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Tom Elrod begins his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Demon Deacons overseeing fullbacks, tight ends and the punt team, but his association with Wake Forest can be traced back almost 15 years.
Elrod first came to Winston-Salem in the fall of 1993 as a quarterback, graduated in 1997 and served as a graduate assistant from 1999-2001.
After a year as the offensive line coach at Wofford, Elrod returned to his alma mater in February 2003.
Last season, Elrod was instrumental in the emergence of the tight ends and fullbacks in the Wake Forest passing game. The young quartet of freshman Richard Belton, junior Damon McWhite and sophomores Zac Selmon and John Tereshinski combined for 29 percent of the team's receiving touchdowns and 23 percent of the team's receptions.
On the ground, the Deacon offense led the ACC in rushing, averaging 197 yards per game.
Elrod's punt coverage unit led the nation in punting average (47.0) and net punting (41.4).
The Deacons have not had a punt blocked since 2004, a span of 76 punts.
In 2004, Elrod's punt coverage unit ranked fifth in the ACC with a 36.9 average.
When Damon McWhite went down with a season-ending knee injury in 2004, Elrod helped successfully convert former offensive lineman Dan Callahan to the position.
In his first season as an assistant coach at Wake Forest in 2003, Elrod's punt coverage unit ranked second in the ACC with a net average of 38.3. Fullback Nick Burney ranked fourth on the team with four rushing touchdowns.
In 2002, Elrod helped guide the Wofford Terriers to a 9-3 record and second-place finish in the Southern Conference. Wofford ranked second nationally in Division I-AA in rushing (342.2 yards per game), and four offensive linemen earned all-conference honors under Elrod's tutelage.
Prior to his stint at Wofford, Elrod spent three seasons as a graduate assistant for the Deacons (1999-2001) while earning his MBA from the Babcock Graduate School of Management. His primary area of concentration as a graduate assistant was with the offense, particularly the fullbacks and tight ends. He also worked with the defensive scout team as it prepared the starting offensive unit for upcoming opponents.
Elrod was a part of Wake Forest's 1999 Aloha Bowl championship team and played a valuable role in the transition of the coaching staff prior to the 2001 season.
A Dean's List student in communications during his undergraduate days, Elrod spent two years as a business analyst with NationsBank in Charlotte before accepting a graduate assistant position at Wake Forest in 1999.
Elrod, a native of Winter Park, Fla., joined the Deacon football team as a walk-on quarterback in the 1993 season. He earned a spot on the roster without the benefit of a scholarship, and eventually earned a varsity letter in the 1996 season. During his playing days, Elrod gained the highest respect of the coaching staff and teammates with his hard work and assistance in game preparations each week.
Elrod is married to the former Maureen Sheehy.
