Dabo Swinney on Tony Elliott: “I have no doubt he’s going to be successful”

Hear what the Clemson head coach had to say about Elliott taking over as head coach at Virginia

Photo courtesy of Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY NETWORK

Dabo Swinney has had an incredible run as head coach at Clemson since 2009 and he has not downplayed the crucial role that his coordinators, primarily offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables, have played in that success.

Clemson has won two national championships, six ACC championships, and has six appearances in the College Football Playoff since 2015. If Clemson defeats Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl on December 29th, this will be the 11th season in a row with 10 or more wins for the Tigers.

Now, both Tony Elliott, announced as the new head coach at Virginia on Friday, and Brent Venables, who was hired as the head coach at Oklahoma last week, are leaving Clemson.

Swinney’s letter of recommendation for Tony Elliott could not have been more complimentary.

“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,” Swinney said on Friday.

Elliott walked on to the Clemson football team in 1999 as a receiver and was named a team captain in 2003, an extremely impressive feat for a walk-on. 2003 was also the first year that Dabo Swinney was the wide receivers coach at Clemson.

“Man, it’s really, really been an amazing journey for me to watch Tony since 2003,” Swinney said. “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.”

Swinney hired Elliott as a running backs coach in 2011 and Elliott was eventually promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2015. Elliott made his debut as a play caller in the 2014 Russell Athletics Bowl, a 37-17 victory for the Tigers over Oklahoma, and Elliott has been Clemson’s primary play caller ever since.

“I’m just so proud of him and all that he’s done since I hired him in 2011,” Swinney continued.
“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.”

Swinney has the utmost confidence that Elliott will be able to continue his success as Virginia’s next head coach.

“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,” said Swinney. “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.”

As Tony Elliott begins his first ever college football head coaching job, it is clear that Dabo Swinney has supreme confidence in him. That is certainly not a bad thing, since Dabo Swinney knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in college football.

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