2022 Purdue Football Coaching Search - Dave Clawson

Feature image from Rich Barnes - USA Today

Who Is He?

Currently Head Coach at Wake Forest. Dave Clawson is on his fourth head coaching stop, his second at the FBS level.

Clawson started at Forham, moved to Richmond and then jumped up to Bowling Green in the MAC. He won ten games at BG in 2013 and parlayed that into his current job at Wake. Wake Forest football has won 8+ games in a season only eight times in their history. Clawson has done it three times in the past six seasons and could do it again this year with a bowl win. Last season, he matched their best win total ever with 11 (!). In fact, after two rough 3-9 seasons to begin his tenure in Winston-Salem, he’s reeled off seven straight bowl seasons.  

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

Dave Clawson seems like a good fit at Purdue. He knows how to build a solid winner when he’s at a program that’s not considered a blue blood of the conference and has even take Wake to the ACC title game. He’s also very comfortable in black and gold and we can’t discount that.

Why could he flop at Purdue?

While he’s won 18 games between this season and last, he is 58-53 overall at Wake. Is he capable of kicking it up another notch against the increasingly more competitive Big Ten?

Would he come to Purdue?

I think it makes sense that he would right now. Similar to Brohm, he’s been at his current stop for a while (nine seasons) and has probably taken them as high as he can take them (as high as top 10, an 11-win campaign and an ACC title game appearance).

2022 PURDUE FOOTBALL HEAD COACHING CANDIDATES