‘Special men’: Former Clemson coordinators starring in new jobs as CFP looms
Four years ago this month, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables left the program for jobs at Virginia and Oklahoma.
Tuesday night was a reminder of how far they’ve come.
Venables’ Sooners came in at No. 8 and Elliott’s Cavaliers were No. 17 in the second-to-last College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings of the season.
In July, CBS Sports placed Venables as one of eight head coaches in the “start improving now” category (second highest) of its annual hot seat rankings for all 136 FBS coaches. Elliott wasn’t far behind his one-time coworker, ranking as one of 16 coaches in the “pressure is mounting” category (third highest).
That was the prevailing sentiment surrounding Venables, who’d recorded losing seasons in two of his first three years at blue-blood Oklahoma, and Elliott, who’d dealt with immense off-field tragedy during his first year at Virginia but had not won more than five games in a single season.
By mid-September, it was obvious Clemson football (7-5) wasn’t championship material. Or College Football Playoff material, for that matter.
As a small consolation prize, Dabo Swinney’s longtime right-hand men could give the Tigers a clean CFP coordinator sweep this weekend.
Oklahoma (10-2) is widely considered a lock for the 12-team field, according to projections from ESPN and The Athletic, and will likely host a CFP first-round game in Norman on Dec. 19 or 20.
And Virginia is in a similar position to Clemson last year: Win and get in.
UVA (10-2) is a four-point betting favorite against Duke in Saturday’s ACC championship game in Charlotte and projects to make the playoff, with a victory, as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. The Cavaliers would likely play a CFP first-round game on the road as the No. 11 seed.
And once you’re in the field, who knows what’ll happen?
Not bad for two coaches who entered 2025 on shaky ground at their respective programs.
“I love it,” Swinney said last week. “And I’d love to see them be the coaches of the year (in their leagues). I can’t imagine they’re not high on the list to be that. I’m pulling hard for Tony, for sure ... and Brent. I’m just really proud of them.”
Championships at Clemson, followed by slow starts
Venables, 54, worked as Swinney’s defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2012-21, while Elliott, 46, was on staff from 2011-21 in various roles, most notably OC.
Their contributions to Clemson’s historic run of CFP success are well-documented. The fiery Venables led a Tigers defense that churned out NFL Draft picks and finished No. 1 in sacks and top 10 in basically every other major statistical category during his 11 years as the unit’s playcaller.
Elliott was key in the development of all-time ACC rushing leader Travis Etienne Jr. and, along with co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, led a Clemson offense that once averaged 43 or more points per game three seasons in a row.
Both coordinators won the Broyles Award at Clemson and were part of loaded teams that qualified for six straight CFPs and won the 2016 and 2018 national titles.
But life as the head man has not been totally smooth for either coach.
Venables was 22-17 through three seasons as Oklahoma’s coach. Last year was a particular low point as the Sooners regressed from 10-3 to 6-7 overall, finished 2-6 in their first season in the SEC and lost to Navy, a Group of 5 school, in their bowl game.
Elliott — whose first season at Virginia was cut short after three of his players were shot and killed by a former UVA walk-on football player who was recently sentenced to life in prison — was 11-23 after three seasons.
Elliott’s 2024 team started 4-1 before losing six of its last seven games.
“They both have had some challenges in getting it going,” Swinney said, “but both administrations are both a perfect example of having some patience with good people and good coaches. … Sometimes, it just doesn’t happen overnight. I know everybody wants overnight everything, but when you do things right, it doesn’t always happen that way.”
Coordinators stay close to Clemson, Dabo during big seasons
Oklahoma and Virginia both publicly committed to their coaches and increased football investment and are now being rewarded with great seasons.
The Sooners finished the regular season 10-2 and 6-2 in the SEC, and the Cavaliers are 10-2 and 7-1 in the ACC. Both have benefited from high-level transfer quarterbacks: Washington State’s John Mateer at OU, and North Texas’ Chandler Morris at UVA. Both schools have been ranked in all five CFP Top 25 polls.
They’ve also had far more success than the other two Swinney assistants who left Clemson for head coaching jobs. Former Tigers offensive coordinators Chad Morris (SMU, Arkansas) and Scott (South Florida) went a combined 22-66 across eight seasons at other schools with seven losing seasons. Morris was fired midway through his second season at Arkansas, Scott midway through his third at USF.
As they thrive elsewhere, Venables and Elliott (who was named the ACC’s coach of the year on Thursday afternoon) remain noticeably close to Clemson.
Venables attended a Tigers home game at Memorial Stadium during Oklahoma’s bye week (his son, Tyler, is a sixth-year safety on the 2025 team). Elliott said Sunday he was rooting for Venables to make the CFP and he planned to call Swinney later that afternoon to pick his brain on preparing for the ACC championship game.
“Just being around Coach (Swinney), I learned so much,” Elliott said. “I can’t put into words how much I’ve learned and how much I’m still using today.”
Swinney said his former coordinators are “special men” he considers family and their 2025 seasons are a tiny positive during a trying year for Clemson.
“I hate we’re not in it this year,” Swinney said. “But I’ll be pulling hard for both those guys all the way.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM.
