Dave Clawson is resigning as Wake Forest’s football coach after 11 seasons and moving into an advisory role within the university.

Pete Thamel of ESPN first reported the news Monday afternoon and a source confirmed the move with Deacons Illustrated. It has since been announced by the university.

The news comes a little more than two weeks after Wake Forest’s season ended, which was a second straight 4-8 season.

“Coaching at Wake Forest has been the honor of my career,” Clawson said via news release. “This is a special place with extraordinary people, and I am deeply grateful for the relationships I've built over the last 11 years. Together, we achieved things that many thought impossible, and I step down knowing I gave everything I had for this program and University. I want to thank our players, coaches and staff for their unwavering support and dedication since my arrival to help build a sustainable winning program.

“With that, I am so grateful for our student body, fans and so many special Wake Foresters who invested their time, efforts and money into helping us win. While this chapter is ending, my pride in what we've built here will never fade. After completing my 25th season as a head coach and 36th-straight in college football, the timing is right for me and my family to step away into this new role within Wake Forest University.”

Wake Forest was 67-69 under Clawson. The Deacons reached seven straight bowls, from 2016-22, and played for the ACC championship in 2021 (losing to Pittsburgh).

“Dave Clawson has been the epitome of integrity, innovation, and excellence in college football,” said athletics director John Currie in the same news release. “He elevated Wake Forest football to unprecedented heights, not only through success on the field but also by fostering the development of young men as leaders in life.”

In the last couple of weeks, Wake Forest has had several key players announce returns for next season, most notably running back Demond Claiborne, who rushed for over 1,000 yards this season. The Deacons have also reeled in a few transfers and signed a 20-player incoming freshman class, 10 of whom are expected to enroll for the spring semester.

While the transfer portal is currently open, there’s a 30-day window that opens now for Wake’s players to enter the portal. So, while the portal closes on Dec. 28, it will remain open for Wake’s players until Jan. 15.

Clawson took over for Jim Grobe, Wake Forest’s coach from 2001-13, and endured a couple of 3-9 seasons to start his tenure with the Deacons. Clawson’s third season saw a breakthrough with a 7-6 record and win over a ranked Temple team in the Military Bowl.

It was also in the 2016 season that a national scandal came to light involving a jilted former staff member giving game plan information to Wake Forest’s opponents. Former Deacons quarterback and assistant coach and then-radio analyst Tommy Elrod was found to have supplied Louisville, Army and Virginia Tech with the Deacons’ information – a conspiracy that was unveiled between the end of the regular season and the bowl game.

Wake Forest moved forward with an 8-5 season and Belk Bowl victory in 2017, and then an injury-riddled 7-6 and Birmingham Bowl victory in 2018.

Wake Forest made its first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff rankings in 2019 with a 7-1 start, but limped home to an 8-5 finish and lost to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl. Injuries derailed what could have been a 10- or 11-win season, and Clawson said, “we had an opportunity … to have a special year that we didn’t because when we got hurt, we did not have the depth.”

The bowl streak was extended to five straight seasons, but the winning record streak ended with the COVID-19 season in 2020. Wake Forest went 4-5 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, losing the first two games, winning four games in October, and then losing the final three. Interruptions because of COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing derailed the season a couple of times, most notably in a month between losing at UNC in November and playing what amounted to a regular-season finale at Louisville.

That special season that was missed in 2019 played out in 2021, with the Deacons winning 11 games and reaching the ACC championship game, where they lost to Pittsburgh. Wake Forest debuted in the top 10 of the first CFP rankings that season, won key home games by a field goal against Louisville and N.C. State, and won the Gator Bowl against Rutgers.

The following season was successful, an 8-5 campaign with a win over Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl. There were some cracks in the foundation that proved to be a harbinger for the past two seasons, though, which coincided with the acceleration of NIL becoming more of a pay-for-play transaction.

Wake Forest was 4-8 in the past two seasons. The Deacons won their first three games of 2023 and lost eight of nine to finish the season; this past season, Wake Forest was 4-4 with a couple of road wins in the ACC before losing all four games in November.

Clawson arrived at Wake Forest after a five-year stint at Bowling Green, in which his teams were 32-31. The Falcons went 10-3 and won the MAC championship in Clawson’s final season.

Prior to Bowling Green, Clawson was the head coach at Fordham (1999-2003) and Richmond (2004-07). He has been an assistant at Albany, Buffalo, Lehigh, Villanova and Tennessee.