty Senate Saylor Breckenridge and many other campus leaders who displayed the institutional alignment of Wake Forest. My number one priority will be building relationships with our current student-athletes and earning their trust.

“We will have a clear focus on retaining our current roster while adding valuable pieces that fit our program and Wake Forest University. Additionally, I am excited to immerse myself in this special community as throughout this process my belief that this is the perfect place for our family and our program only strengthened.”

Dickert had two winning seasons in his four seasons. In 2022, he guided the team to a 7-6 record following their LA Bowl win.

The 8-4 mark this season was his best record at the now Pac-2-based school. The Cougars lost the Pac-2 Conference Championship with a loss to the Oregon State Beavers.

The Demon Deacons have had back to back 4-8 records in the past two seasons. Dickert hopes to change that in the future.

Their last winning record came during the 2022 season when Clawson guided the team to an 8-5 record.

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“Before I go further, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the players, staff, and leadership at Washington State University,” Dickert said. “I will forever be thankful for their belief in me and the opportunity to lead a program that meant so much to my family and me. The relationships built there will remain a cherished part of our journey, and I am immensely proud of what we accomplished together both on and off the field.

“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 team will compete at a championship level, excel in the classroom, and serve the community with pride. You will be proud of the way we represent Wake Forest on and off the field. Finally, Candice, Rylee, Jett, Jace, and I are thrilled to join this passionate community. Go Deacs!”

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    Anthony Caruso III
    Anthony Caruso IIIhttps://thecapitalsportsreport.com
    Anthony Caruso III is the Publisher of The Capital Sports Report. He has been in the Journalism field since August 2002. Since that time, Mr. Caruso has covered many marquee events. This includes 13 Heisman Trophy ceremonies, 2 Little World Series events, and one Army-Navy College Football game.
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