Football
Ruggiero, Warren
Warren Ruggiero
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Email:
- ruggiewd@wfu.edu
- Phone:
- 336-758-5839
Warren Ruggiero, who has coordinated the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history over the past six seasons and was a Broyles Award finalist in 2021, is set to enter his 11th season as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in 2024.
Ruggiero has engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs are the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year since 2017.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 185 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks tied for seventh nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 333 total touchdowns are the second-most in the ACC behind Clemson and rank 12th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,667 points over the past six seasons and average 35.6 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any six-year period in school history.
Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg. That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Warren Ruggiero, who has coordinated the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history over the past seven seasons and was a Broyles Award finalist in 2021, is set to enter his 11th season as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in 2024.
Ruggiero has engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs were the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year during that aforementioned six-year span. That run ranks as the fourth longest in ACC history.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 199 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks 12th nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 362 total touchdowns are the third-most in the ACC behind Clemson and North Carolina while ranking 20th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,910 points over the past seven seasons and average 33.5 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any seven-year period in school history.
Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg. That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Wake Forest’s 1,367 points scored during the 2020-22 period is the highest-scoring three-year period in Deacon history. Additionally, Wake Forest has scored 1,043 points in 2021-22 combined and their scoring average of 38.6 points per game ranks sixth during that time. The Deacs are the only ACC school with 1,000 points and lead the ACC in points per game in 2022.
A key to the Deacs scoring success has been the numbers that they have put up through the air in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Wake Forest is one of six schools to throw for more than 8,000 yards in that time and nearly 600 yards more than any other ACC team.
Additionally, the Demon Deacons have found the endzone through the air 21 more times than any other ACC team since the start of the 2021 season and their 82 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country.
Individually, Ruggiero coached QB Sam Hartman, who graduated with a communication degree in December 2022, to Second Team All-ACC honors in 2021 and Third Team All-League accolades in 2022. Hartman is the third quarterback to be named an All-ACC player during his nine-year tenure at Wake Forest. Prior to Hartman, Jamie Newman earned All-ACC honors in 2019 and John Wolford was named an All-ACC performer in 2017.
Hartman was named Wake Forest’s bowl game MVP in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. The Charlotte, N.C. native was the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career. Additionally, Ruggiero led Hartman and the Demon Deacons offense to re-write the Wake Forest and Atlantic Coast Conference record book.
Hartman, who was named the 2022 Brian Piccolo Award winner by the league, set the conference’s record for career touchdown passes with 110 in his storied career. Specifically in 2022, Wake Forest tossed a program record and FBS-leading 43 touchdown passes.
Individually, wideout A.T. Perry earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022 and now owns the program for touchdown receptions (28). Additionally, that total ranks tied for seventh in ACC history. In his aforementioned all-conference performance seasons, Perry found the endzone 26 times which is tied for second among all FBS wideouts in that period. That total includes a Wake Forest record 15 touchdown receptions in 2021.
Hartman and Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history. Finally regarding Perry, he recorded a reception in his final 34 games as a Demon Deacon, which ranked tied for 12th in the country and he ended his career ranked third in program lore in career receiving yards (2,662) and sixth in receptions (171).
Ruggiero has been an offensive coordinator at six universities before Wake Forest and has tutored quarterbacks for 31 years at the college level. His offense has finished in the top 10 in the country in either total offense or scoring offense at all six stops. Ruggiero’s units have finished in the top six in the country in passing offense at the last four stops. He has coached an All-American QB at five of his last six coaching jobs.
Ruggiero is a 1988 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he played quarterback and served as a graduate assistant while earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physical education.
Ruggiero and his wife, Jennifer, have one daughter, Emma.
Wake Forest (2014-Present)
Postseason History
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
Ruggiero has engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs are the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year since 2017.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 185 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks tied for seventh nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 333 total touchdowns are the second-most in the ACC behind Clemson and rank 12th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,667 points over the past six seasons and average 35.6 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any six-year period in school history.
Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg. That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Warren Ruggiero, who has coordinated the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history over the past seven seasons and was a Broyles Award finalist in 2021, is set to enter his 11th season as Wake Forest’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in 2024.
Ruggiero has engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past five seasons. Also, the Deacs were the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year during that aforementioned six-year span. That run ranks as the fourth longest in ACC history.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 199 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks 12th nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 362 total touchdowns are the third-most in the ACC behind Clemson and North Carolina while ranking 20th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,910 points over the past seven seasons and average 33.5 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any seven-year period in school history.
Specifically in 2021, Wake Forest scored a program-best 574 points and averaged a school-record 41.0 ppg. That point total ranks 43rd in modern FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. Individually, the Deacons topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the 2021 campaign. In the College Football Playoff Era, Wake Forest was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Wake Forest’s 1,367 points scored during the 2020-22 period is the highest-scoring three-year period in Deacon history. Additionally, Wake Forest has scored 1,043 points in 2021-22 combined and their scoring average of 38.6 points per game ranks sixth during that time. The Deacs are the only ACC school with 1,000 points and lead the ACC in points per game in 2022.
A key to the Deacs scoring success has been the numbers that they have put up through the air in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Wake Forest is one of six schools to throw for more than 8,000 yards in that time and nearly 600 yards more than any other ACC team.
Additionally, the Demon Deacons have found the endzone through the air 21 more times than any other ACC team since the start of the 2021 season and their 82 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country.
Individually, Ruggiero coached QB Sam Hartman, who graduated with a communication degree in December 2022, to Second Team All-ACC honors in 2021 and Third Team All-League accolades in 2022. Hartman is the third quarterback to be named an All-ACC player during his nine-year tenure at Wake Forest. Prior to Hartman, Jamie Newman earned All-ACC honors in 2019 and John Wolford was named an All-ACC performer in 2017.
Hartman was named Wake Forest’s bowl game MVP in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. The Charlotte, N.C. native was the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career. Additionally, Ruggiero led Hartman and the Demon Deacons offense to re-write the Wake Forest and Atlantic Coast Conference record book.
Hartman, who was named the 2022 Brian Piccolo Award winner by the league, set the conference’s record for career touchdown passes with 110 in his storied career. Specifically in 2022, Wake Forest tossed a program record and FBS-leading 43 touchdown passes.
Individually, wideout A.T. Perry earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022 and now owns the program for touchdown receptions (28). Additionally, that total ranks tied for seventh in ACC history. In his aforementioned all-conference performance seasons, Perry found the endzone 26 times which is tied for second among all FBS wideouts in that period. That total includes a Wake Forest record 15 touchdown receptions in 2021.
Hartman and Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history. Finally regarding Perry, he recorded a reception in his final 34 games as a Demon Deacon, which ranked tied for 12th in the country and he ended his career ranked third in program lore in career receiving yards (2,662) and sixth in receptions (171).
Ruggiero has been an offensive coordinator at six universities before Wake Forest and has tutored quarterbacks for 31 years at the college level. His offense has finished in the top 10 in the country in either total offense or scoring offense at all six stops. Ruggiero’s units have finished in the top six in the country in passing offense at the last four stops. He has coached an All-American QB at five of his last six coaching jobs.
Ruggiero is a 1988 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he played quarterback and served as a graduate assistant while earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physical education.
Ruggiero and his wife, Jennifer, have one daughter, Emma.
Wake Forest (2014-Present)
- Warren Ruggiero, head coach Dave Clawson and their offensive staff have engineered an offense that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest.
- The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past six seasons.
Following the 2021 regular season, Ruggiero was named a finalist for the prestigious Broyles Award. The award honors the top assistant coach in the country, and he was one of five finalists among nominees from every FBS institution. - Wake Forest was the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year from 2017-22.
- Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 199 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks 12th nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 362 total touchdowns are the third-most in the ACC behind Clemson and North Carolina while ranking 20th nationally.
- Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,910 points over the past seven seasons and average 33.5 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any seven-year period in school history.
- The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards over the past six seasons.
- The Demon Deacons started three quarterbacks under-center during the 2023 season.
- Redshirt junior Michael Kern started the final two games of the season at Notre Dame and Syracuse. Over the course of those two contests, he went 28-of-44 for 342 yards and three touchdowns through the air with all three passing touchdowns coming against Syracuse and the longest completion of his career with a 59-yard strike to Taylor Morin in the fourth quarter against the Orange.
- Kern became the seventh starting QB in the Dave Clawson era:
- Santino Marucci - Oct. 21, 2023 vs. Pitt:
- Marucci threw for 151 yards as he went 12-of-21 with one touchdown pass against Pitt inside Allegacy Stadium hitting redshirt junior Cameron Hite with just seven seconds remaining to earn a comeback 21-17 victory over Pitt to garner its first ACC win of the season on Homecoming Weekend.
- Mitch Griffis - Sept. 1, 2022 vs. VMI:
- In Week 1 of the 2022 season, Griffis went 21-of-29 for 288 yards and three touchdowns against VMI. His 72.4 percent in a first career start is the second-best in school history and the best mark since 2006. Also, Griffis’ three touchdown passes against VMI were the second most by a Wake Forest quarterback in his first career start.
- Jamie Newman - Nov. 8, 2018 at No. 14 NC State:
- Newman led the Deacons to come-from-behind 27-23 win with game-winning 2-minute drill at No. 14 NC State. He hit TE Jack Freudenthal with a 32-yard pass with 30 seconds left to secure the win for Wake Forest. Overall, Newman completed 22-of-33 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns and became third QB in school history to throw three TD passes in first career start, joining Keith West vs Vanderbilt (1990) and Norm Snead vs. Maryland (1958).
- Sam Hartman - Aug. 30, 2018 at Tulane:
- Hartman had the best statistical debut in school history when he completed 31-of-51 passes for 378 yards (.608 completion percentage) and two touchdowns in an overtime win at Tulane in 2018 the season-opener. Hartman became the first Wake true freshman QB to win a season-opener. All his passing marks were school-bests for a true freshman in their first career start.
- Kendall Hinton - Sept. 26, 2015 at Indiana:
- As a freshman, Hinton made his first career start vs. Indiana and had 245 passing yards and completed 19 passes with one touchdown. Hinton also rushed 22 times for 57 yards with two touchdowns.
- John Wolford - Aug. 28, 2014 at ULM:
- Wolford became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season-opener in program history and he finished with 97 passing yards, five away from Solomon Everett's 1974 record of 102 for a true freshman in a debut. Wolford also became the first true freshman to complete better than 50 percent of his passes (12-of-22) in his first start.
- Wake Forest football’s mantra for the 2022 season was “MINDSET” as the Demon Deacons looked to follow up its historic year in 2021.
- The Deacs won eight games in a season for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program.
- With the win over Missouri on Friday and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference this fall for the first time since 2008, and just the second time in program history the Deacs accomplished this feat in a single season.
- Sam Hartman was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.
- Hartman earned his second-straight bowl game MVP honor, as he garnered the accolade following his standout performance against Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in 2021.
- Hartman became the first player in program history to earn two bowl game MVPs in their career at Wake Forest.
- The 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl marked Wake Forest’s seventh-straight bowl appearance, a new school record.
- Additionally, the Demon Deacons’ streak is the second-longest active streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the 12th longest in the nation.
- Wake Forest finished the 2022 season averaging 36.1 points per game, helping the Deacs post its sixth consecutive season of averaging 30 or more points a game. This is the longest active streak and the fourth longest in ACC history.
- Wake Forest threw for a team-record and FBS-leading 43 touchdowns as a team.
- Overall for the season, Hartman has completed 270-of-428 passes (63.1%) for 3,701 yards and 38 touchdowns.
- Hartman broke the Wake Forest all-time passing mark against Liberty, eclipsing Riley Skinner (2006-09) with a five-yard pass to Ke’Shawn Williams in the third quarter. With 280 yards today against Missouri, he has now thrown for 12,967 career passing yards.
- Sam Hartman (2018-present), 12,967
- Riley Skinner (2006-09), 9,762
- Tanner Price (2010-13), 8,899
- John Wolford (2014-17), 8,794
- Brian Kuklick (1994-98), 8,017
- Hartman became the 41st player in NCAA history and just the third passer in the history of the ACC to eclipse the 12,000-yard passing barrier for his career, joining elite company:
- 1. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) 13,484
- 2. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Pres.) 12,967
- 3. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) 12,303
- 4. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) 11,904
- 5. Ryan Finley, NC State (2014-18) 10,501
- 6. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) 10,283
- 7. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) 10,168
- 8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) 10,098
- 9. Thaddeus Lewis, Duke (2006-09) 10,065
- 10. Brad Kaaya, Miami (2014-16) 9,968
- Overall, Hartman threw 110 touchdowns over the course of his Wake Forest career, which is the top mark in ACC history.
- 1. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 110
- Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 107
- 3. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 95
- 4. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 92
- 5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 90
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 90
- 7. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 81
- 8. Chris Weinke, Florida State (1997-00) – 79
- 9. Russell Wilson, NC State (2008-10) – 76
- He was just the 26th QB in FBS history to cross over the 100 touchdown mark for his career.
- With 110 career passing touchdowns and 17 career rushing scores, Hartman’s 127 total touchdowns are the second most in conference history:
- 1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 133
- 2 Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 127
- 3. Malik Cunningham, Louisville (2018-Pres.) – 119
- Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-17) – 119
- 5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 116
- 6. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 113
- 7. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 111
- 8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 108
- 9. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 102
- 10. Marquise Williams, North Carolina (2012-15) – 99
- Hartman broke the Wake Forest all-time passing mark against Liberty, eclipsing Riley Skinner (2006-09) with a five-yard pass to Ke’Shawn Williams in the third quarter. With 280 yards today against Missouri, he has now thrown for 12,967 career passing yards.
- Another record holder is wideout A.T. Perry, as he ended his Wake Forest career with a program record 28 touchdown receptions.
- Hartman and A.T. Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history.
- Another record holder is Perry, as he ended his Wake Forest career with a program record 28 touchdown receptions.
- Sam Hartman and A.T. Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history.
- Perry recorded five 100-yard receiving games en route to earning All-ACC honors, and he totaled 12-such games of triple-digit receiving yards in his career.
- Perry and his teammate, Donavon Greene, have been some of the most explosive receivers in program history:
- Career Avg. Per Reception (min. 75 Rec.)
- 1. Donavon Greene (2019-Pres.) 18.6 (79/1,473)
- 5. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 15.9 (171/2,662)
- When Taylor Morin snared Hartman’s ACC-record-setting touchdown throw in the first quarter of the Gasparilla Bowl, the TD reception marked his eighth of the season. He was one of three Demon Deacons who are ranked inside the top-10 in program history for single season touchdown receptions this fall.
- Wake Forest Single Season Touchdown Receptions:
3. A.T. Perry (2022) – 11
T5. Jahmal Banks (2022) – 9
Taylor Morin (2022) – 9
- Wake Forest Single Season Touchdown Receptions:
- Wake Forest’s mantra in 2021 was, “Good to Great,” as Coach Clawson, Ruggiero and the staff looked to take the next step as a program.
- The 2021 Wake Forest football team capped off its historic season on New Year's Eve, defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl 38-10 inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
- Ruggiero led redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman to Gator Bowl MVP honors for his performance. The Charlotte, N.C. native tossed three touchdown passes in the game and threw for 304 yards.
- Behind Ruggiero’s record-breaking offense, Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1 ACC) became just the second team in program history to win double-digit games and tied the program record with 11 victories while also setting a program record with seven conference victories and finished the home season with a perfect 6-0 mark. Wake Forest went 5-3 on the season in road or neutral site games for the first time since the 2018 season.
- Additionally with a perfect 6-0 mark this season, the Deacs recorded their first undefeated home record for the first time since 1979 and just the third time since Wake Forest’s 1970 ACC Championship team. Meanwhile, six home wins ties the program record that was set in 2019.
- Wake Forest was one of 10 Power-5 schools in 2021 to win 11 games.
- The Demon Deacons were also the first school in the conference to become bowl eligible with a perfect mark of 6-0 in 2021. The Deacs 8-0 start to the season was the best in school history in addition to having the longest winning streak in school history.
- Ruggiero helped the Deacs get to 70 points during the season on Oct. 23 at Army when his offensive group scored that total in just 17:17.
- The game marked the third-highest scoring game in Demon Deacons history and the highest in a road performance.
- QB Sam Hartman had a career day through the air against the Black Knights finishing with a career-high 458 yards on 23-of-29 passing. It is the sixth-most passing yards in Wake Forest history and ranks second in the Dave Clawson / Warren Ruggiero era, trailing just John Wolford's 461-yard performance against Louisville in 2017. Additionally, his five passing touchdowns ties the program record and is a career high for Hartman. Riley Skinner (2009), John Wolford (2017) and Jamie Newman (2019) are the only other Demon Deacon quarterbacks to find the endzone five times through the air.
- 2021 Offensive Recap:
- Wake Forest topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the season. In the College Football Playoff Era, the Demon Deacons are one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
- The Demon Deacons scored a combined 574 points during the 2021 season. Wake Forest became the first team in program history to cross over the 500-point mark. That point total ranks 43rd in FBS history and the fourth-most in ACC history. Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season.
- Wake Forest’s program record 574 points ranks seventh in ACC history for points scored in a single season.
- Wake Forest set a program record by averaging 41.0 points per game and Wake Forest is now the only school in the Atlantic Coast Conference to average at least 30 points per game over the past five seasons.
- The Demon Deacons set a program record for total yards with 6,550 yards of offense this fall. The average of 467.9 yards per game was also a new program record.
- Wake Forest reset its program mark for first downs with 354 in 2021.
- The Deacons air attack set a new program record by 555 yards, as Wake Forest passed for 4,303 yards during the season. Wake Forest set a new mark with an average of 307.4 ypg. through the air, which is the first such season in program lore with an average over 300 ypg.
- Five student-athletes accounted for a Warren Ruggiero-era record 31 rushing touchdowns. That total is the most since 2003 and tied for the second-most all-time in Wake Forest history.
- The Deacs set a program record of completions (302), pass attempts (519) and touchdown passes (39).
- Wake Forest’s 49 percent conversion rate on third downs (113-of-230) is the highest mark in program history since at least 1996, and it is believed to be the highest percentage in Wake Forest history.
- The Deacs 113 conversions ranks first in WF lore.
- The Demon Deacons 62 percent conversion rate on fourth down (13-of-21) is the highest mark since 2013.
- QB Sam Hartman 2021 Season Recap:
- QB Sam Hartman put together one of the greatest seasons in Wake Forest and ACC history together in 2021. The Charlotte, N.C. native completed 58.9 percent of his passes (299-of-508) for 4,228 and 39 touchdowns. The QB also rushed for 11 scores.
- Those 11 rushing touchdowns ranks second in program history for touchdown rushes by a QB in program history behind Larry Russell’s 15 in 1971. Additionally, his 39 TD passes in 2021 was a WF program record.
- With his 39 touchdown passes and 11 rushing touchdowns, Hartman was responsible for 50 touchdowns this season which was the highest total in the conference. Only five other players in ACC history have been responsible for at least 44 touchdowns in a season:
- Lamar Jackson (51 TDs)
- Sam Hartman, Deshaun Watson (50 TDs)
- Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett (47 TDs)
- Tajh Boyd (46 TDs)
- Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawerence (45 TDs)
- Tajh Boyd, Jameis Winston (44 TDs)
- Hartman became just the 10th 4,000-yard passer in conference history and he is just the ninth player in ACC history with at least 34 touchdown passes in a season.
- Hartman was a second-team All-ACC honoree. Additionally, he was a Golden Arm Finalist, Davey O'Brien Semifinalist, Manning Award Finalist, Walter Camp Semifinalist, Maxwell Semifinalist and he earned multiple conference and national Player of the Week honors.
- QB Sam Hartman put together one of the greatest seasons in Wake Forest and ACC history together in 2021. The Charlotte, N.C. native completed 58.9 percent of his passes (299-of-508) for 4,228 and 39 touchdowns. The QB also rushed for 11 scores.
- Record-Setting Wide Receivers:
- WR A.T. Perry caught 71 passes for team-high 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns this fall. Meanwhile, his teammate Jaquarii Roberson also reeled in 71 balls and totaled 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
- Perry and Roberson were the eighth and ninth Demon Deacon wide receivers to go over the 1,000-yard mark in single-season receiving yards. They are the second pair of Wake Forest receivers to accomplish this feat in the same season (2019: Sage Surratt, Kendall Hinton).
- Wake Forest is believed to be the only school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish this feat twice. With that, Wake Forest is the only program in the conference to accomplish this benchmark twice since at least 1996.
- Perry’s 15 touchdown receptions set a school record as he topped Kenny Duckett’s previous mark of 12 that he set in 1980. The total is tied for fourth all-time in ACC history.
- Overall, Perry (1,293) and Roberson (1,078) finished this season with the second and third most receiving yards in a single season, respectively. They trailed Chris Givens’ mark of 1,330 yards from 2011.
- Roberson’s eight touchdown catches in 2021 ranks tied for ninth in program history.
- Perry and Roberson each recorded 71 receptions during the 2021 season, which is tied for eighth in program history.
- Perry’s 18.2 average yards per catch mark is tied for fifth in Wake Forest history and his 92.4 yards per game average in 2021 sits fifth.
- Roberson’s 82.9 yards per game average in 2021 sits ninth in program history.
- Perry enters the 2022 season ranked second in Wake Forest lore in career average per reception at 17.4 yards per reception.
- Perry enters the 2022 season with 17 touchdown catches as well and currently sits tied for eighth with Roberson.
- Roberson ended his Wake Forest career ranked eighth in career receiving yards with 2,158 and career receiving touchdowns with 17, respectively.
- Roberson totaled over 100 yards receiving nine times throughout his time. That marks fifth in Wake Forest history and is the most in the Dave Clawson era.
- Roberson ends his career ranked ninth in program history in total receptions with 146 and is the most in the Dave Clawson and Warren Ruggiero era by a wide receiver.
- WR A.T. Perry caught 71 passes for team-high 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns this fall. Meanwhile, his teammate Jaquarii Roberson also reeled in 71 balls and totaled 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
- The 2021 Wake Forest football team capped off its historic season on New Year's Eve, defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl 38-10 inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
- In 2020, Ruggiero tutored Hartman to a streak of 258 consecutive passes from Nov. 30, 2019, to Dec. 12, 2020 without an interception thrown. That streak ranks fifth in ACC history.
- It helped Wake Forest earn its best turnover margin in the Dave Clawson era in 2020.
- In 2019, Wake Forest finished 15th in the nation in total offense, the highest finish ever for a Demon Deacons team. The Deacs also posted an all-time best in third down conversions, finishing 13th nationally.
- Wake Forest’s offense finished in the top 25 in the nation in passing offense, total offense, third down conversions, first downs, and fewest fumbles. The 2019 season culminated with Wake Forest’s fourth consecutive bowl invitation.
- Under Ruggiero's guidance, QB Jamie Newman had one of the best single seasons in program history. Newman finished 16th nationally with 16.0 points accounted for per game and averaged 286.8 total yards per game, which was second in the ACC and 20th in the country.
- Wake had one of the most explosive offenses in the country, tying for second among all Power 5 schools with 100 deep passing attempts according to Pro Football Focus. The Demon Deacons ended the 2019 season averaging 288.3 passing yards per game, ranking second in the ACC and 24th in the country.
- In 2018 under Ruggiero’s tutelage as quarterbacks coach as well as offensive coordinator, freshman Sam Hartman and sophomore Jamie Newman combined to lead Wake Forest to a third-straight bowl victory with a 37-34 win over Memphis in the Jared Birmingham Bowl.
- Hartman set numerous school records for passing by a freshman including the most yards in a game and the highest passing efficiency rating.
- Newman made his first career start in Week 10 at No. 14 NC State and showed the poise of a seasoned veteran as he led the Deacons to a game-winning touchdown pass with just 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
- Newman’s three touchdown passes in his first career start and his three rushing touchdowns in the Birmingham Bowl set school records.
- Throughout the year, Wake Forest’s offense posted four 50-point scoring games and a school record six games of 500 or more total offense yards.
- The Deacs finished 28th in the country with an average of 449.8 yards per game.
- The beginning of Wake Forest’s offensive explosion came in 2017 when the Deacs set over 100 team and individual records.
- Wake Forest set new standards for points scored (459) and total offense yards (6,055) in a season, while accumulating five of the top 10 offensive games in school history.
- Under Ruggiero’s tutelage, current Los Angeles Rams quarterback John Wolford earned second team All-ACC honors and led the ACC in passing efficiency while setting school records for touchdown passes (29), touchdowns responsible for (39) and passing yards (3,192) in a season.
- Eight of Wake Forest’s 12 All-ACC selections in 2017 came from the offense.
- In 2013, Ruggiero’s BGSU offense finished fourth in the country in total offense (per possession), first in the nation in time of possession and first in the conference and 10th in the nation in passing efficiency behind a sophomore quarterback, who was named the MVP of the conference championship game.
- In 2009, Ruggiero’s offense finished sixth in the country in passing while QB Tyler Sheehan (Houston Texans) threw for over 4,000 yards and receiver Freddie Barnes (Chicago Bears) broke the all-time NCAA record with 155 catches in one season.
- Barnes went on to be an FWAA All-American and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
- Ruggiero was the quarterback coach at Kansas State and coached Josh Freeman to a first round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft. He also mentored Collin Klein who went on to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
- He helped Freeman finish his career as the Wildcats' all-time passing leader (8,078 yards) and total yardage leader (8,427 yards)
- During his lone season working with Ruggiero, Freeman totaled 34 touchdowns and 3,349 total yards.
- Ruggiero spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Elon University, where he rebuilt an offense that was 108th in the country prior to his arrival and within two years finished ninth in the nation in scoring offense and second nationally in passing offense. He worked with quarterback Scott Riddle, a first team All-American and the Southern Conference’s Freshman of the Year in 2007, who went on to play in the Canadian Football League.
- As a true freshman Riddle broke 27 school records on the way to being named College Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and leading the country in total passing yards and completions per game.
- Ruggiero spent six years at Hofstra, including the final four years as offensive coordinator. His offense finished 10th in the country in scoring offense and finished third and fourth in the country in passing offense in his final two years. He mentored Anton Clarkson (NY Giants) to All-CAA honors and Rocky Butler (Saskatchewan Roughriders) to All-America status.
- Butler earned first-team All-American honors and was the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award for top I-AA player behind Brian Westbrook in 2001. That season, Butler was third in the country in total offense and second in passing efficiency.
- While at Hofstra, Ruggiero recruited and coached future New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston.
- Ruggiero coached the tight ends at William & Mary where both of his TE’s went on to the NFL.
- Ruggiero was the head coach at Glenville State in West Virginia. At Glenville, he led the Pioneers to their only NCAA Division II playoff appearance ever and won the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 1997. There they finished second in the country in total offense and first nationally in passing offense.
- Spent three seasons as the OC at Clarion University and finished first in the country in scoring offense.
- He started his career as the offensive coordinator at Defiance College for five years. He led that offense to rank fourth nationally during one year of his tenure.
- Ruggiero is a 1988 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he played quarterback and served as a graduate assistant while earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physical education.
- Ruggiero and his wife, Jennifer, have one daughter, Emma.
| Seasons | School/Team | Title/Position Coached |
| 2014-Present | Wake Forest | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2009-13 | BGSU | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2008 | Kansas State | Quarterbacks |
| 2006-07 | Elon | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2002-05 | Hofstra | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| 2000-01 | Hofstra | Quarterbacks |
| 1999 | William & Mary | Tight Ends |
| 1997-98 | Glenville State | Head Coach |
| 1994-96 | Clarion | Offensive Coordinator |
| 1989-93 | Defiance | Offensive Coordinator |
Postseason History
| Season | Bowl Game | Opponent | Result |
| 2022 | Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | Missouri | W, 27-17 |
| 2021 | TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Wake Forest) | Rutgers | W, 38-10 |
| 2020 | Duke's Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest) | Wisconsin | L, 28-42 |
| 2019 | Pinstripe Bowl (Wake Forest) | Michigan State | L, 27-21 |
| 2018 | Birmingham Bowl (Wake Forest) | Memphis | W, 31-34 |
| 2017 | Belk Bowl (Wake Forest) | Texas A&M | W, 51-52 |
| 2016 | Military Bowl (Wake Forest) | Temple | W, 34-26 |
| 2013 | Little Caesars Bowl (BGSU) | Pittsburgh | L, 30-27 |
| 2012 | Military Bowl (BGSU) | San Jose State | L, 29-20 |
| 2009 | Humanitarian Bowl (BGSU) | Idaho | L, 43-42 |
| 2001 | First Round (Hofstra) | Lehigh | L, 27-24 |
| 2000 | Quarterfinals (Hofstra) | Georgia Southern | L, 48-20 |
| 2000 | First Round (Hofstra) | Furman | W, 31-24 |
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
- OL Michael Jurgens (7th) - Wake Forest '24 - Minnesota Vikings
- QB Sam Hartman (UDFA) - Wake Forest '24 - Washington Commanders
- WR A.T. Perry (6th) - Wake Forest '23 - New Orleans Saints
- OL Zach Tom (4th) - Wake Forest '22 - Green Bay Packers
- OL Justin Herron (6th) - Wake Forest '20 - New England Patriots
- OL Phil Haynes (4th) - Wake Forest '19 - Seattle Seahawks
- QB John Wolford (UDFA) - Wake Forest '18 - Los Angeles Rams
- QB Tyler Sheehan (UDFA) - Bowling Green '10 - Houston Texans
- WR Freddie Barnes (UDFA) - Bowling Green '10 - Chicago Bears
- QB Josh Freeman (1st) - Kansas State ‘09 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OL Willie Colon (4th) - Hofstra ‘06 - Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Marques Colston (7th) - Hofstra ‘06 - New Orleans Saints
- Birthday: April. 2, 1966
- Hometown: Glenrock, N.J.
- Education: 1988 – Bachelor’s from Delaware
- Wife: Jennifer
- Children: Emma
Wake Forest Football Highlights vs WCU (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Sterling Berkhalter snags a 51-yard touchdown
Saturday, September 06
Demond Claiborne takes it 85 yards for his 3rd TD of the day
Saturday, September 06
Claiborne get his 2nd score of the day
Saturday, September 06
