Wake Forest Baseball Coach Apologizes After Camera Catches Him Using Apparent Homophobic Slur
Yea, you can't say that stuff.
Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter was caught using a homophobic slur last night during the Demon Deacons game against Tennessee, which caused a social media firestorm.
As Tennessee's Andrew Fischer was stepping up to bat, the ESPN cameras panned over to the Wake Forest dugout during the Vols' seven-run fourth inning where it found coach Tom Walter mouthing what appeared to be a slur that was seemingly not directed towards any player.
In the aftermath, OutKick reached out to Wake Forest for a statement regarding the matter. Wake Forest finally released comments from AD John Currie and coach Tom Walter on Monday morning.
"I am very sorry for my outburst in frustration last night and I recognize the hurt and disappointment it has caused," Tom Walter said. "I have seen the videos and while I do not remember the specific moment clearly, that language doesn’t reflect my values or the standards of this program.
"Regardless, I own the consequences and I apologize to the University of Tennessee, to Wake Forest University, and the ACC & SEC."
Clearly, he was shown the video that started circulating on social media in the immediate aftermath of his comments in the Wake Forest dugout.
At that moment, social media was buzzing with comments about why he would say something like that, and who he was directing them towards during the game against Tennessee.
Following a conversation with athletic director John Currie after the game, and being shown the video, the apology was given. It should be noted that Tom Walter was not asked about this during the postgame press conference.
"I am both surprised and deeply disappointed in our head baseball coach Tom Walter for his outburst during last night’s baseball game," AD John Currie said. "I feel badly for those most hurt by such words. I spoke with Coach Walter immediately after the game and again this morning to address the incident, which is completely out of character for him and does not meet the standards of Wake Forest Athletics, Wake Forest University or the Atlantic Coast Conference."
Tennessee ended up winning the game on Monday night, and advancing to the Super Regionals to take on Arkansas. As for Wake Forest, their season comes to an end, and Tom Walter will have to deal with backlash for his comments.