Wake Forest radio announcer fired after school concludes he gave opponents info
Wake Forest radio announcer Tommy Elrod has been fired after the school said an investigation found he had been giving Wake Forest opponents information about the Demon Deacons since 2014.
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said after a Nov. 12 loss to Louisville that there was a “game-plan breach” the school was investigating. After the game, Wake Forest football staff discovered “materials left behind by Louisville … that showed the Cardinals were prepared for plays the Demon Deacons had not run before,” according to USA Today. Wake Forest led the Cardinals 12-0 before giving up 44 straight points.
Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said after Clawson’s remarks that he had “no knowledge” of the situation.
The school said in a statement Tuesday that “based on emails, text messages and phone records, Tommy Elrod, a radio analyst for Wake Forest football games, provided or attempted to provide confidential and proprietary game preparations on multiple occasions starting in 2014.” The statement said Elrod was acting on his own.
Elrod was fired by team radio partner IMG and his bio is already deleted from the Wake Forest site.
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“I am extremely disappointed that our confidential and proprietary game preparation was compromised,” Clawson said. “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.”
Elrod became a part of the team’s radio broadcasts in 2014 after he wasn’t retained by Clawson as a member of the team’s coaching staff. Elrod, who started as a graduate assistant, had been on the coaching staff for 11 seasons. Perhaps he was bitter about being removed from the coaching staff.
We’re also wondering how he approached opposing teams with secrets, or if he was approached to share information. Coaches are (too) paranoid with game-preparation information and this episode only serves to verify that paranoia.
Wake Forest finished the season 6-6 after losing its final three games. The Deacons will play Temple in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27.
“I’m deeply disappointed that [Elrod] would act against Wake Forest, our football team and our fans in such a manner by compromising confidential game preparation information,” athletic director Ron Wellman said. “It is a relief that the team can move forward without his actions further undermining the positive strides Dave Clawson, his staff and the team have made.”
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
