Dabo Swinney comments on Tony Elliott leaving for Virginia job

Dabo Swinney knows the potential of Tony Elliott better than almost anyone. After coaching under Swinney since 2011 and playing for him for one season in 2003, Elliot was named the head coach of Virginia on Friday.

The Clemson head man offered his congratulations shortly after in a press release.

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

After spending four seasons as the running backs coach at Clemson from 2011-14, Elliott was promoted to co-offensive coordinator. In 2020, he took full ownership of the role, and he was named the team’s associate head coach for this season.

He achieved much success with the Tigers, winning national titles in 2016 and 2018. In 2017, he received the Broyles award, given annually to the best assistant in all of college football.

“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,” Swinney said. “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. And I’m super excited I’m still going to have a chance to interact with him on head coach calls, our ACC head coach meetings, etc.

“It’s good to see him move on and sad to see him move on, but it’s also exciting for new opportunity here as well.”

Prior to joining the Clemson staff, Elliott was an assistant coach at South Carolina State and Furman. Not only is the Virginia job his first as a head coach, but it will also be his first outside of the state of South Carolina.

He inherits a Cavaliers football team that finished 6-6 under Bronco Mendenhall this year to earn a Fenway Bowl bid. Mendenhall announced his decision to step down on Dec. 2 after six years in Virginia.

With a Cheez-It Bowl matchup against Iowa State awaiting on Dec. 29, it is unclear who will step in for Elliott to call the Tigers’ plays. What is clear, according to Dabo Swinney, is that success is imminent for the Cavaliers with Tony Elliott as their coach.