Louisville Co-OC Lonnie Galloway Suspended for Role in Wake Forest Scandal

Louisville has suspended co-offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway from coaching in the Citrus Bowl for giving the defensive staff leaked information about Wake Forest's game plan during a game on Nov. 12.

Eric Crawford of WDRB provided the full statement issued by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich announcing Galloway's suspension.

On Tuesday, Wake Forest fired radio announcer and former assistant coach Tommy Elrod after the school found he provided information about the team's game plan to opponents. 

"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," Wake Forest said in a press release, according to SB Nation's Blogger So Dear.

Per NFL.com's Chase Goodbread, Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich confirmed on Wednesday Galloway released the shared information about Wake Forest's game plan that he received.

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said during an appearance on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike (h/t Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg) the team became aware of Louisville having knowledge about its plan when the equipment staff found detailed information on the sidelines:

"

When we arrived for our game against Louisville [Nov. 12], our equipment staff had found materials on our sideline the Friday when they set up the locker room. You’re not allowed to get there until a certain time, the assumption being they’re having their walk-through there.

And our equipment people found cards just laying right on our sideline and didn’t think much of it. And then the day of the game we got there about an hour before and we found — the equipment manager presented our offensive coordinator with the cards and said I don’t think this is any big deal. It was just a lot of stuff that we do normally. Our offensive coordinator flipped through it and there was very, very detailed information there.

"

This bizarre story has been a distraction for both teams as they prepare for separate bowl games. Louisville's 9-3 record during the regular season was its best record since 2013, and quarterback Lamar Jackson became the first Cardinals player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. 

The Cardinals will be playing LSU in the Citrus Bowl on December 31. Wake Forest went 6-6 this season, matching its win total from the previous two seasons combined, and will make its first postseason appearance since 2011 on December 27 against Temple in the Military Bowl.