Adam Pilapil joined Wake Forest University as assistant coach for linebackers before the 2025 football season in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after previous coaching stops at Colorado State, Montana State, Kansas State and Wyoming.
In his first season with the Demon Deacons, Wake Forest emerged as one of the ACC's better defensive teams, finishing among the league's top five in total defense and pass defense while allowing the fewest yards per play in the conference. The unit also gave up the fourth-fewest touchdowns in the ACC and improved by more than 100 yards per game in total defense compared with the previous season. Wake Forest lowered its points allowed by nearly 10.5 per game, cut passing touchdowns allowed nearly in half and reduced red-zone touchdown rate by nearly 20 percent. Seven of the Deacons' 13 opponents were held to 14 points or fewer, the program's best such mark since its 2006 ACC championship season, and ranked opponents Virginia and SMU were each limited to 14 points or less. Wake Forest also went back-to-back ACC games without allowing a touchdown against Virginia and North Carolina. Linebacker Dylan Hazen earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition.
