12/10/2021 football Edit

Elliott accepts Virginia job

Larry Williams

Tigerillustrated.com

CLEMSON -- Tony Ellliott has agreed to become the new head football coach at Virginia, Tigerillustrated.com has confirmed.

Now Dabo Swinney has a new task in replacing both of his coordinators.

After he and his family left Charlottesville on Thursday without striking a deal, Elliott took time to think long and hard about whether to accept Virginia's offer. This was after he talked seriously with Tennessee about its head job a year ago before backing out.

Elliott made the decision Friday afternoon and began informing people in the football offices.

Tony Elliott is Clemson's second coordinator to take a power 5 head coaching job this week. (Getty)

Elliott spent 11 seasons coaching at his alma mater, the last seven as Clemson's chief play-caller. The Tigers' offense sagged dramatically in 2021 amid a swirl of NFL talent lost from last season, an extraordinary run of injuries, and unforeseen struggles by starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

Elliott was thought to be out of the running for the Virginia job as recently as Tuesday. But a day after calling Elliott to inform him they were going in a different direction, Virginia administrators called back to ask him and his family to come for an in-person interview in Charlottesville.

ALSO SEE: Clemson's verbal commitments

Elliott was also a finalist for the Duke job with Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko, according to reports in Durham. The Blue Devils put their search on hold as they awaited Elliott's answer to Virginia.

Elliott's departure comes five days after Clemson lost iconic defensive coordinator Brent Venables to Oklahoma. All signs point to Swinney promoting longtime staffer Wesley Goodwin and safeties coach Mickey Conn to the co-coordinator role, with Goodwin in charge of play-calling.

The last time Swinney had to make a major move on offense was in December of 2014 when Chad Morris left for the head job at SMU after four seasons at Clemson. He went in-house with that decision, promoting Elliott and Jeff Scott to co-coordinator roles with Elliott the chief play-caller.

Starting with a 40-6 assault on Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, Clemson was 89-10 with Elliott directing the offense. Included were two wins over Alabama in the national title game, four trips to the national title game, and six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015-20.

It's considered likely that quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter is promoted to offensive coordinator, with staffer Kyle Richardson moving to a position-coach role.

As of earlier this week, Swinney was slated to make an announcement on his staff composition as early as today.

FRIDAY NIGHT STATEMENT FROM DABO SWINNEY:

“I just can’t tell you how happy I am for Tony and Tamika and Ace and A.J. and also just how proud I am of Tony.

“Man, it’s really, really been an amazing journey for me to watch Tony since 2003. He was in my first receiver group — a captain. And I’m not quite old enough to be his dad but I look at him like a son. He really is special. I love him and his family with all my heart. I’m just so proud of him and all that he’s done since I hired him in 2011. And then obviously he had never called plays, and he’s leaving here as one of the best to do it. What he did from that bowl game in 2014 to now is just incredible.

“To see him now have a chance to go be the head coach at Virginia — like Brent [Venables] having the chance to go be the head coach at Oklahoma — it’s a blessing because I know what he’s going to bring. Those young men will be blessed by the way we do things here at Clemson. I have no doubt he’s going to be successful. And I’m super excited I’m still going to have a chance to interact with him on head coach calls, our ACC head coach meetings, etc.

“It’s good to see him move on and sad to see him move on, but it’s also exciting for new opportunity here as well.”

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