
From the Quad
12/2/2021 6:05:00 PM | General
Presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Good Evening Demon Deacon Nation!
Let's start this "Championship Weekend" edition of From the Quad off with a big congratulations to Dave Clawson who was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year live on ACC Network this morning! Naturally, Coach Clawson deflected the credit during his interview with hosts Mark Packer & Wes Durham. While unselfishness is certainly a hallmark of our program, Coach Clawson's leadership is deeply appreciated by all of us in the Wake Forest community including our 2021 team captains who shared their thoughts in this video tribute.
It was amazing to see all the Wake Forest fans in Boston College's Alumni Stadium last Saturday as the Demon Deacons celebrated after reaching the 10-win mark and clinching the ACC Atlantic Division Title with a dominating 41-10 victory over the Eagles.
Within minutes of the Atlantic Division trophy presentation in the visiting team locker room, our Fan Experience staff launched our championship game ticket plan and by Monday evening both Wake Forest's initial block and an extra allotment of ACC Championship game tickets were completely sold out! Deacon fans can still buy tickets via Ticketmaster here. The Deacs will occupy the east sideline at Bank of America Stadium, and you can view a map of the official Wake Forest sections here!
Amazingly, Wake Forest students have purchased 3,500 championship game tickets with 2,000 snapped up within the first 45 minutes of them being on sale last Saturday night. You can join the hundreds of Deacon fans who have made contributions to lower the cost so as many as possible can be part of this lifetime student experience. More than 25 buses of students will make the short trip down to the Queen City where all Wake Forest students will enjoy an exclusive pregame tailgate just steps from Bank of America Stadium.
As I mentioned on Charlotte's FOX46 this morning, the Queen City is already a Wake Forest town and the Demon Deacon presence is only growing. The new School of Professional Studies is set to enroll its first class of masters students in January and the Atrium Health Wake Forest partnership is close to breaking ground on our new Charlotte medical school campus.
After an initial sell out, more space has been added for the official DEACTOWN Pregame Party to be held in the Richardson Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center, from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Deacon Nation is encouraged to visit GoDeacs.com/ACCChampionship for complete information for the game. Don't forget to purchase your ACC Atlantic Division Champions merchandise here!
Tom Captures Tatum Award, Record 15 Football Student-Athletes Named All-ACC Congratulations to All-ACC left tackle Zach Tom who was announced as the league's 2021 Jim Tatum Award recipient on Monday. Zach became the fifth Demon Deacon to win this prestigious honor that recognizes the conference's top senior football student-athlete. On Tuesday, a program record 15 players were named to the league's All-ACC team.
Recognizing the outstanding coaching these student-athletes receive, offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero was named one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, celebrating the nation's top assistant coach. Coach Ruggiero will head to Arkansas for Monday night's award ceremony.
Along with Coach Clawson and Zach Tom's recognition, Friday night's the annual ACC Honors program will include Desmond Clark being honored as Wake Forest's 2021 ACC Legend. Desmond was an incredible Deacon and NFL performer, and he is now a successful businessman and motivational speaker!
Deacons Continue Superlative Academic Performance
Join me giving our 2011-14 cohort of student-athletes a tip of the Deacon top hat for tying our school record of a 96 percent graduation success rate! I am so appreciative of our faculty and academic staff, led by Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell, along with our coaches and support staff for their commitment to excellence in the classroom for our students.
ACC Basketball Season Tips Off for the Demon Deacons Saturday
After a thrilling overtime shot from Jake LaRavia in a complete team win over Northwestern, Coach Forbes and Wake Forest are headed to Blacksburg for our men's basketball ACC opener at Virginia Tech on Saturday, tipping off at 2 p.m. on ACC Network!
Also on Saturday Wake Forest's 7-1 women's basketball team tips off at 3 p.m. hosting Troy inside the Joel with ACC Network Extra providing the coverage. Both teams will take next week off for exams before the men hit the court versus USC Upstate on Saturday, Dec. 11, and our women play ETSU on Monday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. for our annual school day game. Remember to wear your masks when inside Joel Coliseum so we can keep our community safe and healthy to put this pandemic behind us!
Final Fall News and Notes
Once again Coach Bobby Muuss showed why he is among America's elite coaches as he led Wake Forest men's soccer to ACC-best 11th straight NCAA Tournament. Even more remarkably the Demon Deacons are one of only two programs to make each of the last seven Sweet Sixteens before bowing out on a cold Sunday evening in South Bend.
The next time you are walking by the Manchester Athletic Center, check out the banner recognizing our men's cross country team's NCAA Top-10 finish! Coach John Hayes received the Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor for the second consecutive year as the Deacons captured an NCAA regional title for the first time since 1993.
With women's soccer back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and the volleyball team completing its first winning season since 2010, I believe the future is bright for all our fall sports programs!
Finally, congratulations to assistant women's golf coach Ryan Potter who was just named to the Team USA staff for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup!
Experience a Special Wake Forest Holiday Tradition Sunday
Speaking of special, the annual Wake Forest Lovefeast celebrates a unique tradition of the Moravian community in Winston‑Salem. Due to COVID precautions, this year's event at Wait Chapel is only open to University students, faculty, staff and their guests, but everyone can join remotely via the livestream for the 7:10 p.m. prelude and 7:30 p.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 5.
"Santa's Helper" Again Embodies "Pro Humanitate" Spreading Holiday Cheer
Chip Rives, a former Wake Forest football player, founded Santa's Helper in 1986 to help provide holiday presents to children in Winston-Salem, and again this year, student-athletes, coaches, staff, Deacon Club members, and friends of Wake Forest will gather next week to wrap and deliver thousands of presents to underprivileged families. After last year's virtual edition, we are back in person as Santa's Helper and will serve over 300 families and 1,000 children in the Winston-Salem community!
From the Quad Big 3
As always, wear your Old Gold & Black for #WFFriday and continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good Evening Demon Deacon Nation!
Let's start this "Championship Weekend" edition of From the Quad off with a big congratulations to Dave Clawson who was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year live on ACC Network this morning! Naturally, Coach Clawson deflected the credit during his interview with hosts Mark Packer & Wes Durham. While unselfishness is certainly a hallmark of our program, Coach Clawson's leadership is deeply appreciated by all of us in the Wake Forest community including our 2021 team captains who shared their thoughts in this video tribute.
It was amazing to see all the Wake Forest fans in Boston College's Alumni Stadium last Saturday as the Demon Deacons celebrated after reaching the 10-win mark and clinching the ACC Atlantic Division Title with a dominating 41-10 victory over the Eagles.
Within minutes of the Atlantic Division trophy presentation in the visiting team locker room, our Fan Experience staff launched our championship game ticket plan and by Monday evening both Wake Forest's initial block and an extra allotment of ACC Championship game tickets were completely sold out! Deacon fans can still buy tickets via Ticketmaster here. The Deacs will occupy the east sideline at Bank of America Stadium, and you can view a map of the official Wake Forest sections here!
Amazingly, Wake Forest students have purchased 3,500 championship game tickets with 2,000 snapped up within the first 45 minutes of them being on sale last Saturday night. You can join the hundreds of Deacon fans who have made contributions to lower the cost so as many as possible can be part of this lifetime student experience. More than 25 buses of students will make the short trip down to the Queen City where all Wake Forest students will enjoy an exclusive pregame tailgate just steps from Bank of America Stadium.
As I mentioned on Charlotte's FOX46 this morning, the Queen City is already a Wake Forest town and the Demon Deacon presence is only growing. The new School of Professional Studies is set to enroll its first class of masters students in January and the Atrium Health Wake Forest partnership is close to breaking ground on our new Charlotte medical school campus.
After an initial sell out, more space has been added for the official DEACTOWN Pregame Party to be held in the Richardson Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center, from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Deacon Nation is encouraged to visit GoDeacs.com/ACCChampionship for complete information for the game. Don't forget to purchase your ACC Atlantic Division Champions merchandise here!
Tom Captures Tatum Award, Record 15 Football Student-Athletes Named All-ACC Congratulations to All-ACC left tackle Zach Tom who was announced as the league's 2021 Jim Tatum Award recipient on Monday. Zach became the fifth Demon Deacon to win this prestigious honor that recognizes the conference's top senior football student-athlete. On Tuesday, a program record 15 players were named to the league's All-ACC team.
Recognizing the outstanding coaching these student-athletes receive, offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero was named one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, celebrating the nation's top assistant coach. Coach Ruggiero will head to Arkansas for Monday night's award ceremony.
Along with Coach Clawson and Zach Tom's recognition, Friday night's the annual ACC Honors program will include Desmond Clark being honored as Wake Forest's 2021 ACC Legend. Desmond was an incredible Deacon and NFL performer, and he is now a successful businessman and motivational speaker!
Deacons Continue Superlative Academic Performance
Join me giving our 2011-14 cohort of student-athletes a tip of the Deacon top hat for tying our school record of a 96 percent graduation success rate! I am so appreciative of our faculty and academic staff, led by Sr. Associate AD Jane Caldwell, along with our coaches and support staff for their commitment to excellence in the classroom for our students.
ACC Basketball Season Tips Off for the Demon Deacons Saturday
After a thrilling overtime shot from Jake LaRavia in a complete team win over Northwestern, Coach Forbes and Wake Forest are headed to Blacksburg for our men's basketball ACC opener at Virginia Tech on Saturday, tipping off at 2 p.m. on ACC Network!
Also on Saturday Wake Forest's 7-1 women's basketball team tips off at 3 p.m. hosting Troy inside the Joel with ACC Network Extra providing the coverage. Both teams will take next week off for exams before the men hit the court versus USC Upstate on Saturday, Dec. 11, and our women play ETSU on Monday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. for our annual school day game. Remember to wear your masks when inside Joel Coliseum so we can keep our community safe and healthy to put this pandemic behind us!
Final Fall News and Notes
Once again Coach Bobby Muuss showed why he is among America's elite coaches as he led Wake Forest men's soccer to ACC-best 11th straight NCAA Tournament. Even more remarkably the Demon Deacons are one of only two programs to make each of the last seven Sweet Sixteens before bowing out on a cold Sunday evening in South Bend.
The next time you are walking by the Manchester Athletic Center, check out the banner recognizing our men's cross country team's NCAA Top-10 finish! Coach John Hayes received the Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor for the second consecutive year as the Deacons captured an NCAA regional title for the first time since 1993.
With women's soccer back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and the volleyball team completing its first winning season since 2010, I believe the future is bright for all our fall sports programs!
Finally, congratulations to assistant women's golf coach Ryan Potter who was just named to the Team USA staff for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup!
Experience a Special Wake Forest Holiday Tradition Sunday
Speaking of special, the annual Wake Forest Lovefeast celebrates a unique tradition of the Moravian community in Winston‑Salem. Due to COVID precautions, this year's event at Wait Chapel is only open to University students, faculty, staff and their guests, but everyone can join remotely via the livestream for the 7:10 p.m. prelude and 7:30 p.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 5.
"Santa's Helper" Again Embodies "Pro Humanitate" Spreading Holiday Cheer
Chip Rives, a former Wake Forest football player, founded Santa's Helper in 1986 to help provide holiday presents to children in Winston-Salem, and again this year, student-athletes, coaches, staff, Deacon Club members, and friends of Wake Forest will gather next week to wrap and deliver thousands of presents to underprivileged families. After last year's virtual edition, we are back in person as Santa's Helper and will serve over 300 families and 1,000 children in the Winston-Salem community!
From the Quad Big 3
- We'll know Sunday afternoon where the Deacs are headed for our program-record sixth-straight bowl game! Click here and go ahead and pre-register for tickets now!
- As you traverse North Carolina and head to Charlotte this weekend, honk your car horn when you see one of our Atlantic Division Champion billboards!
- Reserve your 2022 spot at Truist Field! Season ticket deposits for the 2022 season are available now for $50.00. New or existing season ticket holders can visit GoDeacs.com/tickets to make their deposit online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 during normal business hours. Wake Forest football is 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 season and this year's perfect 6-0 mark was our first undefeated home record since 1979. Let's keep it going in 2022!
As always, wear your Old Gold & Black for #WFFriday and continue to send your thoughts, ideas and suggestions to me at wfuad@wfu.edu.
Go Deacs!

John Currie
Director of Athletics
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