Tony Elliott (American football coach) facts for kids
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Elliott in 2024
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Virginia |
| Conference | ACC |
| Record | 11–23 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 26, 1979 Watsonville, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 2000–2003 | Clemson |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2006–2007 | South Carolina State (WR) |
| 2008–2010 | Furman (WR) |
| 2011–2014 | Clemson (RB) |
| 2015–2019 | Clemson (co-OC/RB) |
| 2020 | Clemson (OC/RB) |
| 2021 | Clemson (AHC/OC/TE) |
| 2022–present | Virginia |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 11–23 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As an offensive coordinator
|
|
| Awards | |
| Broyles Award (2017) | |
Antonio "Tony" Elliott (born November 26, 1979) is a well-known American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Virginia. Before this, he was an assistant coach at Clemson University from 2011 to 2021.
At Clemson, he held many important roles. These included associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach. He also spent time as a running backs coach.
Elliott played college football at Clemson as a wide receiver. This was from 2000 to 2003. He also coached at South Carolina State and Furman. While at Clemson, he won the 2017 Broyles Award. This award goes to the best assistant coach in college football.
He helped coach amazing players like Travis Etienne, Deshaun Watson, and Trevor Lawrence. Elliott's offenses helped Clemson win two national championships. One big win was 44–16 against Alabama in January 2019.
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Tony Elliott's Early Life and Challenges
Tony Elliott faced many challenges when he was young. For some time, he lived without a home. He was on the streets of Los Angeles, California with his mother and sister.
When he was nine years old, his mother died in a car accident. After this, he moved to South Carolina. He lived with his aunt and uncle. It was there that he started playing football and basketball.
Tony Elliott's Playing Career in College
Elliott finished high school in 1997. He went to James Island High School in Charleston. He was a star in both football and basketball.
He then went to the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School. In 1999, he joined Clemson University as a walk-on player. A walk-on means he joined the team without a scholarship at first.
He became a team captain in 2003. This was a rare achievement for a walk-on player. He played in 44 games and started four of them. Elliott also earned academic honors for his studies.
Tony Elliott's Coaching Journey
Starting His Coaching Career
Tony Elliott began his coaching career in 2006. He coached wide receivers for the South Carolina State Bulldogs.
From 2008 to 2010, he coached wide receivers again. This time it was for the Furman Paladins.
Coaching Success at Clemson University
In 2011, Elliott returned to the Clemson Tigers. He became the running backs coach. In December 2014, he became a co-offensive coordinator. He shared this job with Jeff Scott.
Head coach Dabo Swinney chose Elliott to call the plays for the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl. Clemson won that game 40-6 against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Clemson won the national championship in January 2017. They beat Alabama in that game. In December 2017, Elliott won the Broyles Award. This award honors the best assistant coach in college football.
In 2019, Elliott helped Clemson win another national championship. They beat Alabama again, 44–16. He was a co-offensive coordinator and called plays in that game.
Elliott was Clemson's main offensive playcaller for seven seasons. This was from 2015 to 2021. During this time, Clemson won two NCAA Championships. He also coached running backs and tight ends.
He helped recruit and coach Travis Etienne. Etienne became the ACC's all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns. Elliott also called plays for star quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence.
In 2021, Elliott also became the associate head coach for Clemson. During his time as a coordinator, Clemson had an amazing record of 88 wins and only 10 losses.
Becoming Head Coach at Virginia
After the 2021 season, Elliott was ready to be a head coach. On December 10, 2021, he became the 41st head coach at the University of Virginia. He took over from Bronco Mendenhall.
Elliott quickly hired new coaches for his team. He brought in John Rudzinski as his defensive coordinator. He also hired Desmond Kitchings as his offensive coordinator.
Tony Elliott's Personal Life
Tony Elliott earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He graduated from Clemson University in 2002. He had a high GPA of 3.55.
After college, he worked as an engineer for Michelin North America for two years. He is married to Tamika Whitner. She is from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Tony Elliott's Head Coaching Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Cavaliers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Virginia | 3–7 | 1–6 | T–6th (Coastal) | |||||
| 2023 | Virginia | 3–9 | 2–6 | T–11th | |||||
| 2024 | Virginia | 5–7 | 3–5 | T–10th | |||||
| Virginia: | 11–23 | 6–17 | |||||||
| Total: | 11–23 | ||||||||
