Wake Forest Athletics
11/3/2026 11:00:00 AM | Football
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee and former head football coach Jim Grobe is set to be the Demon Deacons' Open the Gate honoree for Saturday's matchup against Merrimack.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Former Wake Forest head football coach Jim Grobe will serve as the Open the Gate honoree during the Demon Deacons' Week 10 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend matchup against Merrimack on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Allegacy Financial Stadium.
A 2026 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Grobe is the all-time leader in Wake Forest football coaching wins during the second-longest head coaching tenure in program history from 2001-13.
Grobe ultimately matched the school record for career coaching victories (77) and tripled the previous program high for career ACC victories (42). He led the Demon Deacons to five bowl appearances, including the then-winningest three-year stretch in program history. From 2006-08, Wake Forest went 28-12 (.700) and played in three-straight bowl games for the first time in school history.
The signature achievement of Grobe's tenure came in 2006, when he led Wake Forest to an 11-3 record, a perfect 6-0 mark on the road, and a 9-6 victory over Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game — just the second ACC title in program history.
Grobe was honored as the 2006 National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, the Bobby Dodd Foundation, The Associated Press, The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. He was unanimously named the 2006 ACC Coach of the Year, becoming the sixth Wake Forest coach to win the award.
Beyond the ACC Championship, Grobe led the Demon Deacons to five total bowl appearances, including three straight from 2006-08 in which Wake Forest went a combined 28-12 (.700).
A native Virginian, Grobe played guard and linebacker at Ferrum and Virginia, where he earned Academic All-ACC honors, before beginning a coaching career that spanned four decades. He worked as an assistant at Emory & Henry, Marshall and Air Force before becoming a head coach for the first time at Liberty High School in Bedford, Va. Grobe later served as head coach at Ohio from 1995-2000, laying the groundwork for the success he would find in Winston-Salem.
Open the Gate Information & 2026 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition, established in 2008, celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities. Honorees are recognized during football games by leading the team onto the field alongside the Demon Deacon mascot.
Week 1 - Dr. Peter Rodriguez
Week 3 - Al-Farouq Aminu
Week 5 - Traci Piccolo Dolby
Week 9 - Malik Mustapha
Week 10 - Jim Grobe
A 2026 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Grobe is the all-time leader in Wake Forest football coaching wins during the second-longest head coaching tenure in program history from 2001-13.
Grobe ultimately matched the school record for career coaching victories (77) and tripled the previous program high for career ACC victories (42). He led the Demon Deacons to five bowl appearances, including the then-winningest three-year stretch in program history. From 2006-08, Wake Forest went 28-12 (.700) and played in three-straight bowl games for the first time in school history.
The signature achievement of Grobe's tenure came in 2006, when he led Wake Forest to an 11-3 record, a perfect 6-0 mark on the road, and a 9-6 victory over Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game — just the second ACC title in program history.
Grobe was honored as the 2006 National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, the Bobby Dodd Foundation, The Associated Press, The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. He was unanimously named the 2006 ACC Coach of the Year, becoming the sixth Wake Forest coach to win the award.
Beyond the ACC Championship, Grobe led the Demon Deacons to five total bowl appearances, including three straight from 2006-08 in which Wake Forest went a combined 28-12 (.700).
A native Virginian, Grobe played guard and linebacker at Ferrum and Virginia, where he earned Academic All-ACC honors, before beginning a coaching career that spanned four decades. He worked as an assistant at Emory & Henry, Marshall and Air Force before becoming a head coach for the first time at Liberty High School in Bedford, Va. Grobe later served as head coach at Ohio from 1995-2000, laying the groundwork for the success he would find in Winston-Salem.
Open the Gate Information & 2026 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition, established in 2008, celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities. Honorees are recognized during football games by leading the team onto the field alongside the Demon Deacon mascot.
Week 1 - Dr. Peter Rodriguez
Week 3 - Al-Farouq Aminu
Week 5 - Traci Piccolo Dolby
Week 9 - Malik Mustapha
Week 10 - Jim Grobe
Players Mentioned
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