Kevin Higgins Moving to Off-Field Role on Wake Forest’s Football Staff
1/30/2023 6:00:00 PM | Football
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After a combined 46 years coaching in high school, college and the NFL, including the last nine seasons as the Demon Deacons Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers, Kevin Higgins will assume a new off-field leadership role on Dave Clawson's staff.
Higgins, who will utilize his previous head coaching and professional football experience, will oversee recruiting, personnel and the transfer portal. Additionally, he will be involved in Wake Forest's efforts related to Name, Image & Likeness.
"Kevin Higgins is one of my earliest mentors and dearest friends in the coaching profession and he has done an incredible job developing our student-athletes on and off the field over the past nine years at Wake Forest," Clawson said. "Throughout the last nine years, Kevin has been my right-hand man on so many program-altering decisions that allowed us to build a competitive program in the ACC. Despite my best efforts to try to convince and recruit Coach Higgins to continue one more season as our receivers coach, he has decided to remain in our program with a critical role of leading our recruiting efforts and continuing to be an incredible mentor to our entire football team."
"I am so grateful for my long-standing relationship with Dave Clawson, Warren Ruggiero and our entire staff at Wake Forest," Higgins said. "This new leadership position will allow me to continue contributing to the success of our football program and align our efforts across many areas. With that, I am excited for another great football season ahead and our continued efforts to help our players win a championship. Go Deacs!"
A national search will begin immediately for the next Demon Deacons wide receivers coach.
Kevin Higgins Career Capsule
Kevin Higgins, who has tutored Wake Forest's wide receivers to multiple record-setting seasons and helped head coach Dave Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero lead the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history over the past six seasons, finished his ninth season as Wake Forest's associate head coach and wide receiver's coach in 2022.
Higgins, who is the Deacs most veteran coach and a head coach for 16 years of his career, has overseen the development of a receiving corps that regularly competes among the best in the ACC. His receivers contributed mightily to Wake Forest's offensive explosion of the last six seasons, as the Deacs have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards. 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 receptions 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.
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 is one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
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.
QB Sam Hartman, who ended his Demon Deacons career as the ACC leader in career passing touchdowns (110), 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).
Perry and his teammate, Jaquarii Roberson, each recorded more than 1,000-receiving yards in 2021. They became 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). With that, Wake Forest is believed to be the only school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish this feat twice. Also, the Deacs are the only program in the conference to accomplish this benchmark twice since at least 1996.
In four of the past five seasons, Higgins has groomed four All-America wide receivers in Greg Dortch (2018), Surratt (2019), Roberson (2020) and Perry (2022). Additionally in 2021, Perry was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
While at Wake Forest, Higgins has worked with receivers K.J. Brent, Alex Bachman, Kendall Hinton, Dortch and Surratt, each of whom spent time in the NFL over the past four seasons.
Higgins compiled a 99-83-1 record in 16 years as a head coach. He was the head coach for seven seasons at Lehigh from 1994-2000, leading the Mountain Hawks to a 56-25-1 record and three appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
A native of Emerson, N.J., Higgins began his collegiate coaching career in 1981 as an assistant at Gettysburg. After four years he became an assistant at Richmond before joining Lehigh as an assistant in 1988. After six seasons he was elevated to head coach and led Lehigh from 1994 through 2000.
A 1977 graduate of West Chester, Higgins earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education while playing free safety and being named the team's most valuable defensive back his senior season. He went on to receive his master's degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1981.
Higgins and his wife, Kay, have three children: son Tim (wife Sarah), and daughters Meaghan (husband Jason Helms) and Katie Rose.
Coaching History
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
Higgins, who will utilize his previous head coaching and professional football experience, will oversee recruiting, personnel and the transfer portal. Additionally, he will be involved in Wake Forest's efforts related to Name, Image & Likeness.
"Kevin Higgins is one of my earliest mentors and dearest friends in the coaching profession and he has done an incredible job developing our student-athletes on and off the field over the past nine years at Wake Forest," Clawson said. "Throughout the last nine years, Kevin has been my right-hand man on so many program-altering decisions that allowed us to build a competitive program in the ACC. Despite my best efforts to try to convince and recruit Coach Higgins to continue one more season as our receivers coach, he has decided to remain in our program with a critical role of leading our recruiting efforts and continuing to be an incredible mentor to our entire football team."
"I am so grateful for my long-standing relationship with Dave Clawson, Warren Ruggiero and our entire staff at Wake Forest," Higgins said. "This new leadership position will allow me to continue contributing to the success of our football program and align our efforts across many areas. With that, I am excited for another great football season ahead and our continued efforts to help our players win a championship. Go Deacs!"
A national search will begin immediately for the next Demon Deacons wide receivers coach.
Kevin Higgins Career Capsule
Kevin Higgins, who has tutored Wake Forest's wide receivers to multiple record-setting seasons and helped head coach Dave Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero lead the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history over the past six seasons, finished his ninth season as Wake Forest's associate head coach and wide receiver's coach in 2022.
Higgins, who is the Deacs most veteran coach and a head coach for 16 years of his career, has overseen the development of a receiving corps that regularly competes among the best in the ACC. His receivers contributed mightily to Wake Forest's offensive explosion of the last six seasons, as the Deacs have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards. 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 receptions 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.
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 is one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
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.
QB Sam Hartman, who ended his Demon Deacons career as the ACC leader in career passing touchdowns (110), 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).
Perry and his teammate, Jaquarii Roberson, each recorded more than 1,000-receiving yards in 2021. They became 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). With that, Wake Forest is believed to be the only school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish this feat twice. Also, the Deacs are the only program in the conference to accomplish this benchmark twice since at least 1996.
In four of the past five seasons, Higgins has groomed four All-America wide receivers in Greg Dortch (2018), Surratt (2019), Roberson (2020) and Perry (2022). Additionally in 2021, Perry was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
While at Wake Forest, Higgins has worked with receivers K.J. Brent, Alex Bachman, Kendall Hinton, Dortch and Surratt, each of whom spent time in the NFL over the past four seasons.
Higgins compiled a 99-83-1 record in 16 years as a head coach. He was the head coach for seven seasons at Lehigh from 1994-2000, leading the Mountain Hawks to a 56-25-1 record and three appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
A native of Emerson, N.J., Higgins began his collegiate coaching career in 1981 as an assistant at Gettysburg. After four years he became an assistant at Richmond before joining Lehigh as an assistant in 1988. After six seasons he was elevated to head coach and led Lehigh from 1994 through 2000.
A 1977 graduate of West Chester, Higgins earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education while playing free safety and being named the team's most valuable defensive back his senior season. He went on to receive his master's degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1981.
Higgins and his wife, Kay, have three children: son Tim (wife Sarah), and daughters Meaghan (husband Jason Helms) and Katie Rose.
Coaching History
| Seasons | School/Team | Title/Position Coached |
| 2014-Present | Wake Forest | Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers |
| 2005-13 | The Citadel | Head Coach |
| 2004 | Detroit Lions | Wide Receivers |
| 2001-03 | Detroit Lions | Quarterbacks |
| 1994-2000 | Lehigh | Head Coach |
| 1988-93 | Lehigh | Assistant Coach |
| 1985-87 | Richmond | Assistant Coach |
| 1981-84 | Gettysburg | Assistant Coach |
| 1979-80 | North Warren HS | Assistant Coach |
| 1977-78 | Emerson HS | Assistant Coach |
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
- WR Jaquarii Roberson (UDFA) - Wake Forest '22 - Dallas Cowboys
- WR Sage Surratt (UDFA) - Wake Forest '21 - Detroit Lions
- WR Kendall Hinton (UDFA) - Wake Forest '20 - Denver Broncos
- WR Scotty Wasington (UDFA) - Wake Forest '20 - Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Alex Bachman (UDFA) - Wake Forest '19 - New York Giants
- WR Greg Dortch (UDFA) - Wake Forest '19 - New York Jets
- WR K.J. Brent (UDFA) - Wake Forest '16 - Oakland Raiders
- DB Cortez Allen (4th) - The Citadel '11 - Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Andre Roberts (3rd) - The Citadel '10 - Arizona Cardinals
- DE Rich Owens (5th) - Lehigh '95 - Washington Redskins
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballWake 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