Wake Forest swiftly moved to secure its new head coach, as reported by The Athletic. The Demon Deacons wasted no time in hiring Washington State coach Jake Dickert just days after the departure of Dave Clawson. Clawson, who had been at the helm for 11 seasons, announced on Monday that he was stepping down from his position.
Under Dickert’s leadership, Washington State has achieved a record of 23-20 in three-plus seasons. Dickert took the reins midway through the 2021 season following coach Nick Rolovich’s dismissal amid a protracted vaccination dispute with the university. During his tenure, the Cougars have notched two winning seasons and finished with an 8-4 record in 2024, their first season in the collegiate football landscape.
The landscape of college football underwent a significant shift with 10 of the Pac-12’s members departing for other conferences, leaving Oregon State and Washington State in a state of limbo. In response, the schools collaborated with the Mountain West to fill out their schedules and are actively working to revitalize the Pac-12 by incorporating various Mountain West teams.
Despite a strong start to the 2024 season with an 8-1 record, Washington State stumbled, losing three consecutive games to close out the year. Nevertheless, the Cougars captured the attention of fans with their high-scoring offense, averaging nearly 37 points per game while conceding over 28 points on average.
Quarterback John Mateer emerged as a standout performer, leading college football with an impressive 44 total touchdowns. However, Mateer’s time at Washington State came to an end as he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. The departure of Mateer coincided with the hiring of Washington State’s offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, as the new offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. These changes within the program signal a period of transition for Washington State as they navigate the competitive landscape of collegiate football without the backing of a power conference.
In contrast, Wake Forest experienced a challenging season in 2024, finishing with a 4-8 record for the second consecutive year. The Demon Deacons had a strong showing in 2021 with 11 wins but saw a decline in performance in subsequent seasons, culminating in records of 8-5 in 2022 and 4-8 in 2023 under Clawson’s guidance. Over his 11-year tenure at Wake Forest, Clawson’s teams posted a 67-69 record and made seven bowl appearances. Prior to his time at Wake Forest, Clawson had a successful stint at Bowling Green, where he led the Falcons to a 32-32 record and three bowl game appearances over five seasons.
The coaching changes and program developments across Wake Forest and Washington State underscore the dynamic nature of collegiate athletics and the competitive challenges that teams face in a rapidly evolving landscape. As new leadership takes the helm at these institutions, the future holds both uncertainty and opportunity as they strive to position themselves for
