Wake Forest alum Tommy Elrod is no longer employed after it was found he had been leaking information to opponents.
Elrod played collegiate football at Wake Forest and later held several positions on the program’s coaching staff. However, he will now be most remembered for what he did during his time as the team’s radio announcer.
Wake Forest launched an investigation after documents containing plays run by the team were found at Louisville’s stadium the day before the Demon Deacons faced the Cardinals in November of this year. Findings showed Elrod had been leaking game game plans dating back to 2014.
This is too insane to even fit into 140 characters. But here's finding of Wake's internal investigation into Louisville game plan: pic.twitter.com/aXQnAgLalL
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) December 13, 2016
Wake Forest is saying that its radio announcer had been leaking "confidential and proprietary" game plans starting in 2014. Only CFB.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) December 13, 2016
OK. OK. Wake's radio announcer … was given game plans … and leaked these game plans … to Wake's opponents. I … I … I just…
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) December 13, 2016
The radio announcer, Tommy Elrod, was an ex-Grobe assistant not retained by Clawson in 2014. Clearly had an ax to grind.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) December 13, 2016
Elrod has been fired from his position with IMG Radio Network.
In a statement, via the Winston-Salem Journal, Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson expressed his disappointment at Elrod’s betrayal.
“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,” Clawson said. “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.”
In the referenced game versus Louisville, Wake Forest led 12-3 at halftime. However, the Cardinals outscored the Demon Deacons 41-0 in the second half to come away with a 44-12 victory. Wake Forest finished the 2016 regular season with a 6-6 record, the best mark for school since 2008.
