Jeff Scott is heading to USF to take over as the head coach, but will he be the only loss to the Clemson football coaching staff?
The Clemson football program lost one of its leading assistant coaches when it was reported that Co-Offensive Coordinator Jeff Scott would be heading south to take over the head-coaching position at the University of South Florida.
Scott, a long-time assistant for Clemson football, played wide receiver for the Tigers from 2000-02. He coached at Blythewood High School and Presbyterian College before accepting a position in 2008 with Clemson football as the Wide Receivers Coach.
He was the Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach from 2008-14 before stepping into that Co-Offensive Coordinator role in 2016.
Scott was a great coach, recruiter and developer of talent. Given time, there’s really no question that he’ll have success at USF and have an opportunity to work up the ladder to become a Power-5 head coach at some point in the near future.
With that being said, will Scott be the only loss to the Clemson football coaching staff in 2019? There are still some openings and opportunities for other assistant to step out. Here’s a look at a few assistant coaches who have at the very least been on the ‘board of interest’ for programs across the nation.
Tony Elliott
The NFL Network reported last week that the Dallas Cowboys could be interested in Urban Meyer, Lincoln Riley and Tony Elliott if the job came open following this season, but it would be a longshot to see Elliott come away with that job.
247 Sports’ Brad Crawford suggested that Appalachian State should show interest in Elliott to fill Eliah Drinkwitz’ position, but that would be seen as a lateral move for Elliott. His name hasn’t come up in many big coaching positions- other than the Dallas Cowboys- and it seems that the Tigers are safe with Elliott for now, however there are still plenty of jobs that could become available in the near future.
Brent Venables
Despite constant rumors and speculation, Brent Venables’ name has not been tied or linked to any opening at this point. There are plenty of fans dreaming that Venables would be a candidate for their job and there could be an opening later, but there’s nothing right now- and I wouldn’t expect anything, either.
Much of that likely has to do with the fact that Venables has made it clear that he’s content where he’s at and is enjoying life as a Defensive Coordinator and as the highest-paid assistant in the nation.
Brandon Streeter
There has been some talk from national analysts about Brandon Streeter making the jump to an Offensive Coordinator role at a Power-5 program and that will likely be the case… with Clemson football.
Streeter is expected to be promoted to a Co-Offensive Coordinator role with Elliott, which is absolutely deserved. Streeter has done an excellent job as the Recruiting Coordinator and developing QBs. He’ll step into this role and the Tigers seemingly won’t miss a beat. He’s a great offensive mind and certainly has all the right tools to be a successful head coach at some point in the future.
Overall, there are no signs to point to any other Clemson football coach leaving for another job. USF fans would like to see Scott take an assistant or two with him, but that’s not likely to happen and it certainly won’t be the case with the three men listed above.
Outside of the staff, there is an intrigue to see how this affects recruiting. Scott was a strong recruiter and had ties to many of the commitments and targets for Clemson football, not just in the 2020 cycle, but in future classes. The Tigers’ brand speaks for itself, but Scott certainly did an excellent job building relationships with the prospects he came in contact with.