Wake Forest University has placed head baseball coach Tom Walter on administrative leave. According to Baseball America, the reason for why he was placed on leave is not yet known.
Wake Forest Athletics spokesman Ryan Madden gave the following statement regarding Walter being placed on leave.
"Wake Forest baseball head coach Tom Walter is on leave effective October 14, 2026,” Madden said. “Additional information will be shared when it becomes appropriate. In accordance with university policy, Wake Forest Athletics will have no further comment at this time."
While Walter is away during baseball activities in the fall, assistant coach Eric Niesen will run the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Niesen has one season under his belt in Winston-Salem and mostly works with Wake Forest pitching.
Walter and his career at Wake Forest
Walter has been the head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for 17 seasons. He has won 534 games in Winston-Salem.
Walter’s best season at Wake Forest came during the 2023 college baseball season. The Demon Deacons finished with a 54-12 overall record and a 22-7 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record.
That same season, Walter led Wake Forest to the ACC regular season championship and the College World Series. He was the 2023 ACC Coach of the Year.
Including their 2023 appearance, Wake Forest has made the NCAA Tournament seven times under Walter.
In 2026, Wake Forest finished with a 39-21 overall record and a 16-14 record in ACC play.
The Demon Deacons played in the Morgantown Regional during the 2026 NCAA Tournament and won one game against Binghamton.
For more NCAA news: https://worldbaseball.com/news/category/ncaa