Who may be the next UCLA Football coach as Chip Kelly departs
By Ryan Kay
His team has not had a good season this year but they have had a very difficult schedule this season and how his team performed this season should negate his past success.
player. 889. . . . Dave Clawson.
Career overview for coaching
Clawson was an assistant coach at Richmond, Bowling Green, Ohio State, and Fordham. He was appointed head coach at Fordham in 1999.
In five seasons, Clawson guided the Rams to a 26-27 record. In 2004, he departed from Fordham to take a position as head coach at Richmond.
In four seasons, Clawson guided the Spiders to a 34-21 record. Along with leading the Spiders to two FCS Playoff berths, he also won two Southern Conference crowns.
Clawson joined Bowling Green as head coach in 2009. In five seasons, he guided the Falcons to a 29-33 record. Along with leading the Falcons to two bowl games, he also won two MAC East Division titles.
Clawson joined Wake Forest as head coach in 2014. For five of the last seven seasons, Wake Forest has been guided by Clawson to seven bowl games. In 2021, he was again named the ACC Coach of the Year. As the head coach of the Demon Deacons, his record in bowl games is an impressive 5-2. Him leaving Wake Forest now with the Demon Deacons only having a four-win season, seems more likely than ever but would a fan base like UCLA’s want a coach coming off a four-win season?
Do UCLA supporters want Clawson? Maybe, but a sizable percentage of the fan base would need some persuasion. Fans would at the very least be okay with the hire if they looked at his track record and the number of victories he has accrued since taking over as Wake Forest’s head coach. Except for the 2020 Covid season and this past season, he has won at least seven games since 2016.
Is it realistic to expect to land Clawson? Superior to the majority of the remaining applicants that are being floated out by many fans on social media such as offensive coordinators at various colleges. He has demonstrated his loyalty to Wake Forest, nevertheless, by staying after the team’s 2021 season was successful. He has led the Demon Deacons for ten seasons, but he might be interested in taking over as head coach of the Bruins.
He doesn’t have any West Coast links having coached five seasons at Bowling Green, before being the head coach at Wake Forest and UCLA can afford to pay him more than Wake Forest because he makes somewhat less than $4 million annually.