WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Much of Jake Dickert’s new job as Wake Forest coach looks different from his time at Washington State, but he says he arrives with the same principles that have helped him so far.
Dickert was introduced in front of boosters and less than a dozen players. He was eager to delve deeper into player relationships.
“My No. 1 priority is to retain this football team,” Dickert said.
Dickert went 23-20 in three-plus seasons at Washington State. He won’t be leading the Cougars for the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 against Syracuse.
Instead, he’s trying to build Wake Forest’s roster for next season while acclimating to a new part of the country and challenges in a Power Four conference. He said location mattered in his decision.
“I’m a small-town Midwestern kid,” he said. “I’m excited to get to this region of the country.”
Dickert, 41, replaces Dave Clawson, who resigned after 11 seasons and a 67-69 record that included a 5-2 bowl mark. It’s Dickert’s second head-coaching job across a 17-year career on college staffs.
“One of the first things that really drew me to Wake Forest is stability,” Dickert said. “In kind of a chaotic, turbulent college football scene, stability here at Wake Forest was vitally important.”
Stability has been a characteristic in the Wake Forest football office, with Clawson following Jim Grobe (2001-13). While other programs have frequent changes at the top, a coaching announcement is rare for the Demon Deacons.
“We’ve only done this twice this century,” athletic director John Currie said.
Dickert said it’s clear that Wake Forest’s commitment to sports, even as a small, private university, is strong.
“(You want to) build a program that can sustain,” he said. “And when you get to that level, you’ve got to be willing to invest in the players. That was part of this process. We just didn’t have the resources where I was at to take and keep and retain our players.”
Relocating is going to give the coach access to a different collection of recruits.
“When I was at Washington State, we’re surrounded by Canada, Oregon and Idaho,” Dickert said. “Not exactly the recruiting mecca of the U.S.”
Yet Wake Forest is one of the smallest schools competing in the Bowl Subdivision. It’s a matter of perspective.
“We flew in on the (charter) plane,” Dickert said. “We looked out the windows, and my kids were like, ‘This is a big city.’”
Dickert held a Zoom meeting with players, most of whom left campus by semester’s end. He was scheduling meetings with some players, including running back Demond Claiborne.
The Demon Deacons were surprised by Clawson stepping down and the hiring of a new coach all in a matter of a few days.
“It has been crazy. Everything got flipped on its head,” running back Tate Carney said after the formal introduction. “I’m excited to find out what his plan is for me and everybody else on the team. Everybody’s head is in kind of a different spot right now.”
Wake Forest has finished with back-to-back 4-8 records, though the Demon Deacons produced an 11-win season in 2021 when they reached the ACC championship game.
Washington State, which has been in the Top 25 in both 2023 and this year, is no longer part of a power conference since the dismantling of the Pac-12 and former members scattering to the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten.
Dickert was in contact with Clawson, who’ll remain at the university in an advisory role.
“I’ve made no secret that the last two years have been very frustrating,” Clawson said. “I think the transfer portal and (NIL) has made this job more difficult. However, the advent of revenue sharing is going to make this job much better again.”
Dickert was ready to move.
“It was about timing,” he said. “I felt comfortable there (at Washington State). It was a special place to me. They gave me my first opportunity and that meant a lot to me, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Clawson asked Wake Forest supporters to give a new coach time.
“You guys were patient with me, you’re going to need to be patient with him,” he said. “Just the last two years, recruiting and all that stuff, losing players, has happened here. So I think it is going to be a little bit of a rebuilding job.”
Dickert is ready to go full-speed ahead.
“I told our guys, ‘Be ready,’” he said. “This time next year, we’re not going to be on Zoom. We’re going to be preparing for a bowl game.”
