Wake Forest Football has its new figurehead: Head Coach Jake Dickert.
On Dec. 18th, 2024, the former Washington State head coach was announced as the 33rd head coach of the Wake Forest Football program.
“I cannot tell you how excited, proud and honored I am to be the head football coach at Wake Forest University,” Dickert said via a press statement.
The decision was made after the resignation of former Head Coach Dave Clawson sparked a national search conducted by Vice President & Director of Athletics John Currie, amongst others.
“Jake Dickert is the perfect fit to lead Wake Forest football into our next chapter of football success,” Currie said in a press statement. “Coach Dickert’s approach to building a program reminds me of what made Dave Clawson so successful during his 11-year transformational tenure as our head football coach.”
Amidst the formation of a new program, Dickert emphasized the importance of setting a standard for all the program’s players.
“Our standard [at Wake Forest] is quite simple,” Dickert said in his introductory press conference. “It’s going to be to deliver your best. It’s an approach to being your best in every situation… whether you’re in the classroom or you’re on the field, it’s our obligation to each other to deliver on that.”
Dickert had been a coach at Washington State since 2020, taking over as interim during the 2021 season. During his time as the Cougars’ head coach, however, Washington State was left without a move to a power conference amidst realignment — being one of two schools left in the remnant of the Pac-12 Conference.
“One of the things that drew me here is stability,” Dickert said. “In a chaotic college football scene, that was important to me and my family… Wake Forest is positioned to attack the current challenges of college football, and that’s exactly what I wanted to partner with.”
Dickert also mentioned other aspects of what drew him to Wake Forest, including being in North Carolina, the heart of ACC country.
“One of the biggest draws wasn’t just the investment in the facilities, it was part of the location,” Dickert said. “I’m excited to get to this region of the country. I can’t wait to meet the high school coaches of [North Carolina]. I can’t wait to invest in the high school recruiting in our own state.”
Tasked with creating a new program, Dickert also appointed a new coaching staff to revamp the Demon Deacons’ entire game in both phases of the game. One key piece that Dickert filled was the defensive coordinator position-appointing former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Scottie Hazelton into the position.
“[Hazelton] is a game-changer for our program,” Coach Dickert said in a press statement. “His defenses are always near the top of the league in creating turnovers, and more importantly, he’s a leader who understands how to inspire and mentor young men. I have no doubt he’ll elevate our defense to new heights.”
On the opposite side of the ball, Dickert appointed former Alabama quarterback and South Alabama coach Rob Ezell into the offensive coordinator position, a coach that Dickert had long sought after.
“When I was at Washington State, we had an offensive coordinator opening, and he was one of our top targets,” Dickert said in a virtual press conference. “When we got down here to Winston-Salem, he was one of the first calls I made. He’s got a unique style, a unique mind.”
One of the most pressing issues for Dickert and his new staff was constructing a roster. After Clawson’s resignation, many offensive players entered the transfer portal, including former wide receivers Deuce Alexander and Horatio Fields, along with tight end Harry Lodge and offensive linemen like Matt Gulbin and Keagan Trost.
Dickert rebuilt quickly with some familiar faces. He brought multiple players from Washington State along with him, including highly-touted offensive tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe, offensive guard AJ Hasson, wide receivers Carlos Hernandez and Chris Barnes and cornerback Jaylon Edmond.
Dickert also created a competitive quarterback room, too. After success at Washington State with both Heisman Award Finalist Cam Ward and current Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, Dickert has filled the quarterback room with experienced names including former Auburn starting quarterback Robby Ashford and former Charlotte quarterback Deshawn Purdie — each attributing to Dickert’s top-30 recruiting class.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this group of student-athletes joining the family,” Dickert said via press release. “We’re building champions here, and these new Deacs are a testament to that vision.”
In his introductory press conference, Dickert emphasized the importance of “building champions,” a common theme amongst the new vision for the Wake Forest Football program.
“Our mission here at Wake Forest and our football program is to build champions while relentlessly competing for championships,” Dickert said. “But that’s through building championship men first- and because we have those championship men, it’s going to allow us to compete at the highest level and hopefully bring home an ACC championship right here at Wake Forest.”
Dickert now looks to move into this new era with a hot start to the 2025 season, opening up against Kennesaw State in August.