It's October, Wake Forest is 6-0 and its open date is approaching. Dave Clawson is insane.
He's not mad. Clawson isn't mad in his seventh year of coaching the Demon Deacons. This is part his coaching philosophy. No F-bombs or media tirades, no wild emotions. Clawson wants the same guy every single day. Clawson is not insane. Perturbed, perhaps.
Wake was 16th in the Power 5 schools' rankings at this point. Although the Demon Deacons dominated the Atlantic Division of the ACC, few analysts thought they would stay there for too long. There were also advanced metrics. These algorithms were dismissive of Wake Forest. Clawson believes that the entire system is too narrow-minded.
Clawson stated that "the formulas out there, always downgrade us." "It's unfair to our players that what they do is discounted because of some recruiting ranking that was published six years ago that locks them into a certain way. You're always a 3-star once you're a star.
The Deacons are 2.5 points underdogs for Saturday's match against North Carolina (4-4 ET) (ESPN App, noon ET). ESPN's Football Power Index gives them a 50-50 chance of winning the division that they currently lead.
Clawson stated that it is not like the algorithms have messed with the math. They measure the wrong things. Because it was designed to appreciate their brute strength, the system loves Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama.
Wake Forest, with its three-star recruits-turned-sixth-year seniors, its unconventional offense and outside-the-box coach -- "the most progressive coach in America," according to Jason George, the team's director of performance -- somehow works.
Wake Forest is "Moneyball."
Clawson stated, "We cannot take less talent and win this race." "So, we had to change it."
Wake Forest's record is 8-0. It is the ninth-ranked team in the ACC's Playoff committee's initial rankings. Five straight bowl games have been attended by the Deacons. The Deacons have just received a $20million donation to build a new football facility. They are determined to crash the College Football Playoff despite a roster that includes blue-blood players.
P.J. Fleck, Iowa State's Matt Campbell, and Kentucky's Mark Steops have been praised for their ability to lead upstart programs into unknown waters. However, Clawson's tiny engine that did it remains a footnote to most Americans.
Clawson is, in short, a bit crazy. Clawson found a way to allow Wake Forest to play with the best college football teams, but the system doesn’t seem to appreciate the Deacons.
"We are a great football team. Why is everyone surprised?" Clawson stated. Clawson said, "This didn't happen by accident. We have been great. We have been building. While it doesn't bother me, I think that our players deserve more credit.
Dave Clawson is called "the most progressive coach" by Wake Forest's director for performance. James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
CLAWSON JOINED Wake Forest in 2014, after a successful career at Fordham Richmond and Bowling Green. He knew that the renovation would prove difficult from the beginning. The football facilities were almost non-existent. Clawson was unable to fill out the depth chart because of the dearth of talent on the offense. Jim Grobe led Wake University to a historic ACC title in 2006. However, the program was in decline for many years before Clawson arrived. ESPN ranked Wake the worst job in Power 5 in spring 2015.
"Every job's hard," stated John Currie, Wake AD. He worked with Clawson in Tennessee and was able to re-instate him at Wake in 2019 from Ron Wellman, a long-time AD. Alabama is a difficult job. What are the key factors that make it difficult? And what makes a coach well-suited for this particular job? Wake Forest has many great qualities that no other university in the country can match. Dave Clawson is a great example of what makes Wake Forest unique. He has all the elements that make us our greatest assets.
Clawson is a personable, approachable individual with a pragmatic approach to solving problems. He set up a house in his office to keep his wife from COVID-19 last year. He reads almost obsessively. He read the same book on corporate growth that inspired this year's team motto, "Good to Great." Although he has received offers from top-name schools, he has declined most of them, and remained far away from the annual coaching-search rumor-mill. He said he has no interest in becoming a celebrity coach. He is a foodie and has dined in Michelin-starred restaurants. However, he keeps a nametag from an old job at a restaurant in his wallet to remind himself of simpler times. He says Talking Heads is his favorite band. Clawson could be college football's David Byrne lead singer, which would make him the coolest geek in the game.
Clawson's distinctive style is perfect for Wake, the smallest school of the Power 5. It is both an academic powerhouse as well as a football novelty.
Warren Ruggiero (Wake's offensive coordinator) said that Clawson's approach was similar to Steve Jobs'. "You can't just look at the competition, and say you're going do it better. It's important to see the competition and decide how you will do it differently.
Clawson's two first years at Wake were hard. Both ended with a record of 3-9, but he was able to see progress. The first-team defense was beaten by the freshmen offensive linemen who were working with the Scout team. John Wolford was the true freshman quarterback who threw himself into the fire in 2014. He survived the storm. His first recruiting classes, which were full of raw material, began to look like ACC-caliber athletes.
Clawson stated that "the key to our success" is to find men who are still capable of developing and becoming as good as the five-star and four-star guys. They're not lacking anything physical. It's just one year of training. After a year of training in our program, I believe that many of our players will be four-star players.
Wake has had as many first-round and second-round draft picks since 2015 as Texas. In 2021, Clawson signed two high school players (QB Sam Hartman, tailback Kenneth Walker III) who are both among the top 10 betting favourites to win the Heisman Trophy. Clawson is more certain than the algorithms that they are three-star players.
Clawson's first years were marked by Wake's aggressive approach to winning low-scoring games. They won 6-3 against Virginia Tech, 3-0 against BC and 7-3 against Tulane. As the talent grew, Clawson, Ruggiero developed a new approach. It uses a delay at a mesh point between the QB/running back. This almost allows a fan to get up and grab a beer, before Hartman decides whether or not to take the ball. This scheme has been a success, with a 70-point victory against Army in Week 8. It was achieved despite Hartman holding the ball for only 17 minutes. Although college football is often referred to as a "copycat" game, Wake's offense stands out.
2016 was the year things started to go smoothly. Wake was invited to a bowl match. A year later, Wake was defeated by Texas A&M at the Belk Bowl. Another bowl win for 2018. Wake won five of its first five games in 2019 and ended the year with eight wins, for the second consecutive year.
Clawson made America's worst job a winning one, but few outside Winston-Salem noticed.
While all of this might seem to be enough for most coaches to want to get the first chance at a higher-profile job, that wasn't Clawson's goal. Clawson was the Tennessee offensive coordinator for one year between his stints at Bowling Green and Richmond. Phillip Fulmer was out of office, the staff was fresh, and the team was awful. Clawson was a target of fan outrage and, despite the three year contract he signed with the team, Clawson and his entire staff were fired.
Clawson admitted that the experience was difficult, but he says he learned from it. Clawson appreciates Wake Forest's patience and believes in the culture.
Although it would be nice to receive some recognition for his success, he knows that this is a double-edged sword.
Clawson, 54 said, "I'm very content where I am at." "If you are happy and enjoying where you are at, in this profession, there is no need to look elsewhere."
QB Sam Hartman is one of the top 10 betting favourites to win the Heisman Trophy. Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
HARTMAN DID NOT EXPECT that his July prediction would be noticed. Hartman and Wake had already been discussing their 2021 plans for months. This was the natural conclusion to the "Good to Great” mantra.
Hartman stated, "If we don’t win 10 games this season," "that would be disappointing."
Wake Forest had made significant progress under Clawson but only 10 wins? Wake Forest is? The program has existed since 1908 and only one 10-win season in its history. Two preseason top-10 teams were on the Deacons' schedule. They also played in a division that was dominated for the past decade by Clemson and Florida State. The 2020 campaign finished with a record of 4-5 and three consecutive losses. Ten victories was not a lofty goal. It was delusional.
Here's a quick summary of the most talked about moments during Clawson’s tenure at Wake Forest, 2021.
In 2014, Wake and Virginia Tech were tied at zero. The reaction of Frank Beamer, Hokies coach, to a last-second missed field goal was a well-known meme.
A former Wake assistant coach turned radio broadcaster was exposed in 2016 as a spy. He secretly gave opposing coaches play plans he had seen in practice. This scandal occurred at the height Julian Assange's WikiLeaks fame and was eventually given the nickname "Wakeyleaks."
Tyler Cameron and Matt James were former Wake Forest football players and participated in "The Bachelorette and "The Bachelor."
Last season's opening episode saw ESPN's College GameDay make its first ever visit to Wake Forest. It was also during a global pandemic. Fans were not allowed. That night, the game was shown on a drive in movie screen.
The Deacons were a major news story off the field. Wake, even though it was winning, was an insignificant footnote in news stories about Clemson, Florida State, or North Carolina.
Clawson stated, "The narrative is always about what [our enemies] aren’t instead of what they are.”
Clawson was able to convince his players that they could do more inside the program.
Clawson stated that "we're proud to go to bowls", but quite frankly, he said to Clawson, "but quite frankly I said to my team, "If that's your only goal this year, you're selling yourself short."
Clawson was able to make progress despite a terrible 2020 season that was ruined by COVID-19. Jaquarii Roberson became one of the ACC’s top receivers. The secondary was dominated by Nick Anderson and Caelen Carson, both freshmen. Hartman was a master of Wake’s offensive strategy. In practice, Clawson saw depth developing. Clawson saw depth developing in practice.
Although the 2020 season wasn't exactly a breakthrough season, Clawson knew that his team was on the verge of it.
Clawson stated that they met together as a team and agreed to create an environment where the "pandemic" and "social justice" are the only two or three hours per day that the players enjoy the most. "We have to make sure that they enjoy this part of their lives, no matter what we do. Let's reach 2021 without causing any harm to our football program. This was the biggest [on-field] goal for 2020.
Now 2021 was upon us, and Wake Forest was ready for the unveiling of the machine it had constructed under the COVID-19-imposed veil. Hartman's prediction may have been dismissed by the rest of the world, but Hartman believed it.
Hartman stated, "I want to win an ACC title." Hartman stated, "We're big-time football and we're stating that inside this locker, there's not any shock."
This year, Wake Forest's motto was "Good to Great." Photo by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportswire
CLAWSON WAS THINKING about the team's "Good to Great” mantra when he received a call from an old friend. Clawson, a Fordham graduate, inherited Jason George's position as team strength coach in 1999. George went on to become a professional football player, but the two men remained close. George was just leaving the Houston Texans and was looking for a change in pace. He loved the process of maximising a player's potential -- the science, data and psychology. He desired a job that would allow him to focus on these things.
It was a great timing. Although Wake Forest was hot from the beginning, injuries and a lackluster depth were always able to ruin promising seasons. Clawson was frustrated, and wanted to find a better method of preparing the players for the grind of an ACC campaign.
Clawson stated that he believes the team is on the brink of becoming a great football club. "And I believe this guy can help me get there," Clawson said to his AD after the call.
George first came in on a three day contract as a consultant. He returned with a detailed plan to increase training loads, improve practice efficiency, and analyze data. Currie was sold and George became Wake's new director for integrated high performance in March.
The result was a major overhaul in Wake's preparation for games. Catapult's wearable performance monitors had been used by the team. George devised better methods to interpret and create specific programs for each player. George and Clawson devised a new plan to support Wake's practice.
George stated, "When we're physically training our athletes there's a reason behind it." We're not running them around, we're not training them. We're more efficient at putting together a practice plan if they have access to their physical work, as well as technical and tactical decision-making skills, and psychological cognitive work.
George is described by Clawson as "an interpreter", who communicates well between coaches, players and strength staff. George met Clawson because he was a coach who is willing to go beyond the norms of what a strength coach should do.
George stated, "The best part about my day is having an interactivity with him, and putting together the practice plan from two perspectives and finding a good compromise." "Dave is a cerebral guy so I can't just say, 'I think this should be done.' "I need to be armed with the right data and have all the facts."
All of this fit in with Clawson’s three-pronged approach for pushing his team to greatness. He wanted players to be healthy. He had to create more depth. He had to convince his stars that they would be better off if they played fewer snaps in the long-term. George's data provided solutions.
The last step was to get the team to agree on the plan. He looked through his business books again for the term "Level 5 Leadership". Clawson stated that the paradoxical combination of ambition and humility is what makes greatness. Clawson needed his top players to work for something greater, while accepting a smaller role. This team was ready for 2020.
"There were times when I thought we celebrated six wins or being undefeated September. Clawson stated that this is not the case for this group. Clawson stated that "our goal wasn't to win 5-0, 6-0, or 8-0." Clawson stated, "Our goal was to be a great football club."
Eight games into the 2021 season, and the Deacons are undefeated. The ACC Atlantic is theirs to take. Hartman's prediction of 10 wins may seem a little conservative.
Dave Clawson hopes to make Wake Forest a football-winning university. Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
CLAWSON JUST FINISHED a late breakfast in the dining hall next to Wake's football facilities, when a student stopped CLAWSON as he was about to leave. The woman was confused because it was freshman move in day at campus. She was accompanied by her younger sister, and she hoped that the Wake Forest pullover man could help her find the bookstore.
Clawson asked questions as the group moved through a building and down a path toward the bookstore.
From where did she come? (San Francisco. Clawson also knew a sophomore from San Fran and advised her to go look her up. They would probably become close friends.
Which high school did she attend? (He also did some recruiting at her rival school.
What was her major? Did her sister also plan to go to Wake Forest? Are there other siblings?
The kicker is: Did she enjoy football?
The woman hadn't seen a game and didn't know anything about Clawson.
Although she had promised to be there for the team, she wasn't a star at all. This is the core of Clawson’s problem at Wake Forest. This is a place where Currie can sell the program to any new student who steps on campus. "His favourite things are coaching football" Currie stated. But changing a narrative takes a megaphone. Since arriving at Wake Forest seven years ago, Currie has always heard the same refrain. Wake was a great school but...
The talent. But the facilities. But the history. Wake was great, but it was for everything that matters to a football team.
Clawson stated, "We wanted the 'but" to be changed to an 'and." It's a great school with great facilities. You can win in football, making it the best of both.
This story has two possible codas.
Wake Forest defeats North Carolina in one universe. Then Clemson, NC State, and Boston College follow. The ACC champion is won by the Deacons. They are undefeated and Clawson has finally made the world see the value of a program that doesn't fit in any of the mass-produced boxes it expects.
Wake Forest loses in the other -- it doesn't really matter when, this week or any other. Expectant shrugs will be heard, and the universe will rejoice at the return of a world in which memes are commonplace and a sometimes entertaining shootout against Syracuse.
Clawson's tenure at Wake Forest may be over in this scenario. The experiment will be over. The establishment will win. It is easier to find a spot within the system than it is to fight it. This scenario would also allow for vindication. Clawson demonstrated that he could revive a small-time team. What if he bought a larger office, more luxurious facilities, and an offensive plan with a five-star quarterback? Imagine if he could do all this and still win. In the months ahead, there will be many suitors willing to place a bet that he can.
Currie stated, "I believe Dave Clawson can build a great programme anywhere." "There's no question in my mind. He's done a wonderful job at Wake Forest.
Built. Past tense Although the job is not done, Currie knows that Clawson has gone beyond the point of filling the foundation and transformed the program into one that expects wins every year. This season is a great chance for Wake Forest to make a big impact. There are also bigger projects in the future, but the foundation has been laid. Wake Forest doesn't have to win to prove its worth.
This is the ending Clawson may enjoy most. It's one where the Deacons' season can end with a championship, or not. But it won't define them. There will be more opportunities.
Clawson stated that there is a lot more to do this year. "But we have a lot more to do next year, and the years after that and after that." We are not satisfied."
All the "buts" turn into "ands", until there is a new football facility paid for by happy boosters. Freshmen recognize Clawson, and they start to pester him about the depth chart rather than asking directions to the bookstore. Even with all the subtle improvements made over the years, college football will look at Wake and, paraphrasing Clawson's favorite band: see a beautiful facility, beautiful roster, and wonder "How did we get there?"
It's the same as ever.
