Nick Whitworth

Biography

Having spent the last three seasons with Head Coach Jake Dickert at Washington State, Nick Whitworth made the move to Winston-Salem in 2025, serving as Special Teams Coordinator. Wake Forest’s special teams unit ranked among the nation’s best, finishing fourth in the country with four blocked kicks and standing as one of only six programs nationally to record two kickoff return touchdowns. The Demon Deacons also finished fourth in the nation with a 27.68-yard kickoff return average, showcasing explosive playmaking and consistent field-position advantages throughout the season. His special teams group ranked in the top 50 nationally in multiple categories during the 2024 season. Under Whitworth’s guidance, kicker Dean Janikowski was named and Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Finalist, an award given annual for community service. Janikowski has connected on eight of 11 field goal attempts including a season-long 52 to send the game into overtime in the win over San Jose State. With Whitworth’s help, Janikowski has tallied 28 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs and averaged 42.7 yards-per-punt on 26 punts. In 2023, Cougar special teams shined, finishing second in the Pac-12 and 18th nationally in net punting at 41.7 ypp. The kickoff return unit also finished second in the Pac-12 at 22.0 ypr, which ranked 32nd nationally. That included a 98-yard kickoff return by Leyton Smithson against Colorado, the first by a Cougar since the 2018 season. Junior punter Nick Haberer was fourth in the Pac-12 and 2