WS Chronicle

Wake Forest Athletics and head coach Jake Dickert have announced two staff members dedicated to helping the Demon Deacons on and off the field. 

*Mark Holcomb, director of High School and Alumni Relations 

Mark Holcomb was hired on Coach Jake Dickert’s staff in March 2025 as the director of High School and Alumni Relations for Wake Forest Football, bringing over three decades of coaching experience and a deep understanding of high school football in North Carolina. A highly accomplished coach and administrator, Holcomb has compiled a 166-78 career record (68% winning percentage) while building and revitalizing programs at multiple high schools. 

Before joining Wake Forest, Holcomb served as the head football coach at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, where he led the team to consecutive playoff appearances and helped turn the program around from a 1-9 record before his arrival. Previously, he was the founding head coach at Oak Grove High School (2017-2022), leading the team to a conference championship and multiple playoff berths, and head coach at North Davidson High School (1999-2016), where he guided the team to deep postseason runs, multiple conference titles, and a Western Regional Championship appearance. 

Beyond coaching, Holcomb has extensive experience in athletic administration, having served as athletic director at North Davidson, overseeing scheduling, budgeting, compliance, and facility maintenance. He has also been instrumental in player development, helping nearly 60 student-athletes advance to play college football at the Division I, II, and III levels. 

Holcomb is widely recognized as a leader in high school football coaching education, having presented at Glazier Clinics nationwide, the University of Tennessee Football Clinic, and various state coaching conventions. His expertise has been featured in American Football Monthly Magazine and X and O’s Labs, where he has published coaching articles. 

A national board-certified teacher (2010-2022), Holcomb holds a master’s in educational administration from Gardner-Webb University, along with certifications in social studies, physical education, and special education. He remains actively involved in the coaching community through his roles with the North Carolina Football Coaches Association (NCFCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). 

Holcomb and his wife, Tamera, have two children, Ty and Alli. 

*Bobby Maffei, Defensive Assistant  

Wake Forest Football welcomed Bobby Maffei to Coach Jake Dickert’s staff as a defensive assistant in March 2025, bringing extensive experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels. Maffei arrived in Winston-Salem after spending the past three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, where he played a key role in defensive quality control and assisted with both the secondary and outside linebackers. 

In 2023, Maffei helped guide the Panthers to a top-5 defense in the NFL, working closely with the defensive backs and safeties, while also being responsible for the team’s goal-line game planning. During the 2022 season, he was elevated to interim defensive backs coach, where he oversaw all aspects of DB play, ran weekly install meetings, and presented key scouting reports to the entire defensive unit. 

Prior to his time in the NFL, Maffei spent time at Nebraska (2020-2022) as a defensive analyst, helping the Huskers’ scoring defense improve from No. 66 to No. 37 in the nation. He was integral in the development of standout defensive backs, including Cam Taylor-Britt (2x All-Big Ten), JoJo Domann (2nd Team All-American), Deontai Williams, and Marquel Dismuke. 

Maffei’s coaching career also includes stops at Richmond (Special Teams coordinator), Baylor (Defensive & Special Teams Quality Control), Tennessee Tech (Cornerbacks Coach), Temple (Defensive Graduate Assistant), and Central Connecticut State (Special Teams & Wide Receivers Coach). 

Throughout his career, he has developed multiple All-Conference and NFL-bound players, while also excelling in recruiting and program development. 

A native of the Northeast, Maffei earned his bachelor of science in education and human sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2011) and later completed a master’s degree in educational leadership at Temple University (2015). 

Maffei is married to the former Diana Curti.