Report: Tennessee AD has Clemson assistant ‘high on list’ of candidates for Volunteers head coach
By SDS Staff
Published:
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.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
