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With the Wake Forest job now open, names are already starting to circulate for the Demon Deacons' next head football coach. Former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and Washington State head coach Jake Dickert are just two of the intriguing names floated by Chris Vannini and Ralph Russo of The Athletic.
Their report also named James Madison head coach Bob Chesney and Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White, citing “people briefed on the situation.”
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson resigned on Monday after 11 seasons on the job. He brought the Demon Deacons to seven bowl games in that time and led them to an appearance in the 2021 ACC championship game. Back-to-back 4-8 seasons to close his tenure, however, dipped his record in Winston-Salem below .500 at 67-69.
Brown became a coaching free agent after the regular season ended and the Mountaineers let him go. West Virginia went 6-6 this season and Brown compiled a 37-35 record in Morgantown.
“Coach Brown is a great person, and he has served as a tremendous ambassador for West Virginia University,” athletic director Wren Baker said in a statement when the program let Brown go. “He led our storied program with class and integrity and always put in the hard work necessary to allow for success.”
Washington State football coach Jake Dickert could head east to Wake Forest
If the Demon Deacons choose Dickert, it would send the 41-year-old coach east of the Mississippi River for the first time in his coaching career. Though Dickert has only been a head coach in Pullman for four seasons, he has been on college sidelines since 2007, primarily coaching defenses.
He enjoyed his best season as a head coach in 2024, leading the Cougars to an 8-4 record and appearance in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl, where Washington State will face Syracuse. Even with three straight losses to end the regular season, it was a successful year for Washington State, which earned a College Football Playoff ranking for the first time in school history.
“It’s a great starting point,” Dickert told The Athletic at the time. “We have a long journey ahead. It’s cool momentum for our program in recruiting and it shows our players that hard work pays off.”
Now might be the time for him to start over, however. With the Cougars getting ready to help re-form a watered-down version of the Pac-12 and with elite quarterback John Mateer hitting the transfer portal, an ACC job might provide more short-term stability and potential for success.
