A former Wake Forest University football player and coach has been fired from his job as the school’s football radio announcer, the school announced on Tuesday.
According to the school, an investigation determined that Tommy Elrod had been leaking confidential information to Wake Forest opponents since the 2014 season.
From the school’s statement:
“Based on emails, text messages and phone records, Tommy Elrod, a radio announcer for Wake Forest football games, provided or attempted to provide confidential and proprietary game preparations on multiple occasions, starting in 2014.”
The investigation also determined that “no members of the Wake Forest athletic department, football staff or players were involved” in the leaking of the information.
An investigation was initially launched by the school after their loss to Louisville in November.
According to Dan Wolken of USA Today, Wake Forest football staff members found materials that showed Louisville was “prepared for plays the Demon Deacons had not run before.”
At the time, head coach Dave Clawson acknowledged that the school was investigating whether the material had been leaked by somebody at Wake Forest or stolen by somebody at Louisville.
Wake Forest lost that game 44-12.
Elrod was a quarterback for the Wake Forest football team in the mid-1990s. He later served as an assistant coach for 11 seasons under Jim Grobe, his final six seasons as the school’s quarterbacks coach. When Clawson was hired to replace Grobe, Elrod was not retained and joined the IMG radio network calling Wake Forest games.
Clawson released a statement on Tuesday.
“I am extremely disappointed that our confidential and proprietary game preparation was compromised. It’s incomprehensible that a former Wake Forest student-athlete, graduate-assistant, full-time football coach, and current radio analyst for the school, would betray his alma mater. We allowed him to have full access to our players, team functions, film room, and practices. He violated our trust which negatively impacted our entire program. I am glad we have taken steps to ensure it will not happen in the future. At this point, this is a matter for Ron Wellman and others to act on. My staff and I are focused on Temple and preparing the team for the Military Bowl.”
Elrod has been banned from Wake Forest athletics and its facilities.
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