Florida State’s coaching search is officially underway, but Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert doesn’t appear to be part of the picture.
The Seminoles moved on from Mike Norvell on Nov. 1 after a 3-5 start, and the process picked up another gear Monday when Florida State officially hired a new athletic director. Learfield executive vice president Jeff Purinton was tabbed as the new GM in Tallahassee, clearing the way for the search to move forward in earnest.
Several names have already surfaced. According to John Brice of USA Today, the list includes Jimbo Fisher, the former Florida State coach, and Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.
Dickert, though, is not among the candidates, despite the strong work he has done at Wake Forest. He arrived from Washington State and has quickly steadied the program, but Brice reported that he is not in the mix for the Florida State opening.
The reason appears to be tied to contract language around ACC schools. As Brice wrote, "Two coaching agents who represent current Wake Forest assistants or have represented Demon Deacons staffers in recent years told USA TODAY Sports that Wake Forest does, in fact, have “non-compete” clauses in its coaches’ contracts involving fellow ACC schools."
One source called it a "real thing" and said it has already cost some coaches major opportunities, while also suggesting it is limiting interest in Dickert for another job.
Dickert went 23-20 in four years at Washington State, then followed that with a 17-5 mark in two seasons at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 8-1 and in the hunt for the ACC title, which could put Dickert in line for a bigger job soon. Just not this one, and apparently not another ACC opening either.
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Pittsburgh arrives Friday with a similar sense of relief after ending its own skid, which makes this next matchup feel less like a reset and more like an immediate stress test. The numbers suggest there are real contrasts to sort through, and with both teams trying to turn one good result into something more durable, this one should say plenty about whether Florida States breakthrough was the start of a climb or just a brief pause. [Read more 🡒]