Kevin Higgins - Football Coach - Wake Forest University Athletics

Kevin Higgins

Title:
Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers
Email:
higginkf@wfu.edu
Phone:
336-758-5845

Kevin Higgins moved into off-field leadership role on Dave Clawson’s staff after the 2022 season as he enters his second year in 2024 as the General Manager of the Demon Deacons football program.

Higgins, who has a combined 47 years coaching experience in high school, college and the NFL and was in the role of Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers from 2014-22 and he now oversees recruiting, personnel evaluation, and he assists Coach Clawson run the football program. Additionally, he will be involved in Wake Forest’s efforts related to Name, Image & Likeness.

Here is a career capsule for Kevin Higgins:

Wake Forest (2014-2022)

Over the course of his nine-year tenure at Wake Forest, Higgins has worked with head coach Dave Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero to engineer an offense 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 over the past five seasons.
- Wake Forest is the only football program in the ACC to average at least 30 points per game each year since 2017.
- Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest’s 185 touchdown receptions are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks tied for seventh nationally during that span.
  - Additionally during that span, the Deacs 333 total touchdowns are the second-most in the ACC behind Clemson and rank 12th nationally.
- Wake Forest has a combined 12 games with 50 points or more over the last six seasons.
- The scores have led Wake Forest to total 2,667 points over the past six seasons and average 35.6 ppg. Both those marks rank second in the ACC behind Clemson as well, respectively.
- All the totals are the most of any six-year period in school history.
Wake Forest football’s mantra for the 2022 season was “MINDSET” as the Demon Deacons looked to follow up its historic year in 2021.

The Deacs won eight games in a season for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program.
- With the win over Missouri on Friday and a victory in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest defeated two programs from the Southeastern Conference this fall for the first time since 2008, and just the second time in program history the Deacs accomplished this feat in a single season.
The 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl marked Wake Forest’s seventh-straight bowl appearance, a new school record.
- Additionally, the Demon Deacons’ streak is the second-longest active streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the 12th longest in the nation.
Wake Forest finished the 2022 season averaging 36.1 points per game, helping the Deacs post its sixth-consecutive season of averaging 30 or more points a game. This is the longest active streak and the fourth longest in ACC history.
Wake Forest threw for a team-record 43 touchdowns as a team.
- QB Sam Hartman broke the Wake Forest all-time passing mark against Liberty in Week 3, eclipsing Riley Skinner (2006-09). Additionally, he became the ACC career leader in passing touchdowns (110) in the Gasparilla Bowl vs. Mizzou.
Another record holder is Perry, as he ended his Wake Forest career with a program record 28 touchdown receptions.
- Sam Hartman and A.T. Perry finished their Wake Forest careers as one of the top QB-WR duos in conference history. The pair has combined for 27 touchdowns, which is tied for the second most in ACC history.
Perry recorded five 100-yard receiving games en route to earning All-ACC honors, and he totaled 12-such games of triple-digit receiving yards in his career.
Perry and his teammate, Donavon Greene, have been some of the most explosive receivers in program history:
- Career Avg. Per Reception (min. 75 Rec.)
- 1. Donavon Greene (2019-Pres.) 18.6 (79/1,473)
- 5. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 15.9 (171/2,662)
When Taylor Morin snared Hartman’s ACC-record-setting touchdown throw in the first quarter of the Gasparilla Bowl, the TD reception marked his eighth of the season. He was one of three Demon Deacons who are ranked inside the top-10 in program history for single season touchdown receptions this fall.
- Wake Forest Single Season Touchdown Receptions:
  3. A.T. Perry (2022) – 11
  T5. Jahmal Banks (2022) – 9
  Taylor Morin (2022) – 9
Wake Forest’s mantra in 2021 was, “Good to Great,” as Coach Clawson and assistant head coach Kevin Higgins and the staff looked to take the next step as a program.
- The 2021 Wake Forest football team capped off its historic season on New Year's Eve, defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl 38-10 inside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
  - While quarterback Sam Hartman took home Gator Bowl MVP honors after he threw for 304 yards and three touchdown passes, his classmate A.T. Perry had a memorable day with 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
- Behind Ruggiero’s record-breaking offense, Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1 ACC) became just the second team in program history to win double-digit games and tied the program record with 11 victories while also setting a program record with seven conference victories and finished the home season with a perfect 6-0 mark. Wake Forest went 5-3 on the season in road or neutral site games for the first time since the 2018 season.
  - Additionally with a perfect 6-0 mark this season, the Deacs recorded their first undefeated home record for the first time since 1979 and just the third time since Wake Forest’s 1970 ACC Championship team. Meanwhile, six home wins ties the program record that was set in 2019.
  - Wake Forest was one of 10 Power-5 schools in 2021 to win 11 games.
  - The Demon Deacons were also the first school in the conference to become bowl eligible with a perfect mark of 6-0 in 2021. The Deacs 8-0 start to the season was the best in school history in addition to having the longest winning streak in school history.
- 2021 Offensive Recap:
  - Wake Forest topped 35 points in a game 12 times during the season. In the College Football Playoff Era, the Demon Deacons are one of seven teams (2014 Oregon, 2018 Alabama, 2018 Oklahoma, 2019 Alabama, 2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama) to accomplish that feat.
  - The Demon Deacons scored a combined 574 points during the 2021 season. Wake Forest became the first team in program history to cross over the 500-point mark. That point total ranks 43rd in 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.
    - Wake Forest’s program record 574 points ranks seventh in ACC history for points scored in a single season.
  - Wake Forest set a program record by averaging 41.0 points per game and Wake Forest is now the only school in the Atlantic Coast Conference to average at least 30 points per game over the past five seasons.
  - The Demon Deacons set a program record for total yards with 6,550 yards of offense this fall. The average of 467.9 yards per game was also a new program record.
    - Wake Forest reset its program mark for first downs with 354 in 2021.
  - The Deacons air attack set a new program record by 555 yards, as Wake Forest passed for 4,303 yards during the season. Wake Forest set a new mark with an average of 307.4 ypg. through the air, which is the first such season in program lore with an average over 300 ypg.
  - The Deacs set a program record of receptions (302) and touchdown catches (39).
  - Wake Forest’s 49 percent conversion rate on third downs (113-of-230) is the highest mark in program history since at least 1996, and it is believed to be the highest percentage in Wake Forest history.
  - The Deacs 113 conversions ranks first in WF lore.
  - The Demon Deacons 62 percent conversion rate on fourth down (13-of-21) is the highest mark since 2013.
- Record-Setting Wide Receivers:
  - WR A.T. Perry caught 71 passes for team-high 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns this fall. Meanwhile, his teammate Jaquarii Roberson also reeled in 71 balls and totaled 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
    - Perry and Roberson were the eighth and ninth Demon Deacon wide receivers to go over the 1,000-yard mark in single-season receiving yards. They are the second pair of Wake Forest receivers to accomplish this feat in the same season (2019: Sage Surratt, Kendall Hinton).
    - Wake Forest is believed to be the only school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish this feat twice. With that, Wake Forest is the only program in the conference to accomplish this benchmark twice since at least 1996.
  - Perry’s 15 touchdown receptions set a school record as he topped Kenny Duckett’s previous mark of 12 that he set in 1980. The total is tied for fourth all-time in ACC history.
  - Overall, Perry (1,293) and Roberson (1,078) finished this season with the second and third most receiving yards in a single season, respectively. They trailed Chris Givens’ mark of 1,330 yards from 2011.
  - Roberson’s eight touchdown catches in 2021 ranks tied for ninth in program history.
  - Perry and Roberson each recorded 71 receptions during the 2021 season, which is tied for eighth in program history.
  - Perry’s 18.2 average yards per catch mark is tied for fifth in Wake Forest history and his 92.4 yards per game average in 2021 sits fifth.
  - Roberson’s 82.9 yards per game average in 2021 sits ninth in program history.
  - Perry enters the 2022 season ranked second in Wake Forest lore in career average per reception at 17.4 yards per reception.
  - Perry enters the 2022 season with 17 touchdown catches as well and currently sits tied for eighth with Roberson.
  - Roberson ended his Wake Forest career ranked eighth in career receiving yards with 2,158 and career receiving touchdowns with 17, respectively.
  - Roberson totaled over 100 yards receiving nine times throughout his time. That marks fifth in Wake Forest history and is the most in the Dave Clawson era.
  - Roberson ends his career ranked ninth in program history in total receptions with 146 and is the most in the Dave Clawson and Kevin Higgins era by a wide receiver.
In 2020, Roberson proved he is one of the best wide receivers in the ACC and the country.
- Roberson ranked in the top 10 in Wake Forest's single season records in receiving yards (926) and receiving touchdowns (8).
- Additionally, he tied a program record by finishing the 2020 campaign with four-straight 100-yard receiving yard games.
- Roberson finished first in the ACC with 102.9 receiving and became just the second wide receiver since 2018 to average over 100 yards receiving in a season (Sage Surratt, 2019).
- Roberson earned Second Team Pro Football Focus All-America honors. He was the second-highest graded wide receiver in the country with a rating of 92.4.
In 2019, Higgins worked with seniors Kendall Hinton and Scotty Washington along with sophomore Sage Surratt. Surratt and Hinton became the first duo in school history to each have over 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. The trio accounted for six ACC Receiver of the Week awards in 2019.
- Wake Forest was one of just seven teams in FBS to have a pair of 1,000-yard receivers.
- Despite playing in just nine games, Surratt's 11 receiving touchdowns tied for second in program history and his 1.22 touchdowns per game ranked third nationally.
- Hinton's 6.6 receptions per game ranked 15th nationally and 91.0 receiving yards per game ranked 22nd in the country.
- Surratt also finished first in the ACC with 111.2 receiving yards per game.
In 2018, Higgins mentored wide receiver Greg Dortch as he finished second in the ACC in receptions and receiving yards per game.
- Higgins’ tutelage of redshirt freshman Surratt and senior Alex Bachman helped them produce at a high level. Bachman had the best season of his career with 37 receptions and six touchdown catches. Surratt was second on the team with 41 receptions and four TD catches.
- Dortch was one of the most explosive receivers in the ACC as he ranked seventh in the country with 7.4 receptions per game, 20th nationally with 89.8 yards per game and he scored eight touchdowns.
- Higgins was Wake Forest’s nominee for the Frank Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football in 2018.
Higgins’ collection of receivers in 2017 set numerous records including becoming the first group in school history to have four receivers with 40 or more catches in a season.
- Among his 2017 players, Higgins worked with redshirt freshman Greg Dortch who set the school record with four touchdown catches in a game. The receivers also contributed to a school record 6,055 total offense yards in a season.
  - Dortch finished the season with nine touchdowns and ranked second in the ACC and 25th in FBS.
- The beginning of Wake Forest’s offensive explosion came in 2017 when the Deacs set over 100 team and individual records.

The Citadel (2005-13)

In nine seasons at The Citadel, Higgins broke or tied over 110 school records. In 2012, he led the Bulldogs to a 7-4 record and was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Higgins took The Citadel to a top 10 national ranking in 2012, the first time the school had been ranked in the top 10 in 20 years. He ranks third all-time in wins at The Citadel.

Detroit Lions (2001-04)

Higgins became the quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions in 2001 and was responsible for the tutoring and developing of Detroit’s first-round draft pick, quarterback Joey Harrington.
During his fourth season with the Lions he assumed the position of wide receivers coach and was responsible for the development of one of the most exciting trios of wideouts in the NFL: Az-Zahir Hakim, Charles Rogers and Roy Williams. Higgins coached Williams to the Lions’ single season records for a rookie in receptions (54), receiving yards (817) and touchdowns (8) before joining The Citadel.

Lehigh (1988-2000)

Led the Mountain Hawks to a 56-25-1 record and three appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
In his final three seasons at Lehigh, Higgins posted a 34-4 record and won or shared three consecutive Patriot League titles. He led the Mountain Hawks to undefeated regular seasons in 1998 and 2000. Higgins was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1995, 1998 and 2000.
In 2000, Higgins helped Lehigh record its second undefeated regular season (11-0) in three years and its third-straight league title. The team ended the season 12-1 after falling to Delaware in the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs. In 1999, Lehigh was 10-1 and earned an at-large postseason bid after being co-Patriot League champions and ranked 14th nationally. He also was named GTE Regional Coach of the Year in 1999.
The previous season, Lehigh completed its first undefeated regular season (11-0) under Higgins and defeated third-ranked Richmond in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to Massachusetts, which went on to win the national championship.
Clawson and Higgins were both assistant coaches at Lehigh in 1993. When Higgins was promoted to head coach for the 1994 season, he elevated Clawson to offensive coordinator from running backs coach.

Background

A 1977 graduate of West Chester, Higgins earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education while playing free safety and being named the team’s most valuable defensive back his senior season. He went on to receive his master’s degree in physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1981.

Personal

Higgins and his wife, Kay, have three children: son Tim (wife Sarah), and daughters Meaghan (husband Jason Helms) and Katie Rose.

Coaching History

Seasons	School/Team	Title/Position Coached
2023-Present	Wake Forest	General Manager
2014-2022	Wake Forest	Associate Head Coach/Wide Receivers
2005-13	The Citadel	Head Coach
2004	Detroit Lions	Wide Receivers
2001-03	Detroit Lions	Quarterbacks
1994-2000	Lehigh	Head Coach
1988-93	Lehigh	Assistant Coach
1985-87	Richmond	Assistant Coach
1981-84	Gettysburg	Assistant Coach
1979-80	North Warren HS	Assistant Coach
1977-78	Emerson HS	Assistant Coach

Postseason History

Season	Bowl Game	Opponent	Result
2022	Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Wake Forest)	Missouri	W, 27-17
2021	TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Wake Forest)	Rutgers	W, 38-10
2020	Duke's Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest)	Wisconsin	L, 28-42
2019	Pinstripe Bowl (Wake Forest)	Michigan State	L, 27-21
2018	Birmingham Bowl (Wake Forest)	Memphis	W, 31-34
2017	Belk Bowl (Wake Forest)	Texas A&M	W, 51-52
2016	Military Bowl (Wake Forest)	Temple	W, 34-26
2000	Quarterfinals (Lehigh)	Delaware	L, 47-22
2000	First Round (Lehigh)	Western Illinois	W, 37-7
1999	First Round (Lehigh)	Hofstra	L, 27-15
1998	Quarterfinals (Lehigh)	UMass	L, 27-21
1998	First Round (Lehigh)	Richmond	W, 24-23
1987	First Round (Richmond)	App State	L, 20-3