Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert Named to Dodd Trophy Midseason Watchlist
10/13/2026 1:59:00 PM | Football
In the second year of the Dickert era, the Demon Deacons are 5-1 and ranked in the AP top-25 for the first time since the 2022 season.
ATLANTA – Wake Forest football head coach Jake Dickert has been named to the Bobby Dodd Trophy midseason watchlist, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. announced on Tuesday.
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc., The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy. The award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., taking into consideration each program's graduation rate, Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, on-field success thus far for the 2026 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Over the course of the last two seasons, the Demon Deacons are 14-5 under Dickert's leadership including a 5-1 record so far this year and being ranked in the Associated Press (No. 21) poll for the first time since the 2022 season and the coaches poll (No. 23).
Already this season, Wake Forest became just the second school to earn three Power 4 road victories along with the largest ACC win in school history in a 57-3 result over Stanford on Oct. 3.
Last weekend, the Deacs defeated NC State 38-14 at Carter-Finley Stadium for the largest road win over the Wolfpack in 83 years. In September, Wake Forest downed No. 16 Louisville 30-27 to earn a ranked road win in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1975-76 seasons.
In the greatest debut campaign by a head coach in program history in 2025, Dickert, his staff and his players guided the Demon Deacons to just the fourth nine-win season in school history, punctuated by an emphatic 43–29 victory over Mississippi State to capture the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Wake Forest finished the 2025 season 9-4, marking the fifth time in the last nine years the program reached eight or more wins – one of only five ACC programs to accomplish that feat during the span.
About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd's teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football's legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.TheDoddTrophy.com. For news, updates and insider information, follow us on Twitter at @DoddTrophy or find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DoddTrophy.
About Peach Bowl, Inc.
Peach Bowl, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Aflac Kickoff Game, the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, and manages and operates The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award. It is the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and is recognized as college football's most charitable bowl organization, having donated more than $71.4 million to organizations in need since 2002.
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc., The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy. The award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., taking into consideration each program's graduation rate, Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, on-field success thus far for the 2026 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Over the course of the last two seasons, the Demon Deacons are 14-5 under Dickert's leadership including a 5-1 record so far this year and being ranked in the Associated Press (No. 21) poll for the first time since the 2022 season and the coaches poll (No. 23).
Already this season, Wake Forest became just the second school to earn three Power 4 road victories along with the largest ACC win in school history in a 57-3 result over Stanford on Oct. 3.
Last weekend, the Deacs defeated NC State 38-14 at Carter-Finley Stadium for the largest road win over the Wolfpack in 83 years. In September, Wake Forest downed No. 16 Louisville 30-27 to earn a ranked road win in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1975-76 seasons.
In the greatest debut campaign by a head coach in program history in 2025, Dickert, his staff and his players guided the Demon Deacons to just the fourth nine-win season in school history, punctuated by an emphatic 43–29 victory over Mississippi State to capture the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Wake Forest finished the 2025 season 9-4, marking the fifth time in the last nine years the program reached eight or more wins – one of only five ACC programs to accomplish that feat during the span.
About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd's teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football's legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.TheDoddTrophy.com. For news, updates and insider information, follow us on Twitter at @DoddTrophy or find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DoddTrophy.
About Peach Bowl, Inc.
Peach Bowl, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Aflac Kickoff Game, the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, and manages and operates The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award. It is the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and is recognized as college football's most charitable bowl organization, having donated more than $71.4 million to organizations in need since 2002.
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