
Dave Clawson Named to AFCA Board of Trustees
1/10/2022 2:30:00 PM | Football
Clawson is one of six that has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
WACO, Texas – Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson, who just finished his eighth year in Winston-Salem, is one of six head coaches elected to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Joining Clawson is Penn State University head coach James Franklin, Coastal Carolina University head coach Jamey Chadwell, University of Texas at El Paso head coach Dana Dimel, Kennesaw State University head coach Brian Bohannon and Iowa Western Community College head coach Scott Strohmeier. This group was elected by members attending the 2022 AFCA Convention on Monday.
"It's truly an honor to be the ACC representative on the AFCA Board of Trustees," Clawson said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on Board and fellow coaches across the country to ensure we are taking the right steps forward as a profession to help young men achieve their goals on and off the field."
Clawson was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press. This marks the ninth time a Wake Forest head coach has been honored as the ACC Football Coach of the Year and the first since 2006. Clawson is the seventh Wake Forest head coach to win the award. Others who won the award were Jim Grobe (2006), Bill Dooley (1992 and 1987), John Mackovic (1979), Cal Stool (1970), William Tate (1964) and Paul Amen (1959 and 1955).
Wake Forest's 11-3 record in 2021 marks the second time in program history that it has won double-digit games and Coach Clawson is the only active Power 5 head coach in the country to win double-digit games in a single season at four different Division I institutions. Wake Forest is the only Big Four school to record 11 wins in a single season twice (2006, 2021) this century. The Demon Deacons are one just seven Atlantic Coast Conference programs to achieve this mark as a member institution of the league.
Clawson was a finalist for the Paul "Bear"" Bryant National Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year as well. After the Demon Deacons defeated Rutgers in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, he became the only head coach in program history to win four bowl championships. Wake Forest won the Atlantic Division crown this fall and holds the unique distinction of being the only North Carolina school to claim the title in the ACC Championship era.
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 was 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 and ranked fifth among all FBS teams in scoring at 41.0 points per game. 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 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.
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 51-48 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).
Clawson joined the Demon Deacons after five seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green State University where he led the Falcons to the 2013 Mid-American Conference championship with a 47-27 win over No. 16 Northern Illinois.
In his 22 years as a head coach, Clawson has delivered a conference championship at each of his first three stops. Prior to the 2013 MAC title, Clawson helped Richmond to a pair of Colonial Athletic Association titles in 2005 and 2007. His first championship as a head coach came in 2002 when he led Fordham to the Patriot League title.
He has also earned numerous Coach of the Year awards. He was the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and was awarded the 2005 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award in just his second year in the league. The 2007 CAA Coach of the Year award marked his fourth conference Coach of the Year honor in his first nine years as a head coach. In 2021 when he was named the ACC's Coach of the Year, it marked his fifth career accolade.
In 2002, Clawson was the Schutt Sports/American Football Monthly I-AA Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. In 2005, Clawson earned National Coach of the Year from I-AA.org and was again a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.
While raking in conference championships and coaching awards, Clawson has compiled an impressive 140 wins in his head coaching career.
Coach Clawson will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference while Franklin will represent the Big Ten, Chadwell will represent the Sun Belt, Dimel will represent Conference USA, Bohannon will be an FCS representative and Strohmeier will be an ex officio member of the board and represent junior college football.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Craig Bohl of the University of Wyoming, first vice-president Todd Knight of Ouachita Baptist University, second vice-president Jeff McMartin of Central College (Iowa); and third vice-president Paul Winters of Wayne State University (Mich.).
Also serving on the Board in 2022 are: Ken Niumatalolo, U.S. Naval Academy; David Shaw, Stanford University; Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest College; Steve Ryan, Morningside University; Bobby Hauck, University of Montana; Neal Brown, West Virginia University; Sam Pittman, University of Arkansas; Tim Lester, Western Michigan University; Bobby Kennedy, Stanford University, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Issues Committee; and Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee. AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Joining Clawson is Penn State University head coach James Franklin, Coastal Carolina University head coach Jamey Chadwell, University of Texas at El Paso head coach Dana Dimel, Kennesaw State University head coach Brian Bohannon and Iowa Western Community College head coach Scott Strohmeier. This group was elected by members attending the 2022 AFCA Convention on Monday.
"It's truly an honor to be the ACC representative on the AFCA Board of Trustees," Clawson said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on Board and fellow coaches across the country to ensure we are taking the right steps forward as a profession to help young men achieve their goals on and off the field."
Clawson was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year by the ACC and the Associated Press. This marks the ninth time a Wake Forest head coach has been honored as the ACC Football Coach of the Year and the first since 2006. Clawson is the seventh Wake Forest head coach to win the award. Others who won the award were Jim Grobe (2006), Bill Dooley (1992 and 1987), John Mackovic (1979), Cal Stool (1970), William Tate (1964) and Paul Amen (1959 and 1955).
Wake Forest's 11-3 record in 2021 marks the second time in program history that it has won double-digit games and Coach Clawson is the only active Power 5 head coach in the country to win double-digit games in a single season at four different Division I institutions. Wake Forest is the only Big Four school to record 11 wins in a single season twice (2006, 2021) this century. The Demon Deacons are one just seven Atlantic Coast Conference programs to achieve this mark as a member institution of the league.
Clawson was a finalist for the Paul "Bear"" Bryant National Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year as well. After the Demon Deacons defeated Rutgers in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, he became the only head coach in program history to win four bowl championships. Wake Forest won the Atlantic Division crown this fall and holds the unique distinction of being the only North Carolina school to claim the title in the ACC Championship era.
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 was 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 and ranked fifth among all FBS teams in scoring at 41.0 points per game. 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 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.
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 51-48 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).
Clawson joined the Demon Deacons after five seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green State University where he led the Falcons to the 2013 Mid-American Conference championship with a 47-27 win over No. 16 Northern Illinois.
In his 22 years as a head coach, Clawson has delivered a conference championship at each of his first three stops. Prior to the 2013 MAC title, Clawson helped Richmond to a pair of Colonial Athletic Association titles in 2005 and 2007. His first championship as a head coach came in 2002 when he led Fordham to the Patriot League title.
He has also earned numerous Coach of the Year awards. He was the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and was awarded the 2005 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award in just his second year in the league. The 2007 CAA Coach of the Year award marked his fourth conference Coach of the Year honor in his first nine years as a head coach. In 2021 when he was named the ACC's Coach of the Year, it marked his fifth career accolade.
In 2002, Clawson was the Schutt Sports/American Football Monthly I-AA Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. In 2005, Clawson earned National Coach of the Year from I-AA.org and was again a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.
While raking in conference championships and coaching awards, Clawson has compiled an impressive 140 wins in his head coaching career.
Coach Clawson will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference while Franklin will represent the Big Ten, Chadwell will represent the Sun Belt, Dimel will represent Conference USA, Bohannon will be an FCS representative and Strohmeier will be an ex officio member of the board and represent junior college football.
Those coaches will join a group of distinguished head coaches who guide the organization. The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Returning members of the AFCA Board of Trustees include incoming president Craig Bohl of the University of Wyoming, first vice-president Todd Knight of Ouachita Baptist University, second vice-president Jeff McMartin of Central College (Iowa); and third vice-president Paul Winters of Wayne State University (Mich.).
Also serving on the Board in 2022 are: Ken Niumatalolo, U.S. Naval Academy; David Shaw, Stanford University; Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest College; Steve Ryan, Morningside University; Bobby Hauck, University of Montana; Neal Brown, West Virginia University; Sam Pittman, University of Arkansas; Tim Lester, Western Michigan University; Bobby Kennedy, Stanford University, ex officio member and chairman of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Van Malone, Kansas State University, ex officio member and chairman of the Minority Issues Committee; and Michael Christensen, Carson (Calif.) High School, ex officio member and chairman of the High School Committee. AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry serves as secretary-treasurer of the organization.
Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Sept. 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
Head Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (NC State)
Monday, September 08
Wake Forest Football Highlights vs WCU (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Sterling Berkhalter snags a 51-yard touchdown
Saturday, September 06