Clawson Named to Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Coach of the Year Finalist
12/14/2021 3:12:00 PM | Football
The announcement as one of nine national finalists comes just a week after being named both the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press.
HOUSTON, Texas – Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson was named a Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards Coach of the Year finalist, as announced by the American Heart Association, the Bryant Family and Bryant Awards Executive Leadership Team on Tuesday afternoon.
Clawson, who is in his eighth year as the Demon Deacons head coach, was one of nine finalists who were named Tuesday. The award is given annually to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life -- both on and off the field.
The Coach of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. The award is voted on by the National Sports Media Association, current NCAA College football coaches, former Coach of the Year Award winners, the Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant family.
This comes just a week after being named both the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press, the ninth time a Wake Forest head coach has been honored as the ACC Football Coach of the Year and the first since 2006.
Wake Forest's 10-3 record this season marks the second time in program history that it has won double-digit games and Coach Clawson is now only head coach in NCAA history to win at least 10 games in a single season at four different Division I institutions.
Wake Forest is 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 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 has won nine-straight games inside Truist Field which marks the longest home winning streak in program history. The streak dates back to the win over Campbell on Oct. 2, 2020.
Wake Forest is tied for 10th in the country to play at least nine bowl eligible teams entering the Championship Weekend of the season.
Wake Forest placed a program-record 15 players on the 2021 All-ACC Teams last week and ranks fifth among all FBS teams in scoring at 41.2 points per game.
Nationally after climbing into the top 10 of the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll this season, the Wake Forest football team achieved its highest ranking in the College Football Playoff Poll in school history when the first ranking was released on Nov. 2 as the Demon Deacons were tabbed as the No. 9 this week according to the CFP selection committee.
Dave Clawson is 50-48 in his eight-year tenure with the Demon Deacons. He is one just five head coaches in program history to have a winning record in his coaching career at Wake Forest and the first since D.C. "Peahead" Walker (77-51-6; 1937-50).
