Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert, a name tied to Florida State’s coaching search, signed a long-term contract extension on Thursday, effectively removing one of the reported candidates from the Seminoles’ board.
The move became official Nov. 12 when Wake Forest announced the new deal for Dickert, who has quickly raised his profile in Winston-Salem. Florida State, meanwhile, began a national search on Nov. 1 after making a leadership change and naming Rick Stockstill interim head coach.
Wake moves to secure rising coach
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie announced the extension as the Demon Deacons continue one of the better seasons in the ACC. In the school’s release, Wake said Dickert has led the program to a 17-5 record since arriving in December 2024.
The school also pointed to Wake Forest’s 8-1 start in 2026 and its No. 13 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. That combination of wins and national relevance made Dickert an obvious figure in this year’s coaching carousel, especially after Florida State opened its job earlier this month.
Dickert said in Wake Forest’s announcement that he and his family are thankful for the support they have received since arriving at the school and that they are excited about the program’s future.
Why it matters for Florida State
For FSU, the headline is straightforward: a coach who had been connected to the opening is now publicly committed elsewhere. That does not end the Seminoles’ search, but it does appear to narrow the pool at a time when the program is trying to reset quickly.
Florida State said when it announced Mike Norvell’s departure on Nov. 1 that it would conduct a thorough national search for its next head coach. The Seminoles were 3-5 at the time of that announcement, with Stockstill taking over on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
Dickert’s extension also reflects the challenge schools face in November searches. When a coach is winning, his current program has time to respond with a raise, new terms or both before another school can make a hire.
What Dickert has built at Wake
Dickert’s first season at Wake Forest ended at 9-4, which the school described as the winningest debut by a head coach in program history. This season has gone even better so far, with Wake stacking notable road wins and pushing into the national rankings.
That progress helps explain why his name surfaced so often in outside speculation, including around Florida State. But the extension sends a clear message that Wake Forest intends to keep building with him rather than risk losing momentum during a strong 2026 campaign.
Florida State’s search now moves on without Dickert as one of its apparent options. The Seminoles continue their season under Stockstill, while Wake Forest is set to visit SMU on Saturday as Dickert tries to keep the Demon Deacons in the playoff chase.
