Hours after Tony Elliott’s hiring at Virginia became official, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney commented on the departure of his former player and longtime assistant and offensive coordinator.
“I just can’t tell you how happy I am for Tony, (his wife) Tamika and (his sons) Ace and A.J. and also just how proud I am of Tony,” Swinney said in a statement released Friday night. “Man, it’s really, really been an amazing journey for me to watch Tony since 2003. 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.
“To see him now have a chance to go be the head coach at Virginia, like (former defensive coordinator) 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. 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.”
Elliott, a receiver during his playing days at Clemson, had been on Swinney’s staff since 2011 — the last seven seasons as a play-caller — before Virginia gave him his first head coaching job.
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