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Wake Forest football suddenly has a head coaching position to fill, for the first time since Dec. 2013. Longtime head coach Dave Clawson pulled the stunner and chose to step down from Wake Forest Monday, per ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel. Clawson's choice comes 12 days after locking in his 2025 recruiting class.
Thamel adds Clawson will have a remaining job at the university. He's stepping into an advisory role — which helped persuade his decision to step down.
Clawson led the Demon Deacons for 11 seasons from 2014 to 2024. He established himself as one of the program's most successful football coaches. Clawson guided Wake Forest to seven bowl games, which came consecutively from 2017 to 2022. He's the only coach in school history to pull off that feat.
No word yet on which direction the university goes to replace him. But after back-to-back 4-8 seasons, it's likely Wake Forest will want to pivot to another direction and not promote from within.
Wake Forest has already watched one school located one hour and 25 minutes away from them deliver a splash hire. North Carolina plucked Bill Belichick from the NFL ranks to lead the Tar Heels. Could Wake Forest turn to the NFL to pull off something similar?
There'll be a good number of names who'll have their name linked to this position. One has looked into NFL jobs. Another is leading his team into the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs. Here's who look like the best candidates to replace Clawson.
David Shaw, former Stanford head coach
David Shaw has applied and interviewed for head coaching positions in the league. He was once linked to the 2023 Denver Broncos opening alongside his former Stanford coaching boss Jim Harbaugh. That was before Sean Payton took over.
Still, Shaw comes with extensive experience running a program at a high academic institution. The fact the former Stanford head coach is applying/interviewing for jobs indicates he wants one more shot.
Shaw won 96 games total with the Cardinal. However, Clawson is leaving amid a changing college football climate featuring NIL and the transfer portal. Shaw shied away from the same elements in the end at Palo Alto. His difficulty to adjust to the new era of CFB led to his own resignation.
He'll need to prove he can get acquainted with the current trends at the collegiate game. Still, Shaw looks like a fit here.
Bob Chesney, James Madison
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Wake Forest can pursue the Group of Five splash by siphoning a fast-riser in the coaching realm.
Bob Chesney of James Madison continues to emerge as a hot commodity for power conference jobs. The 47-year-old led the Dukes to an 8-4 mark. However, he owns a glistening 119-50 overall record as head coach. That includes his 44-21 mark at Holy Cross at the Football Championship Subdivision level.
This opening could convince Chesney to take the power conference leap. Curt Cignetti's immediate success at Indiana after leaving JMU is helping fuel the intrigue for Chesney.
Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Spencer Danielson at Boise State shouldn't be ruled out here for Wake Forest either.
Danielson is on the rise in producing back-to-back Mountain West Conference titles. This time he's got the Broncos entering the College Football Playoffs as the lone G5 team and the third seed.
The knock on Danielson is he's got zero power conference experience. Boise State's move to the Pac-12 is another aspect that could coax him into staying.
The university, however, has still seen Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, and Bryan Harsin all make jumps from the blue turf. Danielson isn't shy about his Christianity too. Wake Forest's religious feel could win him over here if the school contacts him.
