Virginia’s Gator Bowl Victory Was Four Years in the Making for Tony Elliott

Prior to this season, the Virginia Cavaliers' head coach Tony Elliott found himself under fire. After being hired as UVA's head coach back in 2021, Elliott had struggled to gain traction with his new program, ultimately negatively impacting his credibility.

Last year, UVA finished 5-7 overall and 3-5 in conference play. Compare that to their current 11-3 and 7-1 records overall and in the ACC, respectively, and it is clear that Elliott's program made a shocking turnaround this season. However, this was not an immediate change, but rather, it took a long four years for the Cavaliers to build themselves up as a legitimate threat in college football. While there's still plenty of work left to be done in the proceeding years, they have made remarkable progress this year.

UVA Thrives in Elliott Era

A man in a navy blue shirt smiling while holding a black trophy while surrounded by a crowd of people — Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott holds up the Ash Verlander Champions Trophy after the game of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Jacksonville. Fla. Virginia defeated the Missouri 13-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before Elliott worked with the Cavaliers, he spent over a decade working alongside Clemson's Dabo Swinney, where he built up a wealth of knowledge and experience in the coaching realm. His role as UVA's head coach was considered a slow burn, but his belief in himself and his players never faded — that is what made such a difference for the Cavaliers. When nobody believed in the program, Elliott was there to offer encouragement, support and discipline.

"A lot of folks said they weren't good enough to get to this point. But what they learned is it's always about being inside-out. It's never about what people say on the outside. It's all about what you believe," Elliott stated during his postgame press conference. "It's so awesome to see when young people decide and believe and they're unselfish. They just play to a standard, they play for each other. It's been a fun, fun team to coach. Super excited we were able to finish the season with a win versus a very, very good football team. Coach Drinkwitz has done an outstanding job of building that program. He's somebody I look to in this profession for what he's been able to do. It was fun to compete against his team."

Elliott spent his first few years in the hot seat, facing immense criticism from all corners. Now having had the chance to prove himself alongside his team this season, UVA has gained credibility ahead of the 2026 season. Of course, there will still be a level of doubt as some are left wondering if Virginia's success this year was just a fluke, but the Cavaliers have proven themselves to be tough competitors. Perhaps next year, they will go even further in the postseason.