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Washington State will be looking for a new head football coach this offseason. After leading the Cougars to an 8-win campaign this past fall, Jake Dickert is bolting for Wake Forest.
The news comes as the program prepares for a Holiday Bowl matchup against Syracuse. Dickert will get much more familiar with the Orange given his soon-to-be employer’s status as an ACC institution.
In just over three seasons in Pullman, Dickert led the Cougars to a 23-20 overall record. That included an 8-1 start this past season before Wazzu dropped its final three games.
Much of that success was due to QB John Mateer, who led the nation with 44 touchdown passes. Unfortunately, Mateer opted to enter the transfer portal at season’s end, marking the second straight offseason in which the Cougars were forced to replace a talented signal caller.
Last year, Cam Ward transferred to Miami before leading the Hurricanes to a 10-2 campaign. Mateer filled Ward’s shoes nicely, but now he, too, is gone.
Jake Dickert spoke on that transfer portal decision after the fact. He blamed NIL and tampering for the loss of his star QB.
“There are no rules.”
When you lose your starting QB and 20+ players to the transfer portal, plus half your coaching staff… you have to wonder: at what point should we stop playing by the rules?
Jake Dickert says ‘tampering’ is inevitable.
The latest on @WSUCougarFB ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5bLfRqej08
— Sydney Berger (@SydneyPBerger) December 17, 2024
Hours after that gripe with his passer’s bag chasing, news broke of Dickert’s upcoming jump to Wake Forest. Longtime Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson stepped down earlier this week. He made $4.8 million last season in Winston-Salem.
Dickert, meanwhile, boasted a salary of $2.55 million at Washington State. He’s set to see a hefty salary bump with the move into the ACC.
Join us in welcoming the newest member of the Demon Deacon family, @CoachDickert!
📰: https://t.co/NMf4ORa4U9#GoDeacs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/23Yr8NHqNM
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) December 18, 2024
Jake Dickert’s acceptance of the Wake Forest gig rings a bit hypocritical given his previous statements about John Mateer’s portal decision. Still, you can’t necessarily blame the coach for taking a better opportunity.
Not only will Dickert see a pay increase, but he leaves the uncertainty that currently surrounds the Cougars. After being left behind in the PAC 12, Washington State has found it difficult to achieve stability.
The program has been ravaged by the transfer portal. It watched its offensive coordinator move onto Oklahoma. Now, its head coach is leaving, too. The Cougars can’t catch a break. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.