Wake Forest likes Clawson’s ‘reputation as a builder of programs’ (12-10-13)

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Wake Forest has hired Bowling Green’s Dave Clawson to become the Demon Deacon’s next football
coach.In formally announcing the move, athletics director Ron Wellman on Tuesday said in a release that
Clawson is “a proven winner” who “has developed a national reputation as a builder of programs.”Clawson will
be introduced during a news conference Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.He led Bowling Green
(10-3) to an upset of previously unbeaten and then-No. 16 Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference
championship game last week.He will not coach the Falcons against Pittsburgh in the Little Caesars Pizza
Bowl. Bowling Green elevated special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Adam Scheier to interim head
coach.His hiring caps Wake Forest’s weeklong search to find Jim Grobe’s successor. He resigned Dec. 2 after
a 13-year stay that included five bowl games, but ended with five straight losing seasons.While saying he
didn’t want to limit the scope of his search, Wellman said his preference was to find a proven winner who
had experience at a private school.Clawson certainly fits the mold.“Dave has rebuilt every program that he
has coached and has led each institution to a conference championship,” said Wellman, a BGSU graduate. “He
has developed a national reputation as a builder of programs. Dave’s expectations for our program and
players are extremely high.”Clawson faces a tough job at Wake Forest, which shares the Atlantic Division
with No. 1 Florida State, which is headed to the BCS title game, plus No. 12 Clemson and starting next year,
No. 18 Louisville, which replaces Big Ten-bound Maryland.Making the rebuild even more of a challenge: Most
of the Demon Deacons’ key players this season — including quarterback Tanner Price, receiver Michael
Campanaro and nose tackle Nikita Whitlock — were seniors.Wake Forest spent the past week looking for a
replacement for the 61-year-old Grobe, who stepped down after tying the program record with 77 wins and five
years after guiding the small, private school to the best three-season run in school history. It included
its first ACC title since 1970 and an Orange Bowl berth in 2006.Things got tougher for the Demon Deacons
lately. They were 4-8 this year and lost five straight to end the season.Clawson raised his profile last
Friday night when his Falcons routed Northern Illinois 47-27 for the MAC title. The win earned Bowling Green
its third postseason appearance in his five years there, and his record with the Falcons was 32-31.Before
coming to Bowling Green, he spent the 2008 season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator — replacing David
Cutcliffe when he was hired by Duke.And before that, Clawson rebuilt the FCS programs at Fordham and
Richmond. He was chosen as the national coach of the year in what was then called Division I-AA at each of
those schools.

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