The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
in the sport of
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
. The Demon Deacons compete in the
Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) and the
Atlantic Division of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). Wake Forest plays its home football games at
Truist Field at Wake Forest
Truist Field at Wake Forest is a football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The stadium is just west of Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, home of the Wake Forest baseball team. It is primarily used for American football, an ...
and is coached by
Dave Clawson.
Wake Forest struggled in football for much of the second half of the 20th century. The university is the sixth-smallest school in FBS in terms of undergraduate enrollment (behind only
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
,
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
and the three FBS
United States service academies
The United States service academies, also known as the United States military academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces.
There are five U.S. serv ...
). It is also the smallest school playing in a
Power Five conference
The Power Five conferences are the five most prominent and highest-earning athletic conferences in college football in the United States. They are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of NCAA Division I, the highest level of collegiate ...
. However, since the start of the 21st century, the Deacons have been mostly competitive, having made ten bowl games in the first two decades.
History
Early history (1888–1972)
Wake Forest first fielded a football team in 1888. The team was coached by
W. C. Dowd
William Carey Dowd Sr. (March 21, 1865 – September 23, 1927) was an American football player and coach, politician, and publisher. He served as the first head football coach at Wake Forest University, coaching the team for one game in 1888. D ...
and
W. C. Riddick
Wallace Carl Riddick Jr. (August 4, 1864 – June 9, 1942) was an American college football coach and university administrator. Riddick received his A.B. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his degree in civil engineeri ...
.
That team played only one game, and went 1–0, a victory against
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
in the first-ever collegiate football game played in the state of North Carolina.
From 1891 to 1893, under head coach
E. Walter Sikes
Enoch Walter Sikes (May 19, 1868 – January 8, 1941) was an American college football player and coach, professor, state senator, and university president. He served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University from 1891 to 1893, compilin ...
, Wake Forest posted a 6–2–1 record.
Harry Rabenhorst
Harry Aldrich Rabenhorst (April 30, 1898 – March 24, 1972) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator.
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he served as the head basketball ...
coached Wake Forest for two seasons, posting a 3–8 record.
Hank Garrity served as head football coach from 1923–1924. He compiled a 19–7–1 record in those two seasons. His .704 winning percentage is the highest in Wake Forest football history.
F. S. Miller served as Wake Forest's head football coach for four seasons, posting a record of 18–15–4.
His first two seasons were winning seasons, 6–5–1 and 5–3–1, respectively.
Jim Weaver, who would become the ACC's first commissioner, coached the Demon Deacons football team for four seasons. His final record is 10–23–1.
Peahead Walker
Douglas Clyde "Peahead" Walker (February 17, 1899 – July 16, 1970) was an American football and baseball player, and coach of American football, Canadian football, basketball, and baseball. Walker served as the head football coach at Atlantic Ch ...
came to the Demon Deacons from
Elon and was Wake Forest's head football coach for 14 seasons, compiling a record of 77–51–6. He is tied with
Jim Grobe
Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
as the winningest head football coach in Demon Deacon football history. Walker led the Deacons to two bowl games, a win over
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
in the inaugural
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
in 1946 and a loss to
Baylor in the
1949 Dixie Bowl. He resigned after the 1950 season and was inducted into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971.
Tom Rogers led the Demon Deacons from 1951–1955, succeeding Walker. Rogers yearly records at Wake Forest were 6–4, 5–4–1, 3–6–1, 4–7–1 and 5–4–1. In 1951, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–4 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
. End
Jack Lewis and linebacker
Bill George were selected by the Associated Press as first-team players on the
1951 All-Southern Conference football team
The 1951 All-Southern Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP) for the All-Southern Conference football team for the 1951 college football season.
All-Southern Confere ...
. In their second season under Rogers, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–4–1 record and finished in a tie for second place in the
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
with a 5–1 record against conference opponents. End Jack Lewis was selected by the United Press as a first-team player on the
1952 All-Southern Conference football team
The 1952 All-Southern Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by the United Press (UP) for the All-Southern Conference football team for the 1952 college football season.
All-Southern Conference selections
Backs
* Ja ...
. This was followed by a 3–6–1 campaign in 1953 that saw Wake Forest finish in a three-way tie for third place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
with a 2–3 record against conference opponents. In 1954, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–6–1 record and finished in sixth place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
with a 1–4–1 record against conference opponents. End
Ed Stowers and tackle
Bob Bartholomew were selected by the Associated Press as first-team players on the
1954 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Bartholomew was the only unanimous selection by all 43 voters. In 1955, their fifth season under Rogers, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–4–1 record and finished in fourth place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
with a 3–3–1 record against conference opponents. Tackle Bob Bartholomew was selected by both the Associated Press and the United Press International as a first-team player on the
1955 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Rogers was replaced as Wake Forest head coach after five seasons.
Paul Amen
Paul Johannes Amen (July 6, 1916 – June 4, 2005) was a prominent Nebraskan with notable accomplishments in both athletics and banking. He served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University from 1956 to 1959, compiling a record of 11� ...
, who succeeded Rogers, came to Wake Forest from his post as an assistant at
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and also struggled but managed to go 6–4 in his final season, his only winning record.
He coached the Demon Deacons from 1956–1959.
Amen was hired over another former assistant to
Red Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik (February 15, 1897 – May 6, 1989) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at ...
, then-
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
offensive assistant
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, and he is recognized a ...
.
In their first season under Amen, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–5–3 record and finished in seventh place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
with a 1–5–1 record against conference opponents. Halfback
Billy Ray Barnes
Billy Ray Barnes (born May 14, 1935) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was a three-time Pro Bowl select ...
rushed for over 1,000 yards and was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the
1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team
The 1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1956 ...
. Amen's 1957 team posted a winless 0–10 record.
This was followed by a 3–7 season in 1958. In 1958, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–4 record and finished in a tie for fourth place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Quarterback
Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead (born July 31, 1939) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played coll ...
and end
Pete Manning were selected by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
and
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 2 ...
as first-team players on the
1959 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team
The 1959 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1959 in ...
.
Snead later played 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time All-Pro selection. Guard Nick Patella was selected to the All-ACC team by the UPI.
[ Amen was selected in 1956 and 1959 as ACC Coach of the Year,] however, Amen retired after four seasons. Bill Hildebrand was promoted from defensive line coach to head coach following Amen's retirement. Hildebrand, like his predecessors, struggled to find much success. His best season came in 1961 in which the Demon Deacons posted a 4–6 record. In its first season under Hildebrand, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–8 record and finished in seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). Quarterback Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead (born July 31, 1939) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played coll ...
was selected by the United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 2 ...
as a first-team player on the 1960 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Snead later played 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time All-Pro selection. In 1961, its second season under head coach Hildebrand, the team compiled a 4–6 record and finished in seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). Halfback Alan White was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the 1961 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. In 1962, the team compiled a 0–10 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). This was followed by a 1–9 campaign in 1963 that saw Wake Forest finish in seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). After four seasons and a 7–33 overall record, Hildebrand was fired.
Bill Tate was hired as the Demon Deacons head football coach in January 1964. Tate coached the Demon Deacons for five seasons. In its first season under Tate, the team compiled a 5–5 record and finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC). Three players received first-team All-ACC honors from the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
: fullback Brian Piccolo, quarterback John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
, and end Richard Cameron. Piccolo was a unanimous selection for the all-conference team,[ and was also selected as a first-team All-American by ''Football News''. He set three ACC records in 1964 with 1,044 rushing yards, 111 points scored, and 17 touchdowns.][ Piccolo also led the nation in 1964 in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and points scored.] He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC) Player of the Year
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award.
Association football
In association football, this award is he ...
, yet went unselected in both the AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
and NFL drafts. Mackovic led the Demon Deacons with 1,340 passing yards while completing 89 of 195 passes. Cameron caught 29 passes for 410 yards. From 1964–1968, Wake Forest posted a 17–32–1 record and steadily declined year-by-year, going from 5–5 in Tate's first year worsening each year to 2–7–1 in his last. Tate won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 1964 but was fired after failing to post a winning record in any of his five seasons.
Cal Stoll
Calvin C. Stoll (December 12, 1923 – August 25, 2000) was an American football player and coach. He played Defensive End for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1948 and 1949 seasons. Before graduating from Minnesota in June 1950, Stoll was nam ...
was hired as Wake Forest's head coach away from Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, where he served as an assistant. Stoll was able to have success with the Deacons, posting a 3–7 record his first year then back-to-back 6–5 records in his last two. In 1969, their first season under Stoll, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–7 record and finished in seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 1970, the team compiled a 6–5 record, finished in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
with a 5–1 record against conference opponents. In their third season under Stoll, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–5 record and finished in a tie for fifth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Stoll left Wake Forest after the 1971 season to take the head coach position at his alma mater Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
after initially declining the job. His final record was 15–17 and included Wake Forest's first ACC championship in 1970. Stoll won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 1970. Tom Harper was promoted from assistant coach to head coach following Stoll's departure. In their first and only season under Harper, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in a tie for last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Harper was replaced as Wake Forest's head football coach after the 1972 season.
Chuck Mills era (1973–1977)
Chuck Mills
Morton J. "Chuck" Mills (December 1, 1928 – January 18, 2021) was an American college football coach. He served as the head coach at Pomona College (1957–1961), Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1962–1963), the United States Merchant Mar ...
was hired away from Utah State
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
and served as the Demon Deacons head football coach for five seasons, compiling an 11–43–1 record before he was fired due to the team's continued lackluster on-the-field performance. In 1973, Mills' first season, the Demon Deacons compiled a 1–9–1 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. This was followed by a 1–10 record and last place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
in 1974. Mills' third season in 1975 saw the Demon Deacons go 3–8 record and finish in fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 1976, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–6 record and finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In their fifth and final season under Mills in 1977, the Demon Deacons compiled a 1–10 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
.
John Mackovic era (1978–1980)
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mo ...
offensive coordinator and associate head coach John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
took over as head coach of his alma mater in 1978 and re-energized the Wake Forest football program, turning the program around from 1–10 to 8–4 in one year, for which Mackovic won ACC Coach of the Year honors. His teams were aggressive and fast. In 1979, its second season under head coach John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
, the team compiled an 8–4 record, finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
, and lost to LSU in the 1979 Tangerine Bowl
The 1979 Tangerine Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 22, 1979 at Camping World Stadium, Orlando Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game matched the 1979 LSU Tigers football team, LSU Tigers against the 1 ...
. Mackovic won the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award
The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports in ...
in 1979. In its third season under head coach John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
, the team compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Following the 1980 season, Mackovic left Wake Forest to take an assistant coaching position with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
. Mackovic's final record at Wake Forest is 14–20.
Al Groh era (1981–1986)
Under head coach Al Groh
Albert Michael Groh II (born July 13, 1944) is an American football analyst and former player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University from 1981 to 1986 and at the University of Virginia from 2001 to 2009, compil ...
, the Demon Deacons compiled a 26–40 record. In 1981, their first season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In their second season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In their third season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in a tie for last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Groh's best season was a 6–5 1984 season. and Groh resigned after the 1986 season, a 5–6 campaign, to take an assistant coaching position with the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
's Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
.
Bill Dooley era (1987–1992)
Bill Dooley
William Gerald Dooley (May 19, 1934 – August 9, 2016) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1967–1977), Virginia Polytechni ...
came to Wake Forest after a brief retirement from coaching. He had previously been head football coach at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
and North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
.
In Dooley's first season, the team compiled a 7–4 record and finished in a tie for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. The next year, Wake Forest compiled a 6–4–1 record and finished in a tie for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 1989, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–8–1 record and finished in seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. The following season, Wake Forest finished with a 3–8 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 1991, Wake Forest again finished last in the ACC with a 3–8 record. Dooley led the Demon Deacons to one bowl game, the 1992 Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl ...
, which Wake Forest won, capping off an 8–4 season in which they finished ranked No. 25 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, respectively. Dooley re-retired after that game. Dooley retired after the 1992 season. His six seasons in Winston-Salem are tied for fourth for longest tenure and his 29 wins are third in most wins in Wake Forest history. He had three winning seasons at Wake Forest, 7–4 in 1987, 6–4–1 in 1988, and the 8–4 1992 team. Dooley's final record is 29–36–2.
Jim Caldwell era (1993–2000)
Jim Caldwell came to Wake Forest from his post as quarterbacks coach at Penn State. Caldwell was the first African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
head football coach in Wake Forest football history. Caldwell's Demon Deacons were known to pass the ball well, setting dozens of school passing records. However, they frequently struggled to run the ball; in one year, the leading rusher only ran for a total of 300 yards.
Caldwell's first season was 1993, during which the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 1994, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in eighth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. That was followed by a 1–10 record and last place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
for the fourth time in five years. 1996 was another season of struggle, as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
, their best such finish in the ACC in over a decade.
In 1997, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. The highlight of the season came on opening weekend, when the Demon Deacons upset then No. 21 Northwestern by a score of 27–20, their first win over a ranked opponent in over a decade. In 1998, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. That was followed by the only winning season of Caldwell's tenure, a 7–5 season capped with a win in the 1999 Aloha Bowl
The 1999 Aloha Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 25, 1999, in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was part of the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who finished 5th in the ACC, and the Arizon ...
. In 2000, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in eighth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. Wake Forest struggled in Caldwell's eight-year tenure, posting only one winning season. Caldwell was fired after the 2000 season. His final record at Wake Forest was 26–63.
Jim Grobe era (2001–2013)
Coach Jim Grobe
Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
came to Wake Forest from Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
. He brought with him an aggressive defensive scheme and a philosophy of discipline and accountability for his players both on the field and off. In their first season under Grobe, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–5 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. In 2002, the Demon Deacons compiled a 7–6 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. This was followed by a 5–7 campaign and seventh-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
.
In 2004, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in a tie for last place in the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. That year, Wake Forest lost a close game on homecoming to then No. 5 Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
on a field goal with one minute remaining in the contest by a score of 20–17. In their fifth season under Jim Grobe, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
.
Grobe's best season was 2006, when the Demon Deacons posted an 11–2 record, won their first ACC championship in 36 years, and played in the Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in ...
, a game they lost to Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
. For the team's success in 2006, Grobe was awarded the ACC coach of the Year, Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, ...
and AP Coach of the Year Award. Grobe's 77 wins are tied with Peahead Walker
Douglas Clyde "Peahead" Walker (February 17, 1899 – July 16, 1970) was an American football and baseball player, and coach of American football, Canadian football, basketball, and baseball. Walker served as the head football coach at Atlantic Ch ...
for most in Wake Forest football history.
After that 2006 season, Grobe's teams weren't able to match that level of success, winning six or more games just three times in the next seven years. Following the most successful season in team history in 2006, the 2007 team was not widely predicted to win the ACC despite returning many offensive starters from 2006. Some sports writers stated that they believed 2006 to have been a fluke and that Wake Forest was not going to win as many games in 2007, especially because of the losses on defense, including the loss of linebacker Jon Abbate
Jon Abbate (born June 18, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Wake Forest University in 2004–2006 and was signed as a free agent by the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) in 2007 ...
to the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
. Wake Forest was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division of the ACC in the annual preseason poll conducted by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Lindy's was the only major preseason magazine to pick Wake Forest as a Top-25 team. The team began its season with an Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC) game on Saturday, September 1, 2007 against Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
. Wake Forest played its first season since winning the 2006 ACC championship
The ACC Championship was a cancelled two-day cricket tournament run by the Asian Cricket Council that is contested between its members nations.
The first tournament was scheduled to be held in December 2014. It was canceled due to the busy prep ...
, their first in 36 years. Wake Forest would finish the season with a 9–4 (5–3 ACC) record. A win in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl
The 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, one of 27 non- BCS bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007, with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wake ...
against UConn
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from ...
gave the Deacons twenty wins over the last two seasons. In 2008, Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the ACC the Demon Deacons began their season on August 28 at Baylor. The team finished 8–5 overall and 4–4 in ACC play, and beat Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on December 20, 2008. The 2009 season saw the Demon Deacons finish the season with a record of 5–7 and 3–5 in ACC play. The Deacons missed out on a bowl game for the first time since the 2005 season.
In 2010, the Demon Deacons had another year of struggles, finishing 3–9, 1–7 in ACC play. This was followed by a 2011 season in which the Demon Deacons finished 6–7 and 5–3 in ACC play to finish in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. They were invited to the Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998. Since 2020, it has been sponsored by TransPerfect and is officially known as the ''TransPer ...
where they were defeated by Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
by a score of 23–17. The 2012 season saw Wake Forest finish 5–7 with a 3–5 record in ACC play. Grobe resigned as head coach after the 2013 season, a 4–8 campaign, with a 77–82 overall record.
Dave Clawson era (2014–present)
Dave Clawson was hired away from Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
as the Demon Deacons head football coach, his hiring made official at a press conference on December 10, 2013. Clawson brought with him a coaching style that utilizes the team's available talent to maximize success. His offensive philosophy focuses on getting individual playmakers more touches rather than sticking to a rigidly-defined system.
After posting 3–9 (1–7 ACC) seasons in 2014 and 2015, Clawson's 2016 team started the season by winning five of its first six games including road victories at Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
and Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
. He led Wake Forest to its first bowl win in eight years, beating then No. 23 Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
34–26 in the Military Bowl
The Military Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that has been played annually each December in the Washington metropolitan area since 2008. The game was originally held a ...
. Clawson has re-built the Deacons using a philosophy of strong recruiting classes, redshirting as many freshmen as possible, and having a strong strength and conditioning program. After the 2016 season, Wake Forest signed Clawson to a contract extension.
The Demon Deacons finished 8–5 in 2017. The Demon Deacons kicked off the season on August 31 with a 51–7 victory over FCS Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
. In the season's second game, Wake defeated Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
by a margin of 34–10. After a 46–10 drubbing of Utah State
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
, Clawson's squad picked up their fourth win of the season in their fourth game by virtue of a 20–19 nail biter over Appalachian State
Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
. Then the Demon Deacons embarked upon a three-game losing streak, beginning with a 26–19 loss to Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
. On October 7, Wake Forest lost to No. 2 Clemson by a score of 28–14. After a 38–24 loss to Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
, Wake posted its fifth victory of the season with a 42–32 win over Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
with wide receiver Greg Dortch
Greg Dortch (born May 29, 1998) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wake Forest.
Early years
Dortch attended Highland Springs High School in Hig ...
hauling in a school-record 4 TD receptions. After a 48–37 loss to No. 5 Notre Dame, the Demon Deacons ran all over Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
* Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
* Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
in an offensive shootout, prevailing by a margin of 64–43. After a 30–24 victory over archrival No. 25 NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
, Clawson's squad lost to rival Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
by a score of 31–23 in the regular season finale. Wake Forest was offered and accepted a berth in the 2017 Belk Bowl
The 2017 Belk Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 29, 2017. The game was the 16th edition of the Belk Bowl and featured the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the ...
, a game they won over Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
by a score of 55–52. The following year, they were offered and accepted a berth to the 2018 Birmingham Bowl
The 2018 Birmingham Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 22, 2018. It was the 13th edition of the Birmingham Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Jared brand of ...
, in which they beat Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
37–34. In 2019 they finished the season 8-5 after losing to Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl
The 2019 Pinstripe Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2019, with kickoff at 3:20 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 10th edition of the Pinstripe Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS footb ...
. In 2020 they finished the season 4-5 after losing to Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in the 2020 Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In 2021 they became bowl eligible for the 6th straight season when they started the season 8-0 for the first time in program history.
Conference affiliations
Wake Forest has been independent and affiliated with two conferences.
* Independent (1888–1935)
* Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
(1936–1952)
* Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(1953–present)
Championships
Conference championships
Wake Forest has two conference championships.
Division championships
Head coaches
List of Wake Forest head coaches.
Bowl games
Wake Forest has played in 16 bowls in its history and owns a 10-6 record in those games. For the 2006 season, the school earned a bid to its first ever BCS game, with an Orange Bowl match-up against Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
. Wake also had played in the 1982 Mirage Bowl
The Coca-Cola Classic was a regular season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football game played in Tokyo, Japan, from 1977 to 1993. It was originally sponsored by Mitsubishi and known as the Mirage Bowl, and ...
in Tokyo, Japan against Clemson. However, because this game was played during the regular season, the NCAA does not recognize it as an official bowl game. Wake also competed in the 1951, 1953, 1954 Tobacco Bowl
The Tobacco Bowl (or Tobacco Festival Bowl) was a college football bowl game that was held in Richmond, Virginia from 1949 to 1982. It was not a postseason bowl game, and it typically featured regional teams from Virginia, North Carolina and South ...
in Richmond, Virginia. According to the NCAA, it doesn't count as an official bowl game since this game isn't a postseason bowl.
Rivalries
Wake Forest is referred to as being a part of " Tobacco Road" or the Big Four, terms that refer to the four North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
schools that compete heatedly against each other within the ACC. Wake Forest swept the series with its Tobacco Road rivals in 1924, 1951, 1970, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2007, and 2019.
North Carolina
Wake Forest defeated North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
6–4 on October 18, 1888 during the first intercollegiate football game played in the state of North Carolina. Wake's all-time record against UNC is 36–68–2.
North Carolina State
Being in the same division of the ACC, Wake Forest and in-state rival NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
face each other every year. The rivalry is also the longest continuous rivalry between two ACC schools, having been played every year since 1910, as well as being the fourth longest continuous rivalry in NCAA history. Although the series has been interrupted since its inception, it has been uninterrupted since 1910, tying it with Oklahoma/Oklahoma St. for the second-longest continuous rivalry in FBS Division I college football, after only Minnesota/Wisconsin (uninterrupted since 1907). The Lafayette/Lehigh game in the FCS college football subdivision has been played, uninterrupted, since 1897. Wake Forest trails in the series 42–68–6 through the 2022 season.
Retired jerseys
Individual award winners
Player
*First Team All-American Selections
:1976 – Bill Armstrong (consensus)
:2005 – Ryan Plackimeier (unanimous)
:2007 – Steve Justice (consensus)
:2008 – Alphonso Smith (consensus)
*ACC 25th Anniversary Football Team
:Billy Ray Barnes
: Bill Armstrong
*ACC 50th Anniversary Football Team
: Bill Armstrong
:Brian Piccolo
:Norm Snead
*ACC All Decade Football Teams
:(2000–2009) Chris Barclay, Steve Justice, Ryan Plackemeier, Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith
*All SoCon selections
:1936 – Raleigh Daniel
:1938 – Louis Trunzo, Marshall Edwards
:1939 – Rupert Pate, John Polanski
:1940 – Tony Gallovich
:1941 – Carl Givler
:1942 – Pat Preston, Red Cochran, Buck Jones
:1943 – Nick Sacrinty, Elmer Barbour, Bill Starford
:1944 – Nick Sacrinty, Elmer Barbour, Dick Foreman, John Kerns, George Owens, Dave Harris
:1945 – Nick Sacrinty, Dave Harris, Dick Foreman, Buck Garrison, Rock Brinkley, Pride Ratterree
:1946 – Nick Sacrinty, Bob Leonetti, Nick Ognovich
:1947 – Jim Duncan, Tom Fetzer, Harry Clark, Ed Royston,
:1948 – Jim Duncan, Tom Fetzer, Bill George, Red O'Quinn, Bill Gregus
:1949 – Jim Duncan, Bill Miller, Bill George, Red O'Quinn, Bill Gregus, Ray Cicia, Carroll Blackerby
:1950 – Jack Lewis, Bill Miller, Guido Scarton, Jim Staton, Bob Auffarth, Ed Listopad
:1951 – Jack Lewis, Bill Finnance, Dickie Davis, Bill Link, Bill George, Jim Zarkas, Guido Scarton
:1952 – Jack Lewis, Bill Finnance, Joe Koch, Sonny George, Ken Bridges, Bob Gaona
*All ACC selections
:1953 – Bob Bartholomew, Gerald Huth
:1954 – Bob Bartholomew, Ed Stowers, Gerald Huth
:1955 – Bob Bartholomew, Billy Ray Barnes
:1956 – Billy Ray Barnes, Eddie Moore
:1958 – Norm Snead, Pte Manning
:1959 – Norm Snead, Pete Manning, Nick Patella
:1960 – Norm Snead, Wayne Wolff
:1961 – Alan White, Bill Hull, Bill Ruby
:1964 – Brian Piccolo, John Mackovic
:1965 – Joe Carazo
:1966 – Bob Oplinger, Robert Grant
:1967 – Rick Decker, Freddie Summers
:1968 – Digit Laughride
:1969 – Joe Dobner, John Mazalewski
:1970 – Bill Bobbora, Larry Hopkins, Larry Russel, Ed Stetz, Tracy Lounsbury, Win Headley
Win Headley (born July 4, 1949) is a former American football offensive guard who played one season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in ...
:1971 – Bill Bobbora, Larry Hopkins, Larry Russel, Ed Stetz, Steve Bowden
:1972 – Chuck Ramsey, Nick Arcaro
:1973 – Chuck Ramsey
:1975 – Bill Armstrong, Clark Gaines
:1976 – Bill Armstrong, Steve Young (TE), James McDougald, Don Cervi
:1977 – Steve Young (TE), Larry Tearry, James McDougald
:1979 – Wayne Baumgardner, Jay Venuto, James McDougald, James Parker
:1980 – Bill Ard, Jay Venuto, Carlos Bradley
:1981 – Phil Denfeld
:1982 – Phil Denfeld, Tim Ryan, Harry Newsome
:1983 – Harry Newsome
:1984 – Gary Baldinger, Ronnie Burgess
:1985 – Gary Baldinger, James Brim
:1986 – James Brim, Tim Morrison, Paul Kiser
:1987 – Mark Young, Jimmie Simmons, A.J. Green (DB)
:1988 – A.J. Green (DB), Martin Bailey
:1989 – Ricky Proehl
:1990 – John Henry Mills
:1991 – John Henry Mills, George Coghill
:1992 – John Henry Mills, George Coghill, Todd Dixon, Ben Coleman
:1993 – Dred Booe
:1995 – Tucker Grace
:1998 – Desmond Clark
:1999 – Dustin Lyman, Morgan Kane, Bryan Ray, Fred Robbins
:2001 – Michael Collins, Tarence Williams, Nate Bolling, Calvin Pace, John Stone, Vince Azzolina, Ray Thomas
:2002 – Blake Henry, Calvin Pace, Fabian Davis, Tarence Williams, Mark Moroz, Tyson Clabo, Eric King, Quintin Williams, Montique Sharpe, Ray Thomas
:2003 – Tyson Clabo, Eric King, Ryan Packemeier, Chris Barclay, Mark Moroz
:2004 – Chris Barclay, Ryan Plackemeier, Steve Vallos, Eric King, Jon Abbate
:2005 – Chris Barclay, Ryan Plackemeier, Josh Gattis, Steve Vallos, Jon Abbate
:2006 – Steve Justice, Steve Vallos, Jon Abbate, Josh Gattis, Sam Swank, Riley Skinner, Jyles Tucker, Patrick Ghee, Sam Swank, Chip Vaughn
:2007 – Steve Justice, Kenneth Moore, Alphonso Smith, Josh Adams, Aaron Curry, Sam Swank, Kevin Marrion, Chip Vaughn
:2008 – D.J. Boldin, Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith, Boo Robinson, Riley Skinner
:2009 – John Russell, Riley Skinner, Marshall Williams, Chris DeGeare, Kenny Okoro
:2011 – Chris Givens, Josh Bush, Joe Looney, Nikita Whitlock, Merrill Noel
:2012 – Michael Campanaro, Nikita Whitlock, Kevin Johnson, A.J. Marshall
:2013 – Nikita Whitlock, Michael Campanaro, Kevin Johnson, Ryan Janvion
2014 - Tylor Harris
2015 - Brandon Chubb, Alex Kinal
2016 - Mike Weaver, Jessie Bates, Marquel Lee
2017 - Cam Serigne, Ryan Anderson, John Wolford, Greg Dortch, Mike Weaver, Duke Ejiofor
2018 - Greg Dortch, Phil Haynes, Essang Bassey, Cameron Glenn
2019 - Sage Surratt, Boogie Basham, Nick Sciba, Dom Maggio
The ACC and SoCon All Decade, and the all–conference lists aren't complete. The all–conference lists include selections for 1st team, 2nd team, and honorable mention.
*ACC Male Athlete of the Year
:Brian Piccolo – 1965
*ACC Player of the Year
:Billy Ray Barnes – 1956
: Brian Piccolo – 1964
:Jay Venuto – 1979
:Chris Barclay – 2005
*ACC Offensive Player of the Year
:Chris Barclay
Chris Barclay (born October 15, 1983) is an American football coach and former running back who is the current running backs coach for the Louisville Cardinals. He played college football at Wake Forest. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as ...
– 2005
*Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter as adjudged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro
All-Pro is an ho ...
:Ryan Plackemeier
Ryan Steven Plackemeier (born March 5, 1984) is a former American football punter. He played college football for Wake Forest University, and earned unanimous All-American honors. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of th ...
– 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
*ACC Rookie of the Year
:James McDougald – 1976
:Michael Ramseur – 1982
:Riley Skinner
Riley Skinner (born October 21, 1986) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest University.
College career
Skinner played high ...
– 2006
:Josh Adams – 2007
*ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year
:Josh Adams – 2007
*ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year
:Merrill Noel – 2011
*ACC Brian Piccolo Award
:Kenny Duckett – 1982
:John Piedmonte – 1983
:John Lewis – 1996
:Matt Robinson – 2007
*Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
: Aaron Curry – 2008
*Jacobs Blocking Award The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of William P. Jacobs, founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 t ...
:James Ringgold (SoCon) – 1939
: Elmer Barbour (SoCon) – 1943
:Nick Ognovich (SoCon) – 1945, 1946, 1947
:Paul Kiser (ACC) – 1986
:Ben Coleman (ACC) – 1992
:Steve Justice (ACC) – 2007
*Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
:Bill George – 1974
*Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about ...
: Red O’Quinn - 1981
:Ed George
Edward Gary George (born August 10, 1946) is a former offensive lineman and star player in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
CFL
Ed George was drafted in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers after playing at Wak ...
- 2005
Coaches
*ACC Coach of the Year
:Paul Amen
Paul Johannes Amen (July 6, 1916 – June 4, 2005) was a prominent Nebraskan with notable accomplishments in both athletics and banking. He served as the head football coach at Wake Forest University from 1956 to 1959, compiling a record of 11� ...
– 1956, 1959
: Bill Tate – 1964
:Cal Stoll
Calvin C. Stoll (December 12, 1923 – August 25, 2000) was an American football player and coach. He played Defensive End for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1948 and 1949 seasons. Before graduating from Minnesota in June 1950, Stoll was nam ...
– 1970
:John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
– 1979
:Bill Dooley
William Gerald Dooley (May 19, 1934 – August 9, 2016) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1967–1977), Virginia Polytechni ...
– 1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, 1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...
:Jim Grobe
Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
– 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
: Dave Clawson - 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
*Walter Camp Coach of the Year
:John Mackovic
John Mackovic (born October 1, 1943) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach of the Italy national American football team, which was formed to compete in the EFAF European Championship. Previously, Mackovic served as the he ...
– 1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
*Associated Press Coach of the Year
:Jim Grobe
Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
– 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
*Bobby Dodd Award
:Jim Grobe
Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was as head ...
– 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
Other notable players
*Jon Abbate
Jon Abbate (born June 18, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Wake Forest University in 2004–2006 and was signed as a free agent by the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) in 2007 ...
– Former NFL linebacker; the central figure in '' The 5th Quarter'', a 2011 feature film on Wake's 2006 season after his brother (Luke Abbate) died in a car accident.
* Richard Burr – Current Republican Senator of North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
*Jim Clack
James Thomas Clack (October 26, 1947 – April 7, 2006) was an American football center and guard in the National Football League. He played for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1981. He died of heart failure in 2006 after suffering from ca ...
– Former NFL center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
who won Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
rings with the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and also played for the New York Giants
* George Coghill – Former NFL defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
who won back–to–back Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
rings with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999.
*Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the U.S. representative for from 2017 to 2022. Crist has been a member of the Democratic ...
– Former Governor of Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
* Aaron Curry – Former first round pick of the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
*Clark Gaines
Clark Daniel Gaines (born February 1, 1954) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was also a coach in the United States Football League (USFL). He played for the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chi ...
– Former NFL running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
, holds NFL record for most receptions in a game by a running back (3rd most receptions in a game among all players), and was the first undrafted rookie to rush for over 500 yards in a rookie season; serves as Assistant Executive Director of the NFL Players Association.
*Gerry Huth
Gerald Bernard Huth (July 23, 1933 – February 11, 2011) was an American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at W ...
– Former NFL offensive guard
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that ...
who won 2 NFL championships (1 with the NY Giants in 1956, and the other with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1960)
* Brian Kuklick – Former NFL quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
*Rusty LaRue
Rusty LaRue (born December 10, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He was a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, baseball, and football at Wake Forest University. LaRue played in the National Basketball Ass ...
– Still owns several NCAA passing records
*James MacPherson
James Macpherson (Gaelic: ''Seumas MacMhuirich'' or ''Seumas Mac a' Phearsain''; 27 October 1736 – 17 February 1796) was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of epic poem ...
– Quarterback
*Bob McCreary
Bobby Joe McCreary (born June 20, 1939) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played ...
– Former NFL offensive tackle
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...
* Brian Piccolo – Former NFL running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
, basis for the movie ''Brian's Song
''Brian's Song'' is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the life of Brian Piccolo (James Caan), a Chicago Bears football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro in 1965, told through his friendship with teammate Gale Sayer ...
''
* Ricky Proehl – Former NFL wide receiver who won Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
rings with St. Louis and Indianapolis
*Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead (born July 31, 1939) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played coll ...
– Four time Pro Bowl quarterback.
*Freddie Summers
Freddie S. Summers (born February 16, 1947) was a former American football defensive back who played three seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1 ...
– Former NFL defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
* Kevin Johnson – Current NFL defensive back, former first round pick in 2015
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules
References
External links
*
{{Atlantic Coast Conference football navbox
American football teams established in 1888
1888 establishments in North Carolina