Coach Dickert Announces Football Operations & Student-Athlete Support Staff
3/7/2025 4:02:00 PM | Football
Wake Forest Football has seven dedicated staff members across four departments to assist in operational support of its coaches and student-athletes.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest Athletics and head coach Jake Dickert have announced seven staff members on football's operations, student-athlete development, video and equipment staff to support its coaches and student-athletes.
"Building a championship-caliber program requires a dedicated team behind the scenes, and I'm thrilled to welcome and retain these talented individuals on our Wake Forest Football staff. Each of them bring unique expertise and an unwavering commitment to supporting our student-athletes at the highest level. From operations, to student-athlete development, equipment and video production, their work will play a critical role in our success both on and off the field. I'm excited for the impact they will make as we continue to elevate our program and provide our players with the best resources and support possible."
This group is led by previously announced Chief of Staff, Brent Vernon.
Dylan Stevens, Director of Football Operations
Dylan Stevens originally joined the Wake Forest football staff in 2017 and was appointed as the Director of Football Operations on Coach Jake Dickert's staff in Jan. 2025.
In his role, Stevens coordinates and executes all team travel logistics for games (bus, airline, security, equipment, food and beverage). He travels in advance of the team to all away game sites to represent the Wake Forest Football team and ensure expectations are met. Additionally, he is responsible for all calendars and communication to staff, among other duties, to serve the program.
Stevens began his time with the Deacs as a football operations intern before being promoted to Assistant Director of Football Video/Operations in 2019. His duties included assisting with all football operations/video activities for the program.
A 2018 graduate of Western Carolina University, Stevens earned his BSBA in Sport Management. As an undergraduate, he served as a video/operations assistant for the Catamounts and coordinated the filming of games and practices.
Briana Brewer, Director of Player Development
A lifelong Demon Deacon, Briana Brewer joined the Wake Forest football staff in July 2024 following a successful tenure working with the program in Athletics' Student-Athlete Services department. Her role on the staff for Coach Clawson previously and now Coach Dickert is Wake Forest's Director of Player Development – a role made possible through the generosity of Billy Prim in March 2021.
In her role, Brewer helps lead the Football Player Career Development program in a student-facing position that creates meaningful student-athlete experiences at Wake Forest. Working as a member of the Student Athlete Development team, Brewer manages the football program's off-the-field efforts to maximize student-athletes' potential and help them transition into and out of college. Her main responsibility in the role is to develop relationships with current football student-athletes, helping mentor them as a voice off-the-field they can come to with concerns regarding academic, athletic, or career development separate from the Demon Deacon coaching staff.
In addition to personal mentorship, Brewer will lead the team's career readiness programming, utilizing the Office of Career and Professional Development's existing Ready 7 program to prepare student-athletes for career opportunities after graduation. She also, alongside other support staff, leads the Player Career Development program's mentorship program, learning student athletes' career interests and connecting them with networking opportunities and one-on-one mentorship with career connectors and supporters of the program within NCAA guidelines. Brewer also coordinates the team's participation in existing university campus service projects, including Hit the Bricks, Pump Up for Piccolo and Santa's Helper, among others. Throughout the academic year and specifically during the spring semester, Brewer coordinates Wake Forest's Top Hat Wednesday program that brings external speakers on a myriad of topics for the entire team to learn and expand their knowledge.
Brewer brought over a decade of dedicated service in academic counseling and athletic administration at Wake Forest. She spent the 2023-24 academic year as the Director of Football Academics where she coordinated football academic support while supervising a team of counselors. Her role included monitoring academic performance, preparing reports for coaching staff, and guiding student-athletes in developing personalized academic plans.
Previously from 2018-23, Brewer served as an Academic Counselor for the Wake Forest football team where she managed a caseload of student-athletes, provided academic counseling, and coordinated comprehensive academic support services. Her dedication to fostering student-athlete success extended to assisting with recruiting efforts and new student-athlete orientations.
Brewer's professional journey also includes roles outside athletics, such as her tenure as Assistant Director in Enrollment Management at the Wake Forest School of Business from 2017 to 2018. Here, she contributed to recruiting strategies, facilitated relationships with prospective students, and promoted the school's graduate program offerings.
Beginning her career as a Recruiting Fellow in the Wake Forest University Athletics Football Program from 2015-2017, she gained valuable experience in coordinating recruiting operations and managing campus visits for prospective student-athletes. Her administrative skills and collaborative approach were instrumental in supporting recruiting efforts across multiple departments.
Brewer holds a strong commitment to education and student development, emphasizing self-reliance, confidence, and intrinsic motivation in her interactions with student-athletes. Her multifaceted experience, leadership skills, and deep understanding of collegiate athletics make her a valuable asset in fostering academic excellence and athletic achievement at Wake Forest University.
Brewer graduated from Wake Forest University in 2015 with a B.A. in English and minor in Spanish and she earned an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2022.
Olivia Vea, Director of Video
Having worked as the Video Coordinator at Washington State since Feb. 2020, Olivia Vea joined Coach Jake Dickert and the Demon Deacons football staff in Winston Salem in Jan. 2025 as Wake's Director of Video. At Washington State, Vea coordinated all videotaping for the Cougars football program, focusing on gameday, practices and workouts. She also produced highlight packages, specialty projects for the football staff as well as handled all video needs throughout the recruiting process.
Vea arrived at Washington State after spending the previous 10 years at the University of Hawai'i. In 2019, she was named the Collegiate Sports Video Association's Mountain West Video Coordinator of the Year.
She began at Hawai'i as a student manager in 2010 under head coach Greg McMackin and after two years, assumed a graduate assistant position on Norm Chow's staff. In 2015, she was promoted to video specialist, where she produced highlight videos and managed practices and game-day production and took over as video coordinator the following season.
She graduated from UH-Manoa in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in creative media. She is a 2007 graduate of Kaimuki High School in O'ahu, where she got her start in athletics and media production.
Giovanni Contreras, Assistant Video Coordinator
Giovanni Contreras joined Wake Forest Athletics as an Assistant Video Coordinator in Feb. 2025, bringing extensive experience to Coach Jake Dickert's staff. Prior to joining the Demon Deacons football staff, Contreras served as a Football Video Film Assistant at Washington State University, where he filmed, edited, and distributed game and practice footage for the Cougars' football team.
Beyond video operations, Giovanni contributed to collegiate athletic marketing as a student intern with Washington State Athletics. He graduated from WSU in May 2025 with a degree in sport management.
Brian Daniels, Director of Football Equipment Services
Brian Daniels is the Director of Football Equipment Services at Wake Forest and has been with the program since Jan. 2015. Daniels came to Wake Forest following four years as the head equipment manager at Bowling Green.
Daniels, who is a certified member of the AEMA, also served as the Assistant Director of Equipment Services at Colgate for three years and as an equipment manager at the University at Buffalo for one year. Daniels spent six years at his alma mater Gardner-Webb, working as a coach, equipment manager and video coordinator.
Daniels earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Gardner-Webb in 2001. He went on to earn a masters of science degree in sport science from Gardner-Webb in 2004.
A native of Norman Park, Georgia, Brian and wife Jill have two sons, Hayden and Cameron, and a daughter, Bailey.
Nick Gugielmo, Assistant Director of Football Equipment Services
Nick Guglielmo joined the Wake Forest football staff in January of 2024, transitioning from his role at Wagner College, where he served as an Assistant Football Operations and Equipment Manager in 2023.
Guglielmo obtained a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from the State University of New York Cortland in 2023, where he was also a member of their football team.
Starting as an intern at Wake Forest in early 2024, Guglielmo quickly advanced to become the Assistant Director of Football Equipment Services and will continue to serve in this role on Coach Jake Dickert's staff.
"Building a championship-caliber program requires a dedicated team behind the scenes, and I'm thrilled to welcome and retain these talented individuals on our Wake Forest Football staff. Each of them bring unique expertise and an unwavering commitment to supporting our student-athletes at the highest level. From operations, to student-athlete development, equipment and video production, their work will play a critical role in our success both on and off the field. I'm excited for the impact they will make as we continue to elevate our program and provide our players with the best resources and support possible."
This group is led by previously announced Chief of Staff, Brent Vernon.
Dylan Stevens, Director of Football Operations
Dylan Stevens originally joined the Wake Forest football staff in 2017 and was appointed as the Director of Football Operations on Coach Jake Dickert's staff in Jan. 2025.
In his role, Stevens coordinates and executes all team travel logistics for games (bus, airline, security, equipment, food and beverage). He travels in advance of the team to all away game sites to represent the Wake Forest Football team and ensure expectations are met. Additionally, he is responsible for all calendars and communication to staff, among other duties, to serve the program.
Stevens began his time with the Deacs as a football operations intern before being promoted to Assistant Director of Football Video/Operations in 2019. His duties included assisting with all football operations/video activities for the program.
A 2018 graduate of Western Carolina University, Stevens earned his BSBA in Sport Management. As an undergraduate, he served as a video/operations assistant for the Catamounts and coordinated the filming of games and practices.
Briana Brewer, Director of Player Development
A lifelong Demon Deacon, Briana Brewer joined the Wake Forest football staff in July 2024 following a successful tenure working with the program in Athletics' Student-Athlete Services department. Her role on the staff for Coach Clawson previously and now Coach Dickert is Wake Forest's Director of Player Development – a role made possible through the generosity of Billy Prim in March 2021.
In her role, Brewer helps lead the Football Player Career Development program in a student-facing position that creates meaningful student-athlete experiences at Wake Forest. Working as a member of the Student Athlete Development team, Brewer manages the football program's off-the-field efforts to maximize student-athletes' potential and help them transition into and out of college. Her main responsibility in the role is to develop relationships with current football student-athletes, helping mentor them as a voice off-the-field they can come to with concerns regarding academic, athletic, or career development separate from the Demon Deacon coaching staff.
In addition to personal mentorship, Brewer will lead the team's career readiness programming, utilizing the Office of Career and Professional Development's existing Ready 7 program to prepare student-athletes for career opportunities after graduation. She also, alongside other support staff, leads the Player Career Development program's mentorship program, learning student athletes' career interests and connecting them with networking opportunities and one-on-one mentorship with career connectors and supporters of the program within NCAA guidelines. Brewer also coordinates the team's participation in existing university campus service projects, including Hit the Bricks, Pump Up for Piccolo and Santa's Helper, among others. Throughout the academic year and specifically during the spring semester, Brewer coordinates Wake Forest's Top Hat Wednesday program that brings external speakers on a myriad of topics for the entire team to learn and expand their knowledge.
Brewer brought over a decade of dedicated service in academic counseling and athletic administration at Wake Forest. She spent the 2023-24 academic year as the Director of Football Academics where she coordinated football academic support while supervising a team of counselors. Her role included monitoring academic performance, preparing reports for coaching staff, and guiding student-athletes in developing personalized academic plans.
Previously from 2018-23, Brewer served as an Academic Counselor for the Wake Forest football team where she managed a caseload of student-athletes, provided academic counseling, and coordinated comprehensive academic support services. Her dedication to fostering student-athlete success extended to assisting with recruiting efforts and new student-athlete orientations.
Brewer's professional journey also includes roles outside athletics, such as her tenure as Assistant Director in Enrollment Management at the Wake Forest School of Business from 2017 to 2018. Here, she contributed to recruiting strategies, facilitated relationships with prospective students, and promoted the school's graduate program offerings.
Beginning her career as a Recruiting Fellow in the Wake Forest University Athletics Football Program from 2015-2017, she gained valuable experience in coordinating recruiting operations and managing campus visits for prospective student-athletes. Her administrative skills and collaborative approach were instrumental in supporting recruiting efforts across multiple departments.
Brewer holds a strong commitment to education and student development, emphasizing self-reliance, confidence, and intrinsic motivation in her interactions with student-athletes. Her multifaceted experience, leadership skills, and deep understanding of collegiate athletics make her a valuable asset in fostering academic excellence and athletic achievement at Wake Forest University.
Brewer graduated from Wake Forest University in 2015 with a B.A. in English and minor in Spanish and she earned an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2022.
Olivia Vea, Director of Video
Having worked as the Video Coordinator at Washington State since Feb. 2020, Olivia Vea joined Coach Jake Dickert and the Demon Deacons football staff in Winston Salem in Jan. 2025 as Wake's Director of Video. At Washington State, Vea coordinated all videotaping for the Cougars football program, focusing on gameday, practices and workouts. She also produced highlight packages, specialty projects for the football staff as well as handled all video needs throughout the recruiting process.
Vea arrived at Washington State after spending the previous 10 years at the University of Hawai'i. In 2019, she was named the Collegiate Sports Video Association's Mountain West Video Coordinator of the Year.
She began at Hawai'i as a student manager in 2010 under head coach Greg McMackin and after two years, assumed a graduate assistant position on Norm Chow's staff. In 2015, she was promoted to video specialist, where she produced highlight videos and managed practices and game-day production and took over as video coordinator the following season.
She graduated from UH-Manoa in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in creative media. She is a 2007 graduate of Kaimuki High School in O'ahu, where she got her start in athletics and media production.
Giovanni Contreras, Assistant Video Coordinator
Giovanni Contreras joined Wake Forest Athletics as an Assistant Video Coordinator in Feb. 2025, bringing extensive experience to Coach Jake Dickert's staff. Prior to joining the Demon Deacons football staff, Contreras served as a Football Video Film Assistant at Washington State University, where he filmed, edited, and distributed game and practice footage for the Cougars' football team.
Beyond video operations, Giovanni contributed to collegiate athletic marketing as a student intern with Washington State Athletics. He graduated from WSU in May 2025 with a degree in sport management.
Brian Daniels, Director of Football Equipment Services
Brian Daniels is the Director of Football Equipment Services at Wake Forest and has been with the program since Jan. 2015. Daniels came to Wake Forest following four years as the head equipment manager at Bowling Green.
Daniels, who is a certified member of the AEMA, also served as the Assistant Director of Equipment Services at Colgate for three years and as an equipment manager at the University at Buffalo for one year. Daniels spent six years at his alma mater Gardner-Webb, working as a coach, equipment manager and video coordinator.
Daniels earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Gardner-Webb in 2001. He went on to earn a masters of science degree in sport science from Gardner-Webb in 2004.
A native of Norman Park, Georgia, Brian and wife Jill have two sons, Hayden and Cameron, and a daughter, Bailey.
Nick Gugielmo, Assistant Director of Football Equipment Services
Nick Guglielmo joined the Wake Forest football staff in January of 2024, transitioning from his role at Wagner College, where he served as an Assistant Football Operations and Equipment Manager in 2023.
Guglielmo obtained a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from the State University of New York Cortland in 2023, where he was also a member of their football team.
Starting as an intern at Wake Forest in early 2024, Guglielmo quickly advanced to become the Assistant Director of Football Equipment Services and will continue to serve in this role on Coach Jake Dickert's staff.
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Monday, October 27
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