Jake Dickert isn’t going anywhere, and Wake Forest made sure of it.
The Demon Deacons have agreed to a new contract with their coach that will significantly increase both the staff and roster salary pools, keeping Dickert in Winston-Salem long term and shutting down the buzz that had tied him to some of the biggest jobs in the coaching carousel.
It’s an easy move to understand after what Dickert has done in a short time. Wake Forest is 17-5 under his watch, including an 8-1 start this season.
The lone loss came against Miami. His first year in charge produced a 9-4 record, the most wins ever by a first-year coach at Wake Forest.
The Deacons are also sitting at No. 13 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.
“Wake Forest University is committed to football success at the highest level and Coach Dickert has done an extraordinary job of inspiring belief among our players, fans and the entire Demon Deacon community,” Wake Forest athletic director John Currie said in a statement. “I am grateful for his and Candice's commitment and trust and especially appreciate President Rodriguez and our Board leadership recognizing that now was the time to go ahead and eliminate any outside speculation so that our team and Deacon Nation can put all our energy into the stretch run of this special season.”
Dickert also made his own feelings clear on social media, posting: “Candice and I have such a high level of appreciation for everyone involved at Wake Forest that believes in us and the future of our football program. We know what the path ahead looks like and we are excited to be a huge part of the future. As always, we need ALL of Demon…”
Now that Dickert is secured, the attention shifts to the people around him, especially offensive coordinator Rob Ezell and quarterback Gio Lopez. Ezell is in his first season calling plays at the Power Four level, and the results have been electric: Wake Forest owns the No. 9 offense in the sport. Lopez has been just as sharp, putting up an 18-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ranking No. 8 nationally in QBR.
Lopez’s season has been one of the biggest stories on the roster. He arrived as a reclamation project after a mediocre year at North Carolina, then stepped into a messy situation with Bill Belichick.
Since reuniting with Ezell, who worked with him during a successful run at South Alabama, Lopez has taken off. The junior has completed 67% of his passes for 2,176 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 317 yards and six scores.
He sits top-three in the ACC in nearly every passing category, alongside SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Miami’s Darian Mensah.
Wake Forest’s next challenge comes Saturday at SMU, where the winner will become the new favorite to reach the ACC Championship Game against Miami. The Deacons enter that matchup with their coach locked in and their offense humming, which makes the next few weeks even more important for keeping Ezell and Lopez in place.
Dickert’s path to this point has been a long one. He went from being a wide receiver at Wisconsin-Stevens Point to a sought-after ACC coach, with stops at North Dakota State, Augustana and Minnesota State before reaching the FBS level.
In 2021, he was elevated to interim coach after Nick Rolovich’s abrupt dismissal and guided Washington State to steadiness during a chaotic period. He finished 23-20 with the Cougars and helped them reach the Holiday Bowl.
At Wake Forest, he has become the same kind of stabilizer, only now in the NIL era. Former coach Dave Clawson built consistent success as a developmental coach, and Dickert has carried that culture into 2026 while taking the program to another level.
His new deal also changes the broader coaching market. Dickert had been a regular name in carousel chatter, and his connection to the ACC made him a possible fit at Florida State.
With him off the board, that search moves elsewhere, including former coach Jimbo Fisher. Duke’s Manny Diaz and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham have also been mentioned as possibilities.
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