CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here’s part four of the interview series with Wake Forest football coach Dave Clawson from the ACC Kickoff event Friday.

On the importance of having the indoor practice facility open in time for spring camp

Clawson: “It was critical, because when recruits used to come on campus they would see that we’re great academic school and that the campus is beautiful, but there was nothing that would make them say, ‘Wow. Football is really important here.’ Now that perception changes with that building. They can compare our indoor with any program in the country and say, ‘wow.’ It makes the players in our program feel like what they do is more important. It makes recruits know and feel that football is important at Wake Forest. You don’t make that type of facility investment unless it’s really important. For two years, we had nothing like that to show. Now we’ve gone from nothing to a whole bunch of stuff — brand new practice fields, new sports performance center coming. We’re going to go from the bottom of the conference facility-wise, to near the top in just three years.”

On if the facility elevated the level of spring practice

Clawson: “I wouldn’t say it elevated the spring practice, because we didn’t have the outdoor fields available then. It will elevate our fall camp. We’ll have more space than ever before. We’ll have better space, better fields. For us, last year before the Syracuse game we had to cancel two practices. We couldn’t practice because of thunderstorms in the afternoon. They may flash by, but if you only have a three-hour window with the players because of their class schedule and tutor schedule, if you get two bolts of lightning, you can lose the whole practice. We went to Syracuse last year and couldn’t complete two of our three practices. The year before prior to Army, two of the three practices we couldn’t complete them, and you can’t make them up. So you’re less prepared for a game than you should be. We don’t have the option with our class blocks of moving the practices. It’s a game-changer for us, because we can plan things, and never have to reschedule them.”

On the challenges of coaching the places he’s been

Clawson: “Part of it was that I got a head coaching job very early in my career. If Fordham was a good job, they probably wouldn’t have hired me. It gave me a chance to be a head coach at an early age and be out on my own. Because that one was successful, Richmond kind of felt they had the same need. That became the niche. That wasn’t the plan to start out. I enjoy working at schools like this. I loved working at Richmond. I love working at Wake Forest, and I love this caliber of student-athlete that we can recruit and attract. There’s challenges that come with that, but there’s rewards with it too.

“I’m very happy where I’m at, and my goal is to stay here as long as they will have me.”

On if it’s possible for two teams from the same ACC division could compete in the College Football Playoff

Clawson: “I think it would have to be a perfect storm, that if the other league champion was a three-loss champion. I think we’re going to have to have two teams that are undefeated or one-loss. Things would have to happen in other conferences, where maybe an 8-4 team beat an undefeated team in their championship game. Those things would probably have to line up. If one (ACC) team is 13-0 and the other is 11-1, then that would probably be what would have to happen for that to occur.”

On if Florida State and Clemson are good enough to make that happen

Clawson: “Well, yeah. I think so. Look at what they’ve done the last three years.”

On what he knows more about his team now than he knew when we last talked at the end of spring practice

Clawson: “I’ve said all the time that all the best programs are player-led, not coach-driven. I feel like right now our program is more player-led than ever before. They know what’s expected. They are accountable to each other. Our older guys are coaching our younger guys more — at least that’s the feedback I’m getting, and that’s very encouraging to hear.”

On how many practices it will take to determine if they’ve done the work in the off season

Clawson: “Well, they just have to sustain it. Every team is going come out for the first practice in camp enthusiastic, and then tired for the second one. By practice 13, however, they may be tired, but the focus level, concentration level and execution level will still be high.”