Wake Forest’s 3-1 start has done more than put the Demon Deacons in a strong spot early in the season. It has also pushed Jake Dickert onto the radar in the next round of college football’s coaching carousel.
The latest buzz came Thursday on the Crain & Cone podcast, where co-host Blain Crain put Dickert on the watch list and On3 reporter Pete Nakos backed him up. “He will be a hot commodity,” Nakos said.
“I forgot to mention him. That’s a good one, though.”
Crain tied Dickert’s rising profile directly to what Wake Forest has done over the last two weeks.
“Beat Louisville. You lost by 13 against Miami, but looked confident and competitive through four quarters,” Crain said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jake Dickert was a hot commodity in the coaching market.”
Jake Crain agreed, calling attention to the way Dickert has climbed through two demanding jobs. “He’s done an incredible job,” Jake Crain said.
“He did a great job at Washington State, too. He’s a guy that’s done nothing but rise.”
Nakos had already flagged Dickert in his Sept. 24 On3 notebook, listing him among sitting Power Four head coaches who could be on the move.
“What if he could do it somewhere with more resources?” Nakos wrote.
Dickert’s résumé helps explain why his name is gaining traction. He took over Washington State as acting head coach in October 2021 after the school fired Nick Rolovich, then Wake Forest hired him in December 2024 to replace Dave Clawson. He came into this season with a 32-24 record across those stops, including a 9-4 first year at Wake Forest that ended with a bowl win.
Saturday’s 30-27 road win at Louisville only strengthened the case. Carlos Hernandez was the big-play engine, catching nine passes for 194 yards, while Gabe Kirschke came through with a blocked 57-yard field goal try with 15 seconds left. The victory also gave Wake Forest back-to-back road wins for the first time since 1975 and 1976.
The national media has started to notice the fit, too. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote this week that Dickert isn’t attached to one region or one powerhouse program, which could make him attractive to a wider range of schools.
Rittenberg also noted that Dickert grew up in Wisconsin. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic added that Dickert would be “high on Wisconsin’s radar if Luke Fickell has a disappointing season in Madison.”
Wisconsin’s own 4th-week win over Penn State has helped Fickell’s position for now.
For Wake Forest, the timing could matter. The Demon Deacons have a stretch ahead that looks manageable, with Stanford, NC State, Cal, Virginia, Merrimack, SMU and Georgia Tech still on the schedule.
They also finish the regular season at home against Duke on Nov. 28.
Next up is Stanford at Wake Forest on Saturday at noon ET on ACC Network. Wake Forest then heads to NC State on Oct. 10 and to Cal on Oct. 17 before a bye week.
Dickert still has eight games left to build on the start he’s already put together, and the coaching market could heat up fast if openings start to appear in the coming weeks.
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