By Sammy Batten

You'd think an athletic director might take his time finding just the right replacement for the best coach in school history.

But Ron Wellman needed only one week to decide Dave Clawson was the right person to take over for the personable, highly respected Jim Grobe and pull Wake Forest football out of a five-year slump. Grobe resigned just last week after 13 seasons on the job, paving the way for the hiring of Clawson.

While introducing the Demon Deacons' 32nd head coach Tuesday afternoon, Wellman revealed some of the qualities that led him to hire Clawson from Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference instead of the guy most deemed the top candidate initially, Pete Lembo from Ball State.

In order, Wellman wanted someone with head coach experience, a proven winner who had worked at private institutions and was consistent with the "ideals'' of Wake Forest.

"We found that man in Dave Clawson,'' Wellman declared Tuesday, and a quick look at the resume verifies Clawson meets at least three out of those four criteria.

Head coach at two Football Championship Subdivision schools - Fordham and Richmond - and at Football Bowl Subdivision Bowling Green for a combined total of 13 seasons. Check.

Produced NCAA playoff teams at Fordham and Richmond, and last weekend coached the Falcons to the MAC championship. Check.

Spent a good chunk of his coaching career at smaller, academically intense private schools like Lehigh, Villanova, Fordham and Richmond. Check, check and check.

Whether Clawson embodies the Wake Forest "ideals'' part remains to be seen. But the quickness with which Wake Forest moved on securing Clawson indicates Wellman sees a lot of the same characteristics in him that he saw back in December 2000 when hiring Grobe away from Ohio University.

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Batten: Wake Forest moved quickly on new football coach Dave Clawson