How Jeff Scott leaving Clemson for USF affected Tony Elliott’s thoughts on his own future
When Clemson’s coordinators took the stage to meet with the media ahead of the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, one was missing.
Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliot was on the left side of the stage, while defensive coordinator Brent Venables was on the right. Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who was named the head coach at South Florida earlier this month, was absent.
A Clemson official relayed word that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney wanted Elliott to speak as the voice of the offense on Tuesday. Scott will be available to the media Thursday at Fiesta Bowl Media Day.
“It’s kind of bittersweet that I don’t have my buddy sitting up here next to me,” Elliott said.
Scott has been back with the Tigers since last Thursday after working to fill out USF’s coaching staff and recruiting class through last week’ early signing period. Elliott and the rest of Clemson’s assistants were busy working on a game plan while Scott was away. They quickly filled him in upon his return to the Tigers.
“Really excited for his opportunity. And he needed to go focus on that,” Elliott said, adding that Scott did not work with the Tigers coaching staff while he was gone. “You only get one shot to do it right, and so we all supported him and just carried the load until he got back. Once he got back, just getting him back in the loop. He’s excited to get back to work.”
Elliott attended Scott’s introductory press conference in Tampa to offer support and got a first-hand look at what all goes into taking over a program. That glimpse impacted Elliott’s thoughts on his own future.
“I didn’t understand the magnitude of it. I kind of live in my bubble. Y’all know I don’t like to think about that stuff. But that opened my eyes. I said, ‘Man, that’s a lot of responsibility,’” Elliott said. “It made me want to wait a little bit longer, truthfully. It was so awesome to see just the excitement and the energy that that university has for him. Maybe one day I’ll get to that point where I want to absorb that responsibility, but right now the grass is green for me in Clemson.”
As for the here and now, Elliott and Scott are working together for what they hope is two more games. Once Clemson’s season ends, whether it be after the Fiesta Bowl or the national championship game, Scott will move on to USF for good.
The Tigers have enjoyed an incredible amount of success with Elliott and Scott on staff, as they took over as co-offensive coordinators in 2015 and Clemson has reached the College Football Playoff every year since.
The Tigers have won two of the past three national titles and are hoping to make it three out of four next month.
“This is our last ride together,” Elliott said. “We’ve been a pretty good team.”
When is the Fiesta Bowl?
Who: Clemson (13-0) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
Where: PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN
Early line: Clemson by 2
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 4:21 PM.
