Wednesday PM Update: Clemson's Tony Elliott Back in Play at UVA, Still Lead Man for Duke Job

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott reportedly interviewed with two ACC schools this past weekend, but no official moves have been made at Duke or Virginia as of Wednesday.

Wednesday PM Update:

Elliott still remains to be in our opinion, the lead choice to head up the Duke Blue Devils, in a crazy turn of events, his name is back in play at UVA.

Apparently, Anthony Poindexter botched some key elements of his interview with UVA and that has reintroduced Elliott into the mix.

Word from Duke is that this news could speed up the process and that a decision/ offer could come as early as today.

Wednesday AM Update:

The Duke Blue Devils appear to be leaning toward hiring Clemson OC Tony Elliott. According to Steve Wiseman of the Raleigh News & Observer, who spoke to SportsTalk, he believes that Elliott is the “best bet” to take over the Blue Devils—who we anticipate to make an offer by the end of the week.

Along with Elliott, Texas A&M DC Mike Elko and recently fired former Dallas Cowboys HCNew York Giants coachJason Garrett—who apparently is more interested in the job than the Blue Devils are in him.

Wiseman reports that Garrett is among a small handful of final candidates, and the school's goal is to finalize a hire by the end of the week. Garrett played at Princeton and then professionally for 15 years before immediately beginning his NFL coaching career, most notably spending nine years as head coach of the Cowboys. He has never coached at the college level.

Tuesday AM Update

According to multiple sources, the hiring process at Duke is nearing completion, with Clemson OC Tony Elliott believed to be at the top of the list.

We have confirmed that Elliott is the only candidate to have a face-to-face interview with the Blue Devils. However, we do expect the Blue Devils to attempt to interview at least one more—Texas A&M DC Mike Elko. The belief is that additional interviews, formal and informal, could take place at the NFF and CFB Hall of Fame Ceremonies in Las Vegas.

Monday Update:

While one Clemson coordinator was accepting a job Sunday, another one was interviewing for a different head coaching position.

With former defensive coordinator Brent Venables off to Oklahoma, the coaching watch has turned to Tony Elliott, who's run the offense since the end of the 2014 season. The former Clemson player interviewed with Duke officials Sunday, according to a report from ESPN's Chris Low. 

The Blue Devils have been looking for a coach since it was announced that veteran David Cutcliffe would not return following the final game of the regular season. Multiple reports Monday have George Edwards, the Dallas Cowboys' senior defensive assistant and former Duke player, entering the picture. 

However, no moves were made by Monday afternoon, and athletic director Nina King is expected to talk with more candidates at the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame ceremony this week in Las Vegas. An official hire might not be made until later this week. 

Meanwhile, Elliott also reportedly interviewed Saturday for the opening at Virginia, where Bronco Mendenhall unexpectedly stepped down last week. Elliott was quickly named one of the top candidates, along with Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter, a Virginia alum. 

However, multiple reports surfaced Monday evening that the Cavaliers were making Poindexter the center of their search. Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Elliott had been notified the school was going in a different direction. 

Elliott, who also coaches the tight ends, is one of the highest-paid coordinators in the country at $2 million per season, and he is a recipient of the 2017 Broyles Award, which goes to the game's top assistant. 

Until a decision is made by Duke, Elliott continues to work and recruit for Clemson. Will there be other staff shakeups? Could Venables take some assistants and support-staff members with him to Oklahoma? Is offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell nearing retirement? If Elliott stays, could there be some turnover at specific offensive roles following what's been a disappointing season on that side of the ball?

The clock continues to tick on decisions that haven't been part of Clemson's December equation in quite some time. 

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