Wake Forest Football Update: Quartet of Support Staff Additions, Quartet of Promotions
5/31/2024 11:08:00 AM | Football
Head Coach Dave Clawson announced the addition of four support-staff positions and four promotions within his staff.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest Athletics and head coach Dave Clawson announced four new football support staff members and promotions for four members of the Demon Deacons staff, including two coaches.
James Adams, Associate Head Coach / Safeties
James Adams, who was hired in Feb. 2022 and is a Wake Forest alum, is set to enter his third season on the Wake Forest football staff in 2024 as was promoted recently to Associate Head Coach / Safeties. Since his arrival, Adams has led an elite safeties unit that was instrumental in helping the Wake Forest defense take big steps forward each of the past two years.
Through the 2023 regular season, the Demon Deacons were one of the best defenses in the country, receiving an overall grade of 84.8 from PFF which ranked 45th nationally. Additionally, PFF had the Deacs ranked in the top-50 in run defense (82.4). Also, Wake Forest was one of the best teams in the country in redzone defense last year as the Deacs tied for 22nd nationally with just 76.9 percent of opponent redzone trips resulting in a score. Additionally, just 20 of the 39 opponent red zone tries (51.3 pct.) ended in a touchdown.
In addition in 2023, the Wake Forest defense made a staple of getting off the field early in drives with 43 three-and-outs. Overall last fall, Wake Forest forced its opponents into three-and-outs on 28.5 percent of opponents drives (43-of-142).
Over the course of his first season back in Winston-Salem in 2022, Adams helped defensive coordinator Brad Lambert lead a Deacs defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) as Wake Forest won eight games for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program. Additionally, the Demon Deacons downed Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which marked the 11th bowl victory in program history.
With that aforementioned win over the Tigers and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt where the Wake Forest defense was able to force three turnovers, the Deacs defeated defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference in 2022 marking the first time since 2008 and just the second time in program history that Wake accomplished that feat in a single season.
Individually, Adams tutored safeties Chelen Garnes and Malik Mustapha to stellar seasons over the past two years. Recently, Mustapha was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers and Garnes signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Mustapaha was an All-ACC player as well under Adams' tutelage.
Adams, a two-time letterman at linebacker for Wake Forest, returned to Winston-Salem after spending the 2021 season at Purdue working with the Boilermakers cornerbacks. Purdue won nine games for the first time since 2003 and tied for the second-most wins in program history. The defense ranked 33rd in passing yards allowed (208.7 ypg) in the country and ranked 33rd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions.
Prior to moving to West Lafayette, Ind., Adams spent the 2020 season at Navy as the Midshipmen's cornerbacks coach. Navy limited its final three opponents (Memphis, Tulsa, Army) to under 300 yards of total offense per game.
Before his lone season at Navy, Adams spent one year at Western Michigan as the cornerbacks coach, helping lead the Broncos to a 7-6 overall record and a spot in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. Under Adams' guidance, cornerback Patrick Lupro earned 2019 third-team All-Mid-American conference honors. He ranked fifth the MAC in interceptions per game (0.25) and seventh is passes defended per game (0.83).
Adams was with Wake Forest's new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert at Charlotte for eight seasons (2011-18), helping to start the program from scratch. Adams served as Lambert's secondary coach and assisted with special teams.
The 49ers finished 14th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a Conference USA-leading 16 interceptions in 2016 and finished fourth in C-USA in pass defense in 2015, Charlotte's first on the FBS level. Under the tutelage of Adams, Ben DeLuca, who is currently on the active roster for the Los Angeles Chargers, earned Freshman All-American honors in 2016 while also leading the nation in forced fumbles in 2017 and the 49ers in tackles in 2018.
Adams began his full-time coaching career at Wofford, serving as the Terriers cornerbacks coach (2010-11). Wofford won the 2010 Southern Conference championship while ranking first in the conference in total defense and passing defense.
Adams started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Wake Forest as a graduate assistant in 2009. Adams, who played in 20 games at linebacker for head coach Jim Grobe and then-assistant coach Brad Lambert, spent the 2008 season as the recruiting assistant under Ray McCartney.
A knee injury in the 2004 Clemson game forced Adams to miss the remainder of the season, but he bounced back in 2005 to see action in 10 games as a senior and recorded 10 tackles from the linebacker position.
Adams graduated from Wake Forest in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
Originally from Durham, Adams attended Northern Durham High School with former Deacon standout Josh Gattis and didn't start playing football until his sophomore year of high school. Adams was named to all-conference, all-area and all-region teams at Northern Durham, where he was coached by Gary Merill, a former teammate of McCartney at Guilford College.
Adams, a native of Durham, N.C., graduated from Wake Forest in 2006. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Londyn, and a son, Royce.
Nick Tabacca, Assistant Head Coach for Offense / Offensive Line
Nick Tabacca, who has transformed Wake Forest's offensive line room and helped offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero run the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history during their transformational tenure in Winston-Salem, is set for his 11th season as the Deacons offensive line coach in 2024. Additionally, Tabacca was recently promoted to Assistant Head Coach for Offense following spring football.
Tabacca, Ruggiero, head coach Dave Clawson and the entire offensive staff have engineered an attack that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards since 2017. Also, the Deacs were the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year from 2017-22. That run ranked as the fourth longest in ACC history.
The improvement in Wake Forest's rushing attack under Tabacca's leadership on the o-line has been astounding, as the Deacs have rushed for more than 2,000 yards in four of the past seven seasons. Additionally, Wake Forest accomplished that streak in three-straight years from 2017-19 marking the first time that has happened since 1994-96.
Overall since 2017, Wake Forest has rushed for 145 touchdowns and that total is one of the most productive seven-year stretches in program history. Those 131 scores on the ground ranks tied for 64th in the FBS during that span and sits sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Meanwhile since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest's 199 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks 12th nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 362 total touchdowns are the third-most in the ACC behind Clemson and North Carolina while ranking 20th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,910 points over the past seven seasons and average 33.5 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any seven-year period in school history.
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 was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Wake Forest's 1,367 points scored during the 2020-22 period is the highest-scoring three-year period in Deacon history. Additionally, Wake Forest scored 1,043 points across the 20211 and 2022 seasons combined.
A key to the Deacs scoring success has been the numbers that they have put up through the air in the last two seasons. As Tabacca's offensive line has provided time for two-time (2021, 2022) All-ACC QB Sam Hartman to sling the ball, Wake Forest is one of six schools to throw for more than 8,000 yards in that time and nearly 600 yards more than any other ACC team. Additionally, the Demon Deacons have found the endzone through the air 21 more times than any other ACC team since the start of the 2021 season and their 82 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country.
Phil Steele All-American Michael Jurgens, who was recently selected 230th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, led the way for the Demon Deacons up front as Tabacca was integral in his development after moving from center to guard. Jurgens, who was named a William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist for the second-consecutive season, graded out as the highest-graded Power-5 interior lineman according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 83.7. Jurgens was also a consensus All-ACC selection.
Individually in 2022 on the offensive line, Tabacca tutored Sean Maginn to Second Team All-ACC honors, while DeVonte Gordon, Loic Ngassam Nya and Michael Jurgens all received honorable mention recognition from the voters. In addition for Jurgens, the Damascus, Md. native was a 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist as he graded out at 91% this season and has recorded 29 pancakes.
Jurgens is a Demon Deacon graduate with distinction in Mathematical Business and completed his MBA in the Wake Forest School of Business in the Spring 2023. He is a five-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll member and 2021 All-ACC Academic Team honoree.
Not to be outdone, Tabacca tutored 2021 NFL Draft Pick (4th Round, Green Bay Packers) Zach Tom to First Team All-ACC and All-America honors a season ago in 2021. Additionally, Tom was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
Additionally in 2021, Maginn earned Third Team All-ACC accolades, while Ngassam Nya and Jurgens garnered honorable mention recognition by the league. Finally from that historic season two years ago, Tabacca coached then-redshirt freshman Gordon to a stellar rookie campaign that was recognized by him being placed on the Sean Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List and as a member of the All-Freshman Team by Maxwell Football at the end of the season.
With four student-athletes earning All-ACC honors in 2022, this marked the third time in four years (2019) that Tabacca has had four players achieve that recognition in the same season. These are the only three times in program history that this has been achieved.
Tabacca came to Wake Forest following a two-year stint at his alma mater, Ball State. He was the Cardinals offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Additionally, Tabacca served as the offensive line coach at Butler (2010-11), Defiance College (2007-09) and was a graduate assistant at Ball State (2005-06) following his playing career.
Tabacca is a 2004 graduate of Ball State and a four-year letterman for the Cardinals on the offensive line. He started 33 games in his final three seasons and was a two-time Academic All-Mid-American Conference selection, while also serving as team captain as a senior.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Tabacca is a graduate of Hilliard Davidson High School. He and wife Alyssa have five children -- Sophia, Lucas, Lily, Grace and William.
Katie Bason, Director of Recruiting Operations and Roster Management
Following a great year on Coach Dave Clawson's staff where she served as the director of football recruiting operations after being hired in June 2023, Katie Bason was promoted to director of recruiting operations and roster management ahead of the 2024 season.
In her role, Bason runs all on-campus visits for prospective student-athletes and their families and handles various Name, Image, Likeness strategies and other duties related to roster management within the Demon Deacons football program.
She came to Winston-Salem after spending the last year as an Assistant AD / Chief of Staff at FIU where she managed all day-to-day operational and logistical components for the Panthers football program. Her duties included, but were not limited to, being the liaison to the compliance office, maintaining teamworks and CARA calendars and serving as the point of contact for all current and future player families.
Prior to spending the 2022 season at FIU, Bason served as the director of player development and operations at Ole Miss in 2020 and 2021. Her myriad of duties during her time in Oxford included creating a program to help the student-athletes successfully transition from high school to college from an academic and social / emotional perspective. Additionally, she organized small and large group leadership opportunities through community service events and she assisted in all on-campus recruiting tasks. She was also in Oxford, Miss. for the 2019 season where she served as the Rebels Assistant Director for On-Campus Recruiting.
She went to Ole Miss after spending six seasons at the University of Colorado, Boulder as the Buffaloes' Director of Football Academics. In that role, Bason led the CU Summer Bridge Program, established individual academic plans for all student-athletes and served as the primary junior college academic evaluator.
Bason began her career in college athletics with a three-year stint (2010-12) as the football learning specialist at San Jose State University.
Prior to her career in intercollegiate athletics, Bason was a high school teacher at Myers Park in Charlotte (2005-07), East Mecklenburg (2007-08) and Paisley IB Magnet School in Winston-Salem (2008-10).
A 2005 Wake Forest graduate with a B.A. in secondary education, Bason earned her M.A. in education policy from the University of Colorado in 2016. While she was an undergraduate student at Wake Forest, Bason served as a student manager for the men's basketball program under legendary coach, Skip Prosser.
Kate Ruley, Executive Assistant to the Head Coach and Event Coordinator - Football
Kate Ruley began her position as Executive Assistant to the Head Coach in Jan. 2022 and was recently promoted to Executive Assistant to the Head Coach and Event Coordinator - Football ahead of the 2024 season in her third year on the staff.
In addition to her duties in working with head coach Dave Clawson, Ruley assists with unique football events on an annual basis like the Ladies Clinic, Victory Day, Alumni Networking Event and many others during the year.
Prior to her arrival on the staff in 2022, Ruley was in private practice with Body In Mind Nutrition, LLC in Winston-Salem for two years. Additionally, Ruley worked as a director of sports nutrition at Wake Forest Athletics from Jan. 2017 to July 2020.
She has a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Queens University as well as a master's in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Ruley was a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness and Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Associations. She is board certified in sports dietetics.
Rian McCarthy, Coordinator of Creative Content
Rian McCarthy joined the Demon Deacons staff in May 2024 as a coordinator of creative content. A Durham College graduate in April 2024, Rian comes to Wake Forest with a degree in graphic design and has done freelance work for Wake Forest's recruiting staff for two years prior to being hired.
His previous experience includes graphic design work for the Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Club. Additionally, he has done freelance work for Queens University, Arkansas, Buffalo, Northwestern, Georgia State and the Maxx MGMT Sports Marketing Agency.
In his role at Wake Forest, he will assist creative design materials for the football program and content-related recruiting efforts.
Christopher Monfiletto, Special Teams Analyst
Chris Monfiletto joined the Wake Forest staff as a special teams analyst ahead of the 2024 season following a year at Colorado State as an Offensive Assistant and the interim offensive line coach in the spring of 2023.
Prior to Fort Collins, Monfiletto spent four seasons with Rice University, most recently as the Special Teams Coordinator. He first joined the Owls in 2019 as an offensive quality control assistant and was the tight ends coach during the 2020 season.
Monfiletto went to South Main after seven years as the head coach at Kenyon College where he also coached the quarterbacks. He took over a Kenyon program in 2012 that was coming off consecutive winless seasons. In his first season, the team recorded six wins and managed the first winning season since 2005. The next season saw Kenyon win more games in two years since 1988-89. In 2017, Monfiletto's offense averaged 366.4 yards per game, ranking 21st in NCAA DIII in passing and yards per game. The team boasted the leading top three wide receivers in the NCAC conference in receptions and two in the DIII top 10.
In addition to his head coaching responsibilities, Monfiletto also served as the position coach to QB Thomas Merkle who is Kenyon's career leader in completions and passing yards. In 2018, wide receiver Ian Robertson finished 4th in NCAA DIII in receiving yards and second in receptions per game, setting the school record for completions. In 2016, WR Brian Hunca finished 2nd in NCAA DIII in receptions per game, 4th in receiving yards, and completed his career ranked second at Kenyon in receiving yards. He went on to have a rookie mini camp tryout with the Washington Commanders.
Monfiletto came to Kenyon from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he directed an offense that averaged approximately 360 yards and 28 points per game. In Monfiletto's two years at Lycoming, the team had a combined 14-6 record. In addition to his football coaching duties, Monfiletto also served as Lycoming's Director of Athletics from July-December 2011.
Monfiletto also served as the head coach at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio from 2008-2010, and before that spent three years as a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Davidson College. The Wildcats had two winning seasons during that time and Monfiletto tutored two of the top-ten rushers in the college's history.
In 2004-05, he served as the special teams coordinator and wide receivers/defensive backs coach at his high school alma mater, the Hun School of Princeton, leading the team to the New Jersey prep A state title.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Solebury, Pennsylvania, Monfiletto attended high school at the Hun School and went on to play collegiate football at Davidson College, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history. In the summer of 2011, he earned a master's degree in Athletic Administration from Ohio University's College of Business.
He is married to Emily Monfiletto and has a son named Vinny and a daughter named Sofia.
Izaiah Prouse-Lackey, Offensive Quality Control
Izaiah Prouse-Lackey, who graduated from Florida State in 2018 with a Bachelor of Education, was a walk-on for the football team who lettered and earned a scholarship. He was a four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and earned Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors three times (2015, 2016, 2017) during his career.
Off the field during his time in Tallahassee, Prouse-Lackey was awarded the 2018 Chi Theta Chapter Superior Service Award. Additionally, he was the recipient of numerous scholarships including the Chi Omega Julius Fisher Scholarship, Hazel Royall Stephens O'Connor Dillmeier Scholarship, Burger King Scholarship and Asian & Pacific Islander Scholarship.
Upon graduation, he spent the Spring of 2019 as a volunteer at Florida State before spending the summer as the Bill Walsh Minority Diversity Fellow with the San Francisco 49ers. His first fall football with another program was spent in 2019 at East Tennessee State University where Prouse-Lackey was a Defensive Quality Control Assistant.
From 2020-21, Prouse-Lackey spent time in Atlanta, GA where he coached 7v7 with C1N and trained defensive players in the surrounding areas. In 2022, he was the Defensive Coordinator at East Lee County High School in Lehigh Acres, FL.
Prior to coming to Wake Forest in 2024 as an Offensive Quality Control staff member, he spent the 2023 season as a graduate assistant at Murray State University for their football program.
Nasir Greer, Defensive Quality Control
Nasir Greer, a 2021 Wake Forest graduate with a degree in Communication and Media Studies, returns to Winston-Salem in a Defensive Quality Control role after having an accomplished college and professional career.
Greer was an All-ACC selection during his time as a Demon Deacon while also serving multiple years on the leadership committee within the team.
After helping lead the Deacs to one of their best seasons in program history in 2021 that included an ACC Atlantic and Gator Bowl Championship, Greer signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. Greer also went on to play in the XFL during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, winning an XFL Championship with Arlington Renegades in 2023.
Greer has also been an assistant coach at Landmark Christian School, coaching on both sides of the ball, with wide receivers, tight ends and defensive backs since 2022. He has also been a leader in his community, serving as a Minister Leader and Youth Minister Leader within multiple churches since 2022 while also volunteering in and around the Atlanta area, supporting youth, homeless and underserved communities.
James Adams, Associate Head Coach / Safeties
James Adams, who was hired in Feb. 2022 and is a Wake Forest alum, is set to enter his third season on the Wake Forest football staff in 2024 as was promoted recently to Associate Head Coach / Safeties. Since his arrival, Adams has led an elite safeties unit that was instrumental in helping the Wake Forest defense take big steps forward each of the past two years.
Through the 2023 regular season, the Demon Deacons were one of the best defenses in the country, receiving an overall grade of 84.8 from PFF which ranked 45th nationally. Additionally, PFF had the Deacs ranked in the top-50 in run defense (82.4). Also, Wake Forest was one of the best teams in the country in redzone defense last year as the Deacs tied for 22nd nationally with just 76.9 percent of opponent redzone trips resulting in a score. Additionally, just 20 of the 39 opponent red zone tries (51.3 pct.) ended in a touchdown.
In addition in 2023, the Wake Forest defense made a staple of getting off the field early in drives with 43 three-and-outs. Overall last fall, Wake Forest forced its opponents into three-and-outs on 28.5 percent of opponents drives (43-of-142).
Over the course of his first season back in Winston-Salem in 2022, Adams helped defensive coordinator Brad Lambert lead a Deacs defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) as Wake Forest won eight games for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program. Additionally, the Demon Deacons downed Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which marked the 11th bowl victory in program history.
With that aforementioned win over the Tigers and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt where the Wake Forest defense was able to force three turnovers, the Deacs defeated defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference in 2022 marking the first time since 2008 and just the second time in program history that Wake accomplished that feat in a single season.
Individually, Adams tutored safeties Chelen Garnes and Malik Mustapha to stellar seasons over the past two years. Recently, Mustapha was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers and Garnes signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions. Mustapaha was an All-ACC player as well under Adams' tutelage.
Adams, a two-time letterman at linebacker for Wake Forest, returned to Winston-Salem after spending the 2021 season at Purdue working with the Boilermakers cornerbacks. Purdue won nine games for the first time since 2003 and tied for the second-most wins in program history. The defense ranked 33rd in passing yards allowed (208.7 ypg) in the country and ranked 33rd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten with 13 interceptions.
Prior to moving to West Lafayette, Ind., Adams spent the 2020 season at Navy as the Midshipmen's cornerbacks coach. Navy limited its final three opponents (Memphis, Tulsa, Army) to under 300 yards of total offense per game.
Before his lone season at Navy, Adams spent one year at Western Michigan as the cornerbacks coach, helping lead the Broncos to a 7-6 overall record and a spot in the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl. Under Adams' guidance, cornerback Patrick Lupro earned 2019 third-team All-Mid-American conference honors. He ranked fifth the MAC in interceptions per game (0.25) and seventh is passes defended per game (0.83).
Adams was with Wake Forest's new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert at Charlotte for eight seasons (2011-18), helping to start the program from scratch. Adams served as Lambert's secondary coach and assisted with special teams.
The 49ers finished 14th among Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a Conference USA-leading 16 interceptions in 2016 and finished fourth in C-USA in pass defense in 2015, Charlotte's first on the FBS level. Under the tutelage of Adams, Ben DeLuca, who is currently on the active roster for the Los Angeles Chargers, earned Freshman All-American honors in 2016 while also leading the nation in forced fumbles in 2017 and the 49ers in tackles in 2018.
Adams began his full-time coaching career at Wofford, serving as the Terriers cornerbacks coach (2010-11). Wofford won the 2010 Southern Conference championship while ranking first in the conference in total defense and passing defense.
Adams started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater Wake Forest as a graduate assistant in 2009. Adams, who played in 20 games at linebacker for head coach Jim Grobe and then-assistant coach Brad Lambert, spent the 2008 season as the recruiting assistant under Ray McCartney.
A knee injury in the 2004 Clemson game forced Adams to miss the remainder of the season, but he bounced back in 2005 to see action in 10 games as a senior and recorded 10 tackles from the linebacker position.
Adams graduated from Wake Forest in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
Originally from Durham, Adams attended Northern Durham High School with former Deacon standout Josh Gattis and didn't start playing football until his sophomore year of high school. Adams was named to all-conference, all-area and all-region teams at Northern Durham, where he was coached by Gary Merill, a former teammate of McCartney at Guilford College.
Adams, a native of Durham, N.C., graduated from Wake Forest in 2006. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Londyn, and a son, Royce.
Nick Tabacca, Assistant Head Coach for Offense / Offensive Line
Nick Tabacca, who has transformed Wake Forest's offensive line room and helped offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero run the most prolific offenses in Wake Forest history during their transformational tenure in Winston-Salem, is set for his 11th season as the Deacons offensive line coach in 2024. Additionally, Tabacca was recently promoted to Assistant Head Coach for Offense following spring football.
Tabacca, Ruggiero, head coach Dave Clawson and the entire offensive staff have engineered an attack that has rewritten the record books at Wake Forest. The Deacons have set nearly 400 school records including marks for points scored, points per game, total offensive yards, first downs and passing yards since 2017. Also, the Deacs were the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year from 2017-22. That run ranked as the fourth longest in ACC history.
The improvement in Wake Forest's rushing attack under Tabacca's leadership on the o-line has been astounding, as the Deacs have rushed for more than 2,000 yards in four of the past seven seasons. Additionally, Wake Forest accomplished that streak in three-straight years from 2017-19 marking the first time that has happened since 1994-96.
Overall since 2017, Wake Forest has rushed for 145 touchdowns and that total is one of the most productive seven-year stretches in program history. Those 131 scores on the ground ranks tied for 64th in the FBS during that span and sits sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Meanwhile since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest's 199 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks 12th nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 362 total touchdowns are the third-most in the ACC behind Clemson and North Carolina while ranking 20th nationally.
Those touchdowns have led Wake Forest to total 2,910 points over the past seven seasons and average 33.5 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively. All the totals are the most of any seven-year period in school history.
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 was one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
Wake Forest's 1,367 points scored during the 2020-22 period is the highest-scoring three-year period in Deacon history. Additionally, Wake Forest scored 1,043 points across the 20211 and 2022 seasons combined.
A key to the Deacs scoring success has been the numbers that they have put up through the air in the last two seasons. As Tabacca's offensive line has provided time for two-time (2021, 2022) All-ACC QB Sam Hartman to sling the ball, Wake Forest is one of six schools to throw for more than 8,000 yards in that time and nearly 600 yards more than any other ACC team. Additionally, the Demon Deacons have found the endzone through the air 21 more times than any other ACC team since the start of the 2021 season and their 82 passing touchdowns are the third most in the country.
Phil Steele All-American Michael Jurgens, who was recently selected 230th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, led the way for the Demon Deacons up front as Tabacca was integral in his development after moving from center to guard. Jurgens, who was named a William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist for the second-consecutive season, graded out as the highest-graded Power-5 interior lineman according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 83.7. Jurgens was also a consensus All-ACC selection.
Individually in 2022 on the offensive line, Tabacca tutored Sean Maginn to Second Team All-ACC honors, while DeVonte Gordon, Loic Ngassam Nya and Michael Jurgens all received honorable mention recognition from the voters. In addition for Jurgens, the Damascus, Md. native was a 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist as he graded out at 91% this season and has recorded 29 pancakes.
Jurgens is a Demon Deacon graduate with distinction in Mathematical Business and completed his MBA in the Wake Forest School of Business in the Spring 2023. He is a five-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll member and 2021 All-ACC Academic Team honoree.
Not to be outdone, Tabacca tutored 2021 NFL Draft Pick (4th Round, Green Bay Packers) Zach Tom to First Team All-ACC and All-America honors a season ago in 2021. Additionally, Tom was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
Additionally in 2021, Maginn earned Third Team All-ACC accolades, while Ngassam Nya and Jurgens garnered honorable mention recognition by the league. Finally from that historic season two years ago, Tabacca coached then-redshirt freshman Gordon to a stellar rookie campaign that was recognized by him being placed on the Sean Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List and as a member of the All-Freshman Team by Maxwell Football at the end of the season.
With four student-athletes earning All-ACC honors in 2022, this marked the third time in four years (2019) that Tabacca has had four players achieve that recognition in the same season. These are the only three times in program history that this has been achieved.
Tabacca came to Wake Forest following a two-year stint at his alma mater, Ball State. He was the Cardinals offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Additionally, Tabacca served as the offensive line coach at Butler (2010-11), Defiance College (2007-09) and was a graduate assistant at Ball State (2005-06) following his playing career.
Tabacca is a 2004 graduate of Ball State and a four-year letterman for the Cardinals on the offensive line. He started 33 games in his final three seasons and was a two-time Academic All-Mid-American Conference selection, while also serving as team captain as a senior.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Tabacca is a graduate of Hilliard Davidson High School. He and wife Alyssa have five children -- Sophia, Lucas, Lily, Grace and William.
Katie Bason, Director of Recruiting Operations and Roster Management
Following a great year on Coach Dave Clawson's staff where she served as the director of football recruiting operations after being hired in June 2023, Katie Bason was promoted to director of recruiting operations and roster management ahead of the 2024 season.
In her role, Bason runs all on-campus visits for prospective student-athletes and their families and handles various Name, Image, Likeness strategies and other duties related to roster management within the Demon Deacons football program.
She came to Winston-Salem after spending the last year as an Assistant AD / Chief of Staff at FIU where she managed all day-to-day operational and logistical components for the Panthers football program. Her duties included, but were not limited to, being the liaison to the compliance office, maintaining teamworks and CARA calendars and serving as the point of contact for all current and future player families.
Prior to spending the 2022 season at FIU, Bason served as the director of player development and operations at Ole Miss in 2020 and 2021. Her myriad of duties during her time in Oxford included creating a program to help the student-athletes successfully transition from high school to college from an academic and social / emotional perspective. Additionally, she organized small and large group leadership opportunities through community service events and she assisted in all on-campus recruiting tasks. She was also in Oxford, Miss. for the 2019 season where she served as the Rebels Assistant Director for On-Campus Recruiting.
She went to Ole Miss after spending six seasons at the University of Colorado, Boulder as the Buffaloes' Director of Football Academics. In that role, Bason led the CU Summer Bridge Program, established individual academic plans for all student-athletes and served as the primary junior college academic evaluator.
Bason began her career in college athletics with a three-year stint (2010-12) as the football learning specialist at San Jose State University.
Prior to her career in intercollegiate athletics, Bason was a high school teacher at Myers Park in Charlotte (2005-07), East Mecklenburg (2007-08) and Paisley IB Magnet School in Winston-Salem (2008-10).
A 2005 Wake Forest graduate with a B.A. in secondary education, Bason earned her M.A. in education policy from the University of Colorado in 2016. While she was an undergraduate student at Wake Forest, Bason served as a student manager for the men's basketball program under legendary coach, Skip Prosser.
Kate Ruley, Executive Assistant to the Head Coach and Event Coordinator - Football
Kate Ruley began her position as Executive Assistant to the Head Coach in Jan. 2022 and was recently promoted to Executive Assistant to the Head Coach and Event Coordinator - Football ahead of the 2024 season in her third year on the staff.
In addition to her duties in working with head coach Dave Clawson, Ruley assists with unique football events on an annual basis like the Ladies Clinic, Victory Day, Alumni Networking Event and many others during the year.
Prior to her arrival on the staff in 2022, Ruley was in private practice with Body In Mind Nutrition, LLC in Winston-Salem for two years. Additionally, Ruley worked as a director of sports nutrition at Wake Forest Athletics from Jan. 2017 to July 2020.
She has a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Queens University as well as a master's in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Ruley was a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness and Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Associations. She is board certified in sports dietetics.
Rian McCarthy, Coordinator of Creative Content
Rian McCarthy joined the Demon Deacons staff in May 2024 as a coordinator of creative content. A Durham College graduate in April 2024, Rian comes to Wake Forest with a degree in graphic design and has done freelance work for Wake Forest's recruiting staff for two years prior to being hired.
His previous experience includes graphic design work for the Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Club. Additionally, he has done freelance work for Queens University, Arkansas, Buffalo, Northwestern, Georgia State and the Maxx MGMT Sports Marketing Agency.
In his role at Wake Forest, he will assist creative design materials for the football program and content-related recruiting efforts.
Christopher Monfiletto, Special Teams Analyst
Chris Monfiletto joined the Wake Forest staff as a special teams analyst ahead of the 2024 season following a year at Colorado State as an Offensive Assistant and the interim offensive line coach in the spring of 2023.
Prior to Fort Collins, Monfiletto spent four seasons with Rice University, most recently as the Special Teams Coordinator. He first joined the Owls in 2019 as an offensive quality control assistant and was the tight ends coach during the 2020 season.
Monfiletto went to South Main after seven years as the head coach at Kenyon College where he also coached the quarterbacks. He took over a Kenyon program in 2012 that was coming off consecutive winless seasons. In his first season, the team recorded six wins and managed the first winning season since 2005. The next season saw Kenyon win more games in two years since 1988-89. In 2017, Monfiletto's offense averaged 366.4 yards per game, ranking 21st in NCAA DIII in passing and yards per game. The team boasted the leading top three wide receivers in the NCAC conference in receptions and two in the DIII top 10.
In addition to his head coaching responsibilities, Monfiletto also served as the position coach to QB Thomas Merkle who is Kenyon's career leader in completions and passing yards. In 2018, wide receiver Ian Robertson finished 4th in NCAA DIII in receiving yards and second in receptions per game, setting the school record for completions. In 2016, WR Brian Hunca finished 2nd in NCAA DIII in receptions per game, 4th in receiving yards, and completed his career ranked second at Kenyon in receiving yards. He went on to have a rookie mini camp tryout with the Washington Commanders.
Monfiletto came to Kenyon from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he directed an offense that averaged approximately 360 yards and 28 points per game. In Monfiletto's two years at Lycoming, the team had a combined 14-6 record. In addition to his football coaching duties, Monfiletto also served as Lycoming's Director of Athletics from July-December 2011.
Monfiletto also served as the head coach at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio from 2008-2010, and before that spent three years as a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Davidson College. The Wildcats had two winning seasons during that time and Monfiletto tutored two of the top-ten rushers in the college's history.
In 2004-05, he served as the special teams coordinator and wide receivers/defensive backs coach at his high school alma mater, the Hun School of Princeton, leading the team to the New Jersey prep A state title.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Solebury, Pennsylvania, Monfiletto attended high school at the Hun School and went on to play collegiate football at Davidson College, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history. In the summer of 2011, he earned a master's degree in Athletic Administration from Ohio University's College of Business.
He is married to Emily Monfiletto and has a son named Vinny and a daughter named Sofia.
Izaiah Prouse-Lackey, Offensive Quality Control
Izaiah Prouse-Lackey, who graduated from Florida State in 2018 with a Bachelor of Education, was a walk-on for the football team who lettered and earned a scholarship. He was a four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and earned Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors three times (2015, 2016, 2017) during his career.
Off the field during his time in Tallahassee, Prouse-Lackey was awarded the 2018 Chi Theta Chapter Superior Service Award. Additionally, he was the recipient of numerous scholarships including the Chi Omega Julius Fisher Scholarship, Hazel Royall Stephens O'Connor Dillmeier Scholarship, Burger King Scholarship and Asian & Pacific Islander Scholarship.
Upon graduation, he spent the Spring of 2019 as a volunteer at Florida State before spending the summer as the Bill Walsh Minority Diversity Fellow with the San Francisco 49ers. His first fall football with another program was spent in 2019 at East Tennessee State University where Prouse-Lackey was a Defensive Quality Control Assistant.
From 2020-21, Prouse-Lackey spent time in Atlanta, GA where he coached 7v7 with C1N and trained defensive players in the surrounding areas. In 2022, he was the Defensive Coordinator at East Lee County High School in Lehigh Acres, FL.
Prior to coming to Wake Forest in 2024 as an Offensive Quality Control staff member, he spent the 2023 season as a graduate assistant at Murray State University for their football program.
Nasir Greer, Defensive Quality Control
Nasir Greer, a 2021 Wake Forest graduate with a degree in Communication and Media Studies, returns to Winston-Salem in a Defensive Quality Control role after having an accomplished college and professional career.
Greer was an All-ACC selection during his time as a Demon Deacon while also serving multiple years on the leadership committee within the team.
After helping lead the Deacs to one of their best seasons in program history in 2021 that included an ACC Atlantic and Gator Bowl Championship, Greer signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. Greer also went on to play in the XFL during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, winning an XFL Championship with Arlington Renegades in 2023.
Greer has also been an assistant coach at Landmark Christian School, coaching on both sides of the ball, with wide receivers, tight ends and defensive backs since 2022. He has also been a leader in his community, serving as a Minister Leader and Youth Minister Leader within multiple churches since 2022 while also volunteering in and around the Atlanta area, supporting youth, homeless and underserved communities.
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballWake Forest Football vs Oregon State | Cinematic Recap
Wednesday, October 15
Wake Forest Football Postgame Press Conference (Oct. 11, 2025)
Sunday, October 12
Wake Forest Football Highlights vs. Oregon State (Oct. 11, 2025)
Sunday, October 12
Demond Claiborne rushing touchdown
Saturday, October 11