Dave Clawson isn't going to be coaching elsewhere anytime soon.

Wake Forest's eighth-year football coach signed a long-term extension, the program announced Friday night, amid increasing speculation that he was a candidate high on the list of a couple of currently open positions.

"I want to thank President Susan R. Wente, (athletics director) John Currie and our entire university leadership for believing in our staff and the program we have built through the incredible efforts of our entire staff and student-athletes over the past eight years," Clawson said through a news release. "Earlier this fall, John approached me about the university's interest in extending our relationship and furthering the long-term investment in our program and staff.

"Continuity of our staff has been a key factor in the success of our program and this is another key step in ensuring that we have the resources necessary to compete for championships and sustain and enhance the level of success our student-athletes have achieved on and off the field."

On the field this season, Wake Forest has reached the nine-win mark for the third time in program history -- with the potential to win three more games and win the most games in a season in school history. The Deacons are 9-2 and 6-1 in the ACC and have been ranked in every version of the College Football Playoff rankings, twice appearing in the top 10.

Clawson was rumored to be a candidate for openings at Virginia Tech, which moved on from Justin Fuente last week, and at Washington, which earlier this month fired Jimmy Lake.

"Our desire is for him to finish his coaching career as Wake Forest's all-time winningest coach," Currie said through the news release. "Coach Clawson and his staff have brought an unprecedented amount of success to Demon Deacon football and he is truly one of the elite coaches in the country."

Clawson is 49-47 in his tenure at Wake Forest, with the Deacons on the eve of perhaps the biggest game they will have played under him. With a win at Boston College on Saturday, Wake Forest can punch its ticket to the ACC championship game next weekend against Pittsburgh.

In spring of 2019, Clawson signed an extension with Wake Forest that went through the 2026 football season.