A Wake Forest investigation into the possibility of its plan for a game against Louisville being leaked earlier this season has identified one of its radio announcers as the culprit.
Tommy Elrod provided or attempted to provide confidential and proprietary game preparations on multiple occasions beginning in 2014, according to a Tuesday release by the school. Elrod, a former Demon Deacons player who was an assistant under former coach Jim Grobe, began working as a radio announcer for Wake Forest games in 2014 after not being retained by new coach Dave Clawson. Elrod has been dismissed and banned from Wake Forest facilities, according to the release.
"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," Clawson stated. "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."
According to the release, the investigation included reviews of emails, text messages and phone records.
Clawson said last month that he went to Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman with concerns of a game-plan breach following Louisville's 44-12 win over the Demon Deacons. According to Wellman, a member of Wake Forest's traveling party found documents pertaining to the game plan at UL's Papa John's Stadium on the Friday before the game.
UL coach Bobby Petrino said at the time that he had no knowledge of the situation.
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