Report: Tennessee AD has Clemson assistant 'high on list' of candidates for Volunteers head coach
Danny White steps into his new job as Tennessee athletic director with a tall task at hand. After the school’s recent dismissal of Jeremy Pruitt, White will be hiring UT’s next head football coach.
White was just formally introduced as athletic director on Friday so the coaching search is in its early stages, but college football insider Bruce Feldman of The Athletic revealed the name of one candidate reportedly “high” on White’s list.
“One name we’re hearing that is high on the list for new Tennessee AD Danny White is Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, whose offenses have been elite,” Feldman tweeted Saturday.
When asked Friday if prior head-coaching experience, which Elliott lacks, would be a requirement, White declined to directly answer.
“We are going to be expansive in our search to make sure we turn over every single stone and look for, again, what makes this place distinctive? We’d love to excite our fan base with whatever the hire is, and hopefully, we do,” White said.
Elliott being high on White’s list aligns with John Brice of FootballScoop’s report that the Tennessee athletic director is targeting an offensive-minded coach as the new head football coach.
“He told Tennessee on Wednesday night that he has an offensive coach(es) ready to go, and that apparently helped Tennessee get the deal done quickly,” Brice quotes a source.
Elliott has been on Dabo Swinney’s Clemson staff since 2011, arriving from Furman. Elliott started out as Clemson’s running backs coach. In 2015, he added the title of co-offensive coordinator. Following Jeff Scott’s departure, Elliott was named offensive coordinator.
LOL! I think Elliot has proven that he is not that stupid.
Unlike you.
2×4 I’m really hoping you have to eat sone crow. May not be Elliot, which I’m ok with but prefer a HC, But Accordibg to you it Will be some high school coach.
Fuzzy it has nothing to do with wishing UT ill. It is all about common sense. Say Elliot comes in tomorrow and turns the Vols around in 2 years with a lot of hard work. Then the NCAA comes in, in his 3rd year, and lowers them boom with heavy scholarship losses and bowl bans. That not only makes it impossible to recruit like you need to recruit to compete in the SEC, but it also means that any player that wishes can transfer without penalty. Elliot will be right back in a mess. It would be different if the NCAA actually did things in a timely manner, but you know it is going to take 3 years for them to finish this, and then probably 3 years of crippling probation. If you were at the top of your game, and had a good job, would you leave it for that kind of uncertainty, and the kind of certainty that you know comes with violations as have been reported? Man I remember what it was like when Bama went on probation. It is tough to get the big name coach, you kind of have to take what you can get and that is usually a coach that is just looking to make big money, and it is almost certain that the coach that coaches a team through probation is not going to be leading them after it.
Look! Bama fans are nervous TN might actually start thumping them again if we got serious about our admin and hires.. lol
Yeah. Absolutely terrified.
LISTEN I HAVE 2 COACHES TENNESSEE HASN’T EVEN MENTIONED. EITHER ONE IS A HOMERUN HIRE. ONE MIGHT EVEN MAKE THE NCAA GO EASY…..
I still say there are already 2 guys out there with SEC HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE. BOTH NEVER CHEATED THAT I KNOW ABOUT. And they had a great record every season. One coach won one official national championship. And in my book won 2!!! Because he shared one in my book!!! HE BEAT NICK SABAN. Always had 2 and 3 loss seasons. NO ITS NOT MARK RICHT ALTHOUGH IF HE WAS AVAILABLE. HE WOULD ALSO MAKE A GOOD HEAD COACH!!! Richt is the other choice. Both have beaten Saban.
But my suggestion is LES MILES aka THE MAD HATTER!!!!! Les Miles would probably gladly leave Kansas for a big SEC job!!! But someone should also speak with Mark Richt. You won’t find a more honest head coach than Mark Richt. And a darn good one. Miami players quit on him. I think he was just too straight and honest to coach Miami!!!
AGAINST NOTRE DAME MIAMI THEMSELVES BILLED THE GAME AS CATHOLICS VS CONVICTS!!! THAT WAS ALL MANNY D DOING THAT!!!!! I honestly believe he was stabbing Richt in the back. Richt couldn’t run the team like he wanted to. Because no quality players without criminal mindsets were being recruited!!!! EVERYONE KNOWS THE KIND OF PEOPLE AND PLAYERS MIAMI DRAWS!!!! MARK RICHT PLAYED THERE. BUT IT WAS A DIFFERENT TEAM WHEN HE PLAYED!!!! He realized pretty quickly that he no longer fit in at Miami. But he would make a perfect choice to help clean up the Tennessee image and bring the team back to prominence!
MARK RICHT HAD MIAMI BACK ON TRACK. IT WAS THAT CRIMINAL IMAGE THEY EMBRACED THAT HE WANTED NONE OF!!!! BUT LES MILES IS A GREAT CHOICE AS WELL!!!!!
With Tennessee in so much hot water with the NCAA. I HONESTLY BELIEVE IF YOU HIRED MARK RICHT. THE NCAA WOULD PROBABLY GO LIGHT ON TENNESSEE. Considering all the players you lost. Mark Richt would go a long way with the NCAA. Because they know he has a STELLAR REPUTATION!!!! Les Miles should never have been fired either!!!
So with LES MILES you have a head coach with SEC EXPERIENCE and a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! With MARK RICHT you have a guy who has probably the cleanest reputation in the league. Who was also a HEAD COACH IN THE SEC!!! He came very close to a few NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS himself. You know all about his coaching record.
PS. So between LES MILES and one MARK RICHT. You have two extremely qualified coaches that are probably willing. But you’ll have to call them. Instead of all these assistants. Why not go after one of these guys???????????
King Negan
Dweeb
You’ll not find two better choices for head coach at Tennessee. Than LES MILES aka the mad hatter! Or one MARK RICHT. Probably the cleanest reputation for a head coach in SEC history. Hiring Les Miles away from Kansas would be easy. Go look at his record at LSU. He had a great winning record, including a national title. Really he shared one to. So 2 national titles in the SEC. Didn’t get fired for losing. He was a winner!!!!
Everyone knows MARK RICHT was both a winner in the game of football and in the game of life. I believe hiring Mark Richt quickly would help get Tennessee off light with the NCAA!
A PATH OUT OF THE NCAA TROUBLES….
Tennessee is in trouble. So listen. The NCAA knows, loves and respects Mark Richt. I don’t believe they would hit Richt too hard. It was Just a thought. And you won’t do better. Both of these guys can coach.
PS. So either MARK RICHT or the mad hatter LES MILES. You won’t go wrong with either man. Hire one of these guys!!!!
King Negan
Dweeb
Don’t know a lot about Elliott, but I don’t think we don’t need another assistant/coordinator learning on the job to be a head coach. I do think an offensive minded coach is needed, and he may make a good HC, but someone with experience running a program is vital. Pretty obvious Pruitt wasn’t ready for the job, and who knows if this guy is?
Agreed. As I stated on another article here – Elliott might be great and if hired, I hope he is. But, considering the talent he has had around him since he started calling plays you have to question how much of the success is because of him and how much is because of the players he has had at his disposal.
If I was going to go for an assistant, he would be at the top of the list.
Id like to see Elliott get the job to disrupt Clemson staff if for no other reason .
Fleck to me is too much bluster. Dykes, yawn. What about the Buffalo coach ? He was hired by White at Buffalo.
I’m with you Uncle. As much as the Saban tree gets harvested, I’d like to see Dabo lose some fruit.
Uncle…great point ! I’d love to see Dabo’s coaching staff depleted even more. Last year he lost the “co-offensive coordinator to South Florida as head coach & this year has lost two(2) analysts. Then we’ll see how datboi can reboot.
A White Buffalo is supposed to be a good omen. ;)
Oh man…this is as bad as it gets. Nobody worth a darn will ever take this job. Well unless it’s for for a guaranteed buy out.
Tenn is just one step above Vandy!!! Tenn is the Idaho of the SEC!!!!
Yet we still beat you all on in our worst years.
Exactly. SC fans popping off, takes some stones.
South Carolina & Tennessee are all fairly even right now…talent-wise.
Of course the cloud of smoke covering Clemson is from the dumpster fire indicating the level of interest in ending his career at UT.
Steele as HC, being a DC by skill, is the main problem I saw with Steele. Everybody is looking for an OC in these spread the field days. It sure likes its getting risky to call in a DC and expect championship results.
Tennessee to hire another “coordinator” ?…somehow I cannot see Danny White hiring Elliot. *With all the talent at Clemson, calling the plays is not that difficult…let’s face it.
Complete speculation Mr. White has said he will not release any names and I believe him. Since those claiming a creditable source have released two separate lists just goes to show the press doesn’t have a clue which direction he is going for this hire.