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Longtime College Football Coach Is Stepping Down After 11 Seasons

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 6:20 PM ET

A long-tenured college football head coach is reportedly leaving.

Per The Athletic's Ralph D. Russo, Dave Clawson will step down after 11 seasons as Wake Forest's head coach. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Clawson is expected to stay with Wake Forest in an advisory role.

Thamel said it was Clawson's choice to walk away. The 57-year-old "felt like it was time" amid the sport's changing landscape and notified the school of his decision Monday.

Clawson went to Wake Forest after leading Bowling Green to 10 wins in 2013. Following two 3-9 seasons, the ACC program notched four straight winning records before going 4-5 in a shortened 2020 schedule.

The Demon Deacons then went 11-3 in 2021, matching a program single-season wins record. They scored 41.0 points per game behind Sam Hartman.

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Dave Clawson of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies 55-52 after the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Getty

Wake Forest won eight games in 2022, but Hartman's transfer to Notre Dame spelled trouble for the program. Clawson's team has gone 4-8 in back-to-back years with three combined ACC victories.

Last year, Clawson chided Notre Dame for playing a tribute video to Hartman while hosting Wake Forest in the quarterback's final college home game. His comments appeared to indicate some frustration over the transfer portal and NIL.

"You only dated him a couple of months. It can't be love," Clawson said. "We're the ones that love him. We had five years with him. You rented him for a season. ... When that video played, it was like, 'Holy cow, this is where college football is.'"

Clawson went 67-69 as Wake Forest's head coach. The 2021 ACC Coach of the Year won five of his seven bowl games, and the program ranked as high as 10th in the AP poll.

According to Thamel, Clawson is expected to take a year off coaching to "recharge and refresh." Meanwhile, The Athletic's Chris Vannini identified James Madison coach Bob Chesney, Washington State coach James Dickert, and former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown as potential options to replace Clawson at Wake Forest.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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