WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Dave Clawson’s emotions were undeniably visible as he addressed the media, discussing his decision to resign as Wake Forest’s head football coach after an impressive 11-year period. The realization of this moment brought him close to tears as he reflected on his players, coaching staff, and the numerous successes he experienced, all while feeling the weight of family commitments.
However, there were aspects he would not miss, particularly navigating the ongoing transformations in college sports. “It’s tough to succeed in an environment where your heart isn’t fully invested, and I didn’t want to put my players or the program in that position,” Clawson remarked during the press conference he held the day following his resignation announcement. “Ideally, I would have preferred to hold this press conference in a few years, but observing the current state of the industry made me realize that it was time to step aside.”
Clawson, 57, followed a path similar to his fellow Atlantic Coast Conference coach, Tony Bennett of Virginia. Bennett, who coached men’s basketball, also chose to resign earlier than expected at the age of 55, sharing his emotional journey while expressing the feeling of no longer fitting into the current dynamics of college athletics.
Just two months previously, Bennett emotionally narrated his experiences during a farewell speech, citing the pressures resulting from the transfer portal and new opportunities for athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness rights. Those changes have led to instability in college rosters, a situation Clawson also identified in his own program.
The resonance of Bennett’s exit was not lost on Clawson, who reminisced about a personal conversation with Bennett that took place during a league meeting. They candidly discussed the increasingly transactional nature of collegiate sports. “While I’m supportive of athletes receiving fair compensation, the idea that every player can essentially be a free agent presents challenges. We have experienced four or five players leaving Wake Forest for other schools after almost graduating simply because they were offered financial incentives,” Clawson explained, acknowledging the hardship of such developments.
As Clawson transitions into an advisory position working alongside Athletic Director John Currie, he acknowledged a shift in his mindset. “I’ve tried to adapt and stay invested in the current landscape. Nevertheless, it feels like the job no longer belongs to me,” he noted. Clawson emphasized that while he strived to embrace these changes, the current approach seems misaligned with how he fundamentally builds teams and why he entered coaching in the first place.
Clawson’s tenure as Wake Forest’s head coach included remarkable achievements, such as leading the team to 11 victories and an appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2021. During that period, the team even found itself ranked among the top 10 in the AP poll during 2021 and 2022, a feat accompanied by six consecutive bowl game appearances. However, recent seasons have seen a decline to a record of only 4-8, reflecting the increasing difficulties of maintaining success in the evolving climate of college sports.
Wake Forest, recognized for having one of the smallest undergraduate student bodies in the Bowl Subdivision (5,471 for the 2023-24 academic year), had thrived under Clawson’s leadership through a formula focused on retaining and cultivating talent as opposed to relying on high-profile recruits. The pinnacle of success for Clawson came in 2021, when he secured a contract extension just before a significant victory against Boston College.
“There are plenty of moments worth celebrating, and sometimes those moments are tinged with bittersweet feelings,” Currie mentioned, as the emotional atmosphere resonated during the press conference. Clawson seemed ready to turn a new page, indicating that he had contemplated leaving after last season, and was eager to take on new roles such as being a better husband and father without the burdens of 16-hour workdays.
Despite embracing the opportunity for change, Clawson admitted facing the uncertainty of not having the role of a coach for the first time in many years was somewhat intimidating. Though he assured he would not be coaching next season, he refrained from defining what the future holds for him. With a humorous take on his new advisory role, which frees him from the daily constraints of coaching, he made a point to appear in a less formal manner at the press conference.
“I am not going to be present every day,” Clawson reiterated. “My goal is to make my contributions impactful while maintaining a manageable workload. I truly hope to discover meaningful pursuits outside of coaching, but after 36 years in this field, I can’t deny my love for various aspects of coaching. I do need this time to recharge and evaluate my next steps.”