Dabo Swinney on advice to Tony Elliott: Told him he needed to take Virginia job

The Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney experienced significant turnover within the coaching staff after their top two coordinators departed this offseason to take over other college football programs. One of which was former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott who left to become the new head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers. During the 2022 ACC Media Days, Swinney revealed what advice he gave to his former staffer on taking his new position.

“I told him he needs to take the job. I told him this is the right one,” said Swinney. “I felt like he was a great fit for Virginia, and I felt like Virginia was a great fit for Tony and his family. He has turned down several head jobs over the last few years, but I felt like Virginia was the right fit for him. As far as how prepared he is, he is incredibly prepared.”

Since Elliott’s arrival in 2011, the Tigers amassed 10 straight 10-win seasons, six ACC titles and two national championships — the Tigers went 121-18 in his decade with the program. He helped build one of college football’s most dynamic offenses under eventual first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence, as Clemson in 2018 and 2019 were responsible for two of the 22 650-point seasons in college football history, before he took the job at Virginia. His departure for Virginia came shortly after Brent Venables; Venables, then the defensive coordinator, left Clemson to become Oklahoma’s head coach.

“I’ve been with Tony 19 years. I coached Tony. He was a captain for me. He has been around a long time now. He knows what it looks like. Incredibly smart. Is a very gifted coach.”

It certainly worked out for Elliott, who left engineering for coaching and eventually found his way back at Clemson, working alongside Swinney. Elliott’s time as offensive coordinator for the Tigers was time well spent. And shortly after accepting the head coaching position, he accredited Swinney with much of his success as a coach. But the Tigers headman points to the experience Elliott gained as offensive coordinator as the reason for his success.

“There’s no greater teacher than experience, doing something. A lot like DJ. Going through this past year and gaining all that experience, there’s no greater teacher than that. As far as being prepared, he is as prepared as anybody could be to go do it for the first time.”