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Who is Jake Dickert? WSU’s interim coach made his mark as Wyoming’s defensive coordinator

Washington State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jake Dickert, center, stands on the field during a break in play in the second half of a game against Oregon State on Oct. 9 in Pullman. On Monday, he was elevated to interim head coach in the wake of Nick Rolovich’s firing. (Young Kwak)
By Dan Thompson For The Spokesman-Review

Fourteen years ago, Jake Dickert was a graduate assistant at a Division III school. As of Monday, the 38-year-old is now the interim head coach of the Washington State football team.

Here’s a bit more about the Cougars’ defensive coordinator-turned-head coach:

• A Wisconsin native, Dickert played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, first as a quarterback and then as a wide receiver from 2002 to 2006. He led the team in receptions (56) and yards (592) his senior season. Then he stayed on as a graduate assistant but with the defense. He never left that side of the ball in the coaching career that followed.

• The next season, 2008, Dickert began a three-year stint at North Dakota State, where he eventually became safeties coach in 2010. That year, under head coach Craig Bohl, the Bison reached the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals.

• His first stint as a defensive coordinator came at Division II Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 2013. He led a defense that ranked third in its conference, and a year later took the same position at Minnesota State-Mankato, which reached the D-II national championship game in 2014.

• Following a season at FCS South Dakota State in 2016 as safeties and co-special teams coach, Dickert reunited with Bohl at Wyoming in 2017 as the Cowboys’ safeties coach. That season, Wyoming led the country with 38 takeaways and scored four defensive TDs.

• In 2019, Dickert was promoted to defensive coordinator, and the Cowboys ranked 11th in the country in rushing defense and scoring defense. He left to become the Cougars’ defensive coordinator when Nick Rolovich assembled his staff after that 2019 season.

• He and Candice, his wife, have three children: daughter Rylee, sons Jett and Jace.

• He received his second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on May 7, according to his Twitter account.