When Dave Clawson surprisingly stepped down from the post as the head coach of Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons acted swiftly to fill the role.
Ultimately, the ACC program landed on Washington State head coach Jake Dickert as the chosen guy. The 41-year-old will leave Wazzu to coach across the country.
Dickert led the Cougars to a respectable 23-20 record in three years on the Palouse. Washington State didn’t have great resources relative to the many programs it would face annually. Not only that, but Dickert’s teams had to navigate the conference realignment where the Cougars were left behind as the Pac-12 splintered off.
Dickert’s teams have been known to be very well-coached. He’s also a great developer of talent. Perhaps the best example of this is the fact that a host of ex-Cougars are now being hotly pursued in the transfer portal. He was a master in unearthing gems from the Pacific Northwest and California when building his roster.
This plan of attack should be welcomed at Wake — where he can build a talent base from North Carolina, Florida, and the rest of the talent-rich Southeast region.
