Wake Forest Extends Coach Jake Dickert After 8-1 Start
Wake Forest has given head coach Jake Dickert a new contract with an extension and more resources for staff. The Demon Deacons are 8-1 and ranked No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the deal removes a leading candidate from the Florida State coaching search.
Wake Forest has agreed to a new contract with an extension for head coach Jake Dickert, the school announced, after he led the Demon Deacons to an 8-1 start and a No. 13 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The new deal also increases resources and investment in staff, according to sources. Terms and length were not released.
It lands in the middle of the coaching carousel, the annual round of job openings at college programs. Dickert had been a popular name for other vacancies.
Athletic director John Currie said the timing was deliberate. In a statement, he said "now was the time to go ahead and eliminate any outside speculation" about Dickert's future.
Record in two seasons
Dickert is 17-5 in two seasons at Wake Forest. Those 17 wins are already the third most in program history over a two-year span.
His 9-4 campaign last season was the winningest first year by a head coach in school history.
This year the team has won six straight games. It ranks ninth in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) in total offense at 487.7 yards per game.
"We are excited about the future of Wake Forest Football and taking our program to new heights," Dickert said in a statement. "We are just getting started."
Currie praised the coach too. "Coach Dickert has done an extraordinary job of inspiring belief among our players, fans and the entire Demon Deacon community," he said.
Florida State search
Dickert had been linked to the Florida State job this month after the school fired coach Norvell. The extension all but removes him from that conversation.
Florida State faces a $50 million buyout for Norvell, which could limit what it can spend on the next coach. It also hired Jeff Purinton as athletic director earlier this week.
Duke coach Manny Diaz is now seen as an obvious candidate. He is an alumnus of Florida State, and Purinton worked with him under Bobby Bowden. Diaz is 46-26 as a head coach at Miami and Duke.
Duke is 7-2 and finishes its regular season with games against Miami, Clemson and Wake Forest. Wake Forest travels to SMU for its next game, and the Duke meeting is set for Nov. 28, with possible ACC championship implications.
