Report: Clemson loses another experienced coordinator

It's been a tough start to December for the Tigers.

The Clemson Tigers have had a rough start to December, to say the least. The Tigers saw longtime defensive coordinator Brent Venables finally make the leap to a head coaching job with Oklahoma. A few days later, Athletic Director Dan Radakovich officially left to take the same position with Miami, joining new coach Mario Cristobal in Coral Gables. In that time period, the Tigers have lost three talented defensive commitments, corner Daylen Everette, safety Keon Sabb, and defensive end Jihaad Campbell.

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On Friday afternoon, the Tigers took another hit. According to Pete Thamel, offensive coordinator Tony Elliott is expected to be Virginia's next head coach.

Sources: Tony Elliott is expected to be the next coach at Virginia. A deal should be finalized in the near future.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 10, 2021

Elliott is another longtime figure of the program that'll be moving on. Elliott had been with Clemson since 2011 as a position coach and he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2015 alongside now USF head coach Jeff Scott. When Scott left for Tampa, Elliott took over as the lone offensive coordinator and held that position for the last six years.

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After a decade with Clemson, Elliott now gets his first opportunity to be a head coach. For comparison, Venables and Radakovich were both with the program since 2012. That's three important men who have helped the Tigers grow into a contender under Dabo Swinney that will need to be replaced in the coming months.

Elliott joins the Virginia Cavaliers following former head coach Bronco Mendenhall's decision to step away from the sport for the immediate future. His tenure will end following Virginia's bowl game. 

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Mendenhall led the Cavaliers to eight wins in 2018 and nine wins in 2019. However, that success was sandwiched in between four seasons of six wins or less and one 2-10 finish. The program will look to generate a more consistent approach under Elliott's lead.

The coming changes at Clemson can only benefit Florida State as it looks to contend for the conference in 2022.

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