Wake Forest Athletics
Five Questions with Jordan Garside
8/3/2023 10:42:00 AM | Football
“Coach Clawson is the perfect fit for Wake Forest, and we’re so fortunate to have him.” - Jordan Garside
Fullback Jordan Garside arrived at Wake Forest as a two-time state champion from The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida) and left as a team captain under full scholarship. His embrace as a redshirt senior of the new coaching staff when coach Clawson took over entering the 2014 season helped set the culture of championships that has now seen Wake Forest Football achieve bowl status a program-record seven-straight seasons.
Now living in New York City with his wife Kristine Cantin Garside and their 2-year old daughter, Garside works in venture capital with Dell Technologies. He recently joined Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature.
How is it seeing Wake Forest have such an explosive offense, when it was definitely challenging back in 2014?
Garside: "I was the only offensive captain. We weren't as talented on that side of the ball then as they are now, obviously. I was hoping for more than three wins, but it was great to be part of building that foundation.
"It's been fun to see the team gel. It was only a matter of time, and I could see that back in 2014. They know how to maximize the talent they have and it was only a matter of time before they got the players to fit their system. Once they did that, the sky's the limit. It's been fun to see the seasons they've put together."
Do you and your family keep up with the program?
Garside: "We eat Old Gold and Black. It's been an incremental build. To have just the small part I played in it, makes it incredibly gratifying to see. Even though the campus looks incredibly different and the facilities are way better, it really hasn't been that long and it kind of blows my mind. Coach Clawson is the perfect fit for Wake Forest, and we're so fortunate to have him. He knows how special Wake Forest is, and he's had a tremendous amount of success. I'm happy for him and proud of what he's accomplished."
How valuable was the one year you had in the program with Clawson?
Garside: "I've learned more from him off-the-field than on-the-field, and there's an incredible amount of pure Xs and Os that I learned. From a culture and leadership perspective — those are the lessons I apply everyday. I've taken those lessons and continued to apply them. He's very candid and transparent about what his expectations are. From day one, we knew what to expect from him and his staff. The transparency is refreshing. Having been away from Wake Forest for a few years, I've seen that the world doesn't always work that way."
Does the success of the program surprise you in any way?
Garside: "I had absolute trust and faith that he would do it. Not only had Wake Forest done it in the past, but coach Clawson had done it, and done it at every level. For me, it was just a matter of time. It wasn't if, but when. There was a culture shift. Who's bought in and who hasn't bought it. It was difficult for teammates who didn't buy into what coach Clawson was saying. Quite frankly, they probably found a better fit elsewhere and the staff found people who would buy in.
"I learned very quickly that he would be successful at Wake Forest and that I would learn a ton from him about how to manage an organization. Obviously that year's season wasn't everything I was hoping for. But I learned a ton from coach Clawson and quickly realized that the success they've had was inevitable."
What was the highlight of your time at Wake Forest?
Garside: "Being elected captain by my teammates was extremely humbling. It will forever be a highlight of mine. I reflect on so many one-on-one conversations with coach Clawson, so that's not a single moment, but a series of moments. I was able to get him after practice and really pick his brain. I will always cherish those moments of learning from him."
Now living in New York City with his wife Kristine Cantin Garside and their 2-year old daughter, Garside works in venture capital with Dell Technologies. He recently joined Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature.
How is it seeing Wake Forest have such an explosive offense, when it was definitely challenging back in 2014?
Garside: "I was the only offensive captain. We weren't as talented on that side of the ball then as they are now, obviously. I was hoping for more than three wins, but it was great to be part of building that foundation.
"It's been fun to see the team gel. It was only a matter of time, and I could see that back in 2014. They know how to maximize the talent they have and it was only a matter of time before they got the players to fit their system. Once they did that, the sky's the limit. It's been fun to see the seasons they've put together."
Do you and your family keep up with the program?
Garside: "We eat Old Gold and Black. It's been an incremental build. To have just the small part I played in it, makes it incredibly gratifying to see. Even though the campus looks incredibly different and the facilities are way better, it really hasn't been that long and it kind of blows my mind. Coach Clawson is the perfect fit for Wake Forest, and we're so fortunate to have him. He knows how special Wake Forest is, and he's had a tremendous amount of success. I'm happy for him and proud of what he's accomplished."
How valuable was the one year you had in the program with Clawson?
Garside: "I've learned more from him off-the-field than on-the-field, and there's an incredible amount of pure Xs and Os that I learned. From a culture and leadership perspective — those are the lessons I apply everyday. I've taken those lessons and continued to apply them. He's very candid and transparent about what his expectations are. From day one, we knew what to expect from him and his staff. The transparency is refreshing. Having been away from Wake Forest for a few years, I've seen that the world doesn't always work that way."
Does the success of the program surprise you in any way?
Garside: "I had absolute trust and faith that he would do it. Not only had Wake Forest done it in the past, but coach Clawson had done it, and done it at every level. For me, it was just a matter of time. It wasn't if, but when. There was a culture shift. Who's bought in and who hasn't bought it. It was difficult for teammates who didn't buy into what coach Clawson was saying. Quite frankly, they probably found a better fit elsewhere and the staff found people who would buy in.
"I learned very quickly that he would be successful at Wake Forest and that I would learn a ton from him about how to manage an organization. Obviously that year's season wasn't everything I was hoping for. But I learned a ton from coach Clawson and quickly realized that the success they've had was inevitable."
What was the highlight of your time at Wake Forest?
Garside: "Being elected captain by my teammates was extremely humbling. It will forever be a highlight of mine. I reflect on so many one-on-one conversations with coach Clawson, so that's not a single moment, but a series of moments. I was able to get him after practice and really pick his brain. I will always cherish those moments of learning from him."
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