Effrem Reed is the assistant coach for running backs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he joined the football staff before the 2025 season. In his first year with the Demon Deacons, Wake Forest won nine games and finished with a Duke's Mayo Bowl victory. The offense scored at least 30 points six times, averaged more than 28 points per game, and produced its highest total of plays of 30 yards or more since 2022. Reed's position group was led by Demond Claiborne, a second-team All-ACC selection who moved into fourth place on Wake Forest's career rushing list in 2025 and became the school's leader among running backs in career rushing touchdowns in the College Football Era. Claiborne also passed AT Perry for the most total touchdowns by a Wake Forest player in the College Football Playoff era.
Reed arrived at Wake Forest after one season at South Alabama in 2024. The Jaguars set a program record with 2,582 rushing yards, and his running backs room produced the first pair of 800-yard tailbacks in school history. True freshman Fluff Bothwell ran for 834 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games, led the Sun Belt Conference in rushing touchdowns, finished seventh in the league in rushing yards, recorded four 100-yard games and five multi-touchdown games, and earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors. Kentrel Bullock added 832 yards and seven touchdowns, posted four 100-yard games, and became the first South Alabama player to rush for more than 100 yards in a bowl game. Before Reed's arrival, Bullock had not reached the 100-yard mark in a game.
