It was announced by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons that their head football coach, Dave Clawson, would be stepping down from his role. Pete Thamel reported that he would stay with the university in an advisory role but would no longer be the head coach. This puts another head coach opening out there at a time when coaches are starting to move around. There is one name that has been popping up that is of interest to Kentucky fans: Brad White.
White is the current defensive coordinator for the Kentucky Wildcats and an alum of Wake Forest, where he played football for three years. He also began his coaching career at Wake Forest under Jim Grobe on an impressive 9-4 season in which Grobe won the ACC Coach of the Year award.
White would move on to other stops between then and Kentucky, but as a former player for the Demon Deacons, he has started to be linked to the opening. Most of the links have been from fan accounts like the first post below but there are some experts that think he could find his name in the mix.
Wake Forest Head Coach Candidates:
— The Source (8-3) (@wakeballknower) December 16, 2024
1. Glenn Schumann, Georgia DC
2. Jamey Chadwell, Liberty HC
3. Brian Hartline, Ohio State WRs
4. Brad White, Kentucky DC + Wake football alum
5. Buster Faulkner, GA Tech OC
6. Ryan Day (IF FIRED), Ohio State HC#GoDeacs
Brad White could find himself on that Wake Forest candidate list if they don't immediately promote OC Warren Ruggiero.
— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) December 16, 2024
This could be an opportunity for White to chase an opportunity as a head coach at his alma mater. This may be a chance he wouldn't pass up even if things were going well at Kentucky. The Wildcats just came off a miserable year with only one SEC win and a 4-8 overall record. It's a time when many players are jumping in the portal, and one coach (Daikiel Shorts Jr.) has already left with another who potentially could leave (Vince Marrow). If White senses the ship is sinking, he may be doing more looking than waiting to be pursued.
White came on staff for Mark Stoops and Kentucky as the OLB coach and worked his way up into the defensive coordinator role. His defense started the year as one of the best defensive units in the country and held one of the College Football Playoff teams, Georgia, to only 13 points. For a team like Wake Forest, the fact that White is an alumnus with NFL coaching experience and SEC coaching experience may be a strong selling point for the new coaching search.