New coach Jake Dickert embraces Wake Forest’s stability

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — 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 Thursday 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 was 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.

Dickert, 41, replaces Dave Clawson, who resigned earlier this week after 11 seasons in the position and a 67-69 record that included a 5-2 bowl mark. It's Dickert’s second head-coaching position 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.

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.

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