It’s official: Jeff Scott is leaving Clemson for USF. What’s next for the Tigers?
Clemson has had a surprisingly small amount of staff turnover for a program that is among the best in college football.
The Tigers didn’t lose a single assistant coach after winning last year’s national title, but that won’t be the case no matter what happens in this year’s College Football Playoff.
Tigers co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott has been named the new head coach at South Florida, the school announced Monday. Scott will take over for Charlie Strong, who was fired following a 4-8 season in 2019.
“I have great respect for the USF football program and what has been accomplished in a very short time and can’t wait to get to work building on that foundation to produce a championship program,” Scott said in a statement. “ It is difficult to leave my alma mater and the great program we have built at Clemson, but I believe we can do great things at USF. I am thankful to Coach Swinney and all the Clemson players and staff for the great experiences and lessons that have prepared me to lead USF football. Go Bulls!”
Scott, who played at Clemson, has been on staff with the Tigers since 2008. He was a Broyles Award finalist in 2018 and is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation. Scott has deep ties in Florida as his father, Brad Scott, was a longtime assistant coach at Florida State before taking over as the head coach at South Carolina in 1994.
In addition to serving as Clemson’s co-offensive coordinator, Scott also coached Clemson’s receivers. The Tigers consistently produce one of the best receiving corps in the country and several former Clemson wideouts are currently performing well in the NFL, including DeAndre Hopkins of the Texans, Sammy Watkins of the Chiefs and Adam Humphries of the Titans.
Clemson could also have two receivers go in the first round of the NFL draft the next two years. Junior wideout Tee Higgins has a chance to be picked in the first round of the 2020 draft, while sophomore Justyn Ross could be picked in the first round of the 2021 draft.
“I first want to thank Jeff Scott for a wonderful 12 years. I’m happy for him and his wife, Sara, and his daughter, Savannah, and I’m so appreciative of all their family has meant to us over the last 12 years. We’re going to miss them tremendously,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement.
Scott began his coaching career as the head coach at Blythewood High School in the Columbia area in 2006 and earned a state title in his first year. He also worked as an assistant at Presbyterian College in 2007 before joining Clemson’s staff.
“Jeff has been with me since day one when I became interim. He’s somebody I trust immensely and he’s extremely loyal. He’s been patient for the right opportunity, and I think this is that right opportunity,” Swinney said. “He’s got a great AD in Michael Kelly. It’s a great fit for Jeff and I know that he’s well-prepared to take this next step and has all the tools he needs to be a great head coach.”
As for what is next for the Tigers, the short term impact should be minimal. Scott will serve as the head coach at USF for the next week before rejoining Clemson the latter part of next week and remaining with the Tigers through the duration of our College Football Playoff. Clemson will face Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28.
Long term, the loss could have a big impact. Scott played a large role in Clemson landing five-star prospects Ross, Higgins and Derion Kendrick in recent years, and he is the lead recruiter for five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman and four-star receiver E.J. Williams this cycle.
As has been mentioned, Scott has deep recruiting ties in Florida and was a key part of the Florida-to-Clemson pipeline that helped the Tigers rise to national prominence.
With Scott moving on, don’t be surprised if Dabo Swinney promotes quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter to co-offensive coordinator. Streeter, who is also Clemson’s recruiting coordinator, is viewed as one of the top up-and-coming assistant coaches in the country. He helped develop former Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson and current Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.
Streeter has called plays in Clemson’s spring game and is someone Swinney has mentioned as a guy who would make a strong coordinator or head coach.
As for who could replace Scott on Clemson’s staff, Swinney could choose to promote from within with either offensive analyst Tyler Grisham or Kyle Richardson. Grisham was a receiver at Clemson from 2005-08 and briefly played in the NFL. Richardson previously was the head coach at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill before joining Swinney’s staff as an offensive analyst.
Next
Who: Clemson (13-0) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
Where: PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix
When: 8 pm Saturday, Dec. 28
TV: ESPN
Early line: Clemson by 1.5
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 11:55 AM.
