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Tony Elliott Officially Leaves Clemson for Virginia Cavaliers

The Clemson Tigers face the tall task of replacing both coordinators in 2022, after offensive coordinator Tony Elliott left the Tigers for a head coaching opportunity.

Zach Lentz

Tony Elliott Officially Leaves Clemson for Virginia Cavaliers
Tony Elliott Officially Leaves Clemson for Virginia Cavaliers /

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney will not only be replacing defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who left the Tigers to become the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners earlier this week. 

Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott officially accepted the head coach position with the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday.

Elliott went to Charlottesville, Va., on Wednesday but came home without the job Thursday afternoon for various reasons. He took some time to make a decision that ultimately led to his first head coaching position Friday. 

“This is an awesome opportunity for the University of Virginia as we welcome Coach Tony Elliott into the UVA football family,” Virginia athletic director Carla Williams said. “Coach Elliott is a winner, in every sense of the word. He is known for his character, humility, work ethic, skillset and passion for education. Coach Elliott is an exceptional leader of young men and he is highly regarded across college football as a talented teacher and coach. He is an outstanding recruiter who has been responsible for recruiting, signing and developing scholar-athletes while competing for and winning championships.

“We aspire to elevate UVA football in a manner that is consistent with the University’s core mission and purpose. Coach Elliott understands and embraces this amazing opportunity to do something really special at the University of Virginia. I am thrilled for the young men in our football program. We are honored to welcome him, his wife Tamika and their sons, A.J. and Ace, to Virginia.”

Last summer Elliott was a candidate for the head coaching position at Tennessee. Elliott talked about last summer and what it would require for him to leave Clemson.

"It was something that I really had to sit down and think about and consider and pray about and talk to people and try to find the right confirmation," Elliott said about the opportunity at Tennesee, "at the end of the day, you know, when I put everything on the table, you know, it just wasn't the right time."

However, he always knew that he wanted to become a head coach—he was just waiting for the right opportunity.

"Bottom line, an opportunity to win, win the right way and have the full support that every above everybody that touches that touches that program," Elliott said when asked what he is looking for in future head coaching positions.

That opportunity has now come in the ACC with the Cavaliers.

Elliott, who played at Clemson, has been with the Tigers since 2011 and was named co-offensive coordinator with Jeff Scott in 2014. Elliott called plays for a program that made six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances and won two national titles.

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Zach Lentz
ZACH LENTZ

The home for Clemson Tiger sports is manned by Zach Lentz, the 2017 South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year and author of “The Journey to the Top”—which reached No.1 on Amazon.com’s best seller list for sports books. Zach has covered the Clemson program for 10 years and in that time has devoted his time to bringing Clemson fans the breaking stories, features, game previews, recaps and information that cannot be found anywhere else.

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