Read the Tony Elliott piece on ESPN (BTW, got a little dusty in that article...ahem...). Something that struck me as almost poetic in Elliott's life and career arc and Dabo Swinney's life and career arc:
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ry-clemson-offensive-coordinator-tony-elliott
After graduating from Clemson with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Elliott took a job with Michelin North America in 2004. Although Elliott was making good money and seemed to have a bright future with the company, he wasn't completely satisfied. He missed football and believed his own experiences in life would make him a good mentor for kids. While working as a volunteer football coach at a high school in Easley, South Carolina, Elliott realized what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.
"I was making great money, had a great job and a great boss," Elliott said. "I just felt a little empty inside. I needed something to validate my purpose."
AFTER CONSULTING WITH Swinney, who had become his mentor and close friend, Elliott quit his job at Michelin. He married his wife, Tamika, a week later and then started his first coaching job at FCS member South Carolina State in 2006. Two years later, he was named Furman's receivers coach.
Swinney, who replaced Tommy Bowden as Clemson's coach midway through the 2008 season, realized Elliott was a rising star in the coaching ranks.
"I told him to just bloom where you're planted and be great at whatever you're doing," Swinney said. "That's the epitome of Tony Elliott. I was so proud of him. I knew I would hire him when the right time came. I told him he needed to be ready when the time came."
In January 2010, when Elliott and Swinney were both in Los Angeles attending a coaching convention, they drove to see the house where Elliott lived in Anaheim. Then they drove to the intersection of West Sycamore Street and Harbor Boulevard, where Elliott's mother had died in the car wreck nearly two decades earlier. Elliott wanted his close friend and mentor to see the place where his life changed forever.
BOTH Swinney and Elliott perservered through almost crushing circumstances to follow their dreams. Dabo walked on at 'Bama, Elliott walked on at Clemson. Both became contributing members of the team after making personal sacrifices to be on the team. Both graduated and had lucrative non-football careers before deciding coaching was their life's calling. Both rose through the ranks and became rising stars. One left his alma mater and help build a modern day program considered only second to the jaugernaut that is Alabama...Dabo's alma mater. The other has the opportunity to leave his alma mater and build a similar program somewhere else....
...could that somewhere else for Elliott be GT?
I was hesitant to say much about Elliott until I did some research. Research done. You never know about any coach, but Elliott checks so many boxes it's hard for me to see his negatives as something that he can work through (let's not forget, Dabo was just a position coach, and two a few seasons to iron out the wrinkles before turning Clemson into a powerhouse).
For me this is what Elliott brings to the table:
-Immediate credibility on the recruiting trail. He knows the Southeast, and he's landed some MONSTER recruits. His ability to recruit the most fertile areas for GT is not going to be questioned.
-Immediate credibility in living rooms. Let's face it, the family structure today is filled with single parent homes. Coaches have to have the ability to walk into homes and strike a chord with single parents. Elliott's past will blow mothers and fathers away. He perservered, and in the process, helped his little sister become a college graduate and make a living in a well respected field. Football teams are predominantly made up of African Americans, and how many better example of a successful African Americans are there who could be mentor to sons of single family homes? His story will have mothers and fathers crying, and assured that they are sending their son off to someone who cares and will do what's right for them. Combine that with an elite GT degree? Going to be hard to turn down a combination of getting coached by Elliott and a GT degree down.
-Immediate credibility on the football field. He's coached two of the best QB prospects in the last decade: DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence...BOTH happen to be from GA. You think all these elite GA QBs the state has been producing won't give GT serious consideration knowing that Elliott mentored two first round QBs (Lawrence is a future #1 overall pick). He also coached Kelly Bryant to an NCAA Championship game. GT is a place where our coach has to be able to coach and develop QBs, and he's doing that. 5 star QBs don't go to Clemson to have their talents wasted...like at FSU, Texas, Texas A&M and even 'Bama. His offense scores in bunches as well.
-He's calling Clemson's plays. In this regard, he's well ahead of where Dabo was when Dabo was promoted to HC. Calling plays is a BIG deal, because that means you understand defenses, how to attack them, how to use personnel, what personnel you need. He wasn't just a figurehead of an OC. This is a big deal for me.
-Exposure to the high level of operations needed to become a top tier program. I've said this many times, and it's unfortunate for CPJ, but the next coach will inherit all the things CPJ wanted. That's just how it works. Elliott's knowledge of Clemsons operating machine will benefit GT. He may not get everything he asks for, but if he's hired, it's because he'll get most of the things he wants to be HC of GT. Most of big ticket items (indoor practice facility, new weight room, new locker rooms) are complete. Other big ticket items are in the works (money for more support staff). We also have a MAJOR capital raise going on...and Elliott is going to make a LOT of donors want to contribute more money, and lot of previously lukewarm donors actually donate. In fact, if Elliott is announced as our new coach, I would hope TStan immediately announces they've raised the total amount of money they're targeting. GT will get it.
-Immediate Buzz (ahem) for our program nationally, but more importantly, in the state of GA. If I'm not mistaken, if Elliott is hired, he will be the first African American HC of GT. That will resonate with the local HS in GA, especially in the city of Atlanta.
One thing I'm certain, if TStan hasn't already reached out to Elliott and his representatives, it would be AD malpractice. This guy checks so many boxes for a GT HC that it's almost ridiculous there's much debate here. Are there better candidates? Maybe...but not many candidates can bring to the table what Elliott potentially has and represents.
Ball is in your court, TStan.
