College football pundits troll Clemson’s Dabo Swinney after Tony Elliott news
By Mark Powell
Clemson football’s coaching staff will be borderline unrecognizable next season with Brent Venables and Tony Elliott leaving for new jobs.
Dabo Swinney kept Venables and Elliott around as long as he could, but eventually, Power-5 schools came calling. Clemson can only afford to pay their assistants so much when Swinney is eating up a large portion of the coaching budget.
Venables, the former defensive coordinator, is now the head coach at Oklahoma. Elliott, formerly the offensive coordinator to quarterbacks such as Trevor Lawrence, remains in the ACC as the head coach at Virginia.
Swinney has wished both well, and knew this day would come. But having both leave in the same offseason has to be tough news, and undoubtedly a hit on the recruiting trail.
Clemson football: Can Dabo Swinney recover?
Clemson’s success next season will, in part, depend on who they hire to replace the two high profile assistants. It helps that they play in the ACC, arguably one of the weakest Power 5 conferences in college football.
Still, Swinney’s coaching room has to look awfully empty at the moment.
In the past week, Dabo Swinney has lost his athletic director, his defensive coordinator and his offensive coordinator.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 10, 2021
We've seen Nick Saban lose coordinators, replace and go on unfazed countless times.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 10, 2021
But this is a first for Dabo, losing both his longtime OC and DC (and his AD, for that matter) in the same week.
Going to be fascinating to watch how he manages it.
Dabo Swinney rn pic.twitter.com/C4sNYQ5swu
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) December 10, 2021
Yet, some Clemson fans remain hopeful. Dabo has been doubted before.
Don’t doubt Dabo. pic.twitter.com/cMsqINiXIF
— Tiger Commenter (@TigerCommenter) December 6, 2021
Of course, Swinney will have plenty of doubters at this point, especially since his team is coming off a down year by their standards.
Dabo ain’t shit, it was Venables the whole time! pic.twitter.com/8BpmCii35O
— Post (@PalmBeach_Post) December 10, 2021
*Dabo’s entire Clemson Staff* pic.twitter.com/zoBXHQG0vv
— The Bottom Right Corner (@SECTalk1) December 10, 2021
This season got Dabo like… pic.twitter.com/FDZpEy6zfA
— Trevor McCue (@trevormccue) December 10, 2021
OC, DC, AD, and recruits gone in the same offseason. If there’s one criticism of Dabo’s career, fair or unfair, it’s that he’s benefited from a stable program.
— Austin Pendergist (@apthirteen) December 10, 2021
The next few years will determine where Dabo sits among the all-time greats, and I’m frankly kind of excited for it.
Dabo lost his AD, OC, & DC, in one offseason. Losing recruits on the trail and current guys to the portal as well. No one wants to be around that guy.
— CaneFilms (@CaneFilms) December 10, 2021
Dabo Swinney without Brent Venables: pic.twitter.com/OGPuKcAUiM
— Pass, Pass, Run (@PassPassRun) December 2, 2021
Haven’t covered @ClemsonFB in over a decade. But I was there when Dabo Swinney took over, and saw the beginnings of this incredible run. If anyone thinks he’s not prepared for losing two coordinators, you are sadly mistaken.
— Dan Scott (@DanScottShow) December 10, 2021
If anyone is prepared for this sort of setback, it is Swinney, who has taken what was previously a good-but-not-great program to new heights. Clemson is among the top college football powers, and he’s paid alongside some of the game’s greats including Nick Saban.
One down season is tough enough for Swinney to take. Two in a row? My money is on a turnaround of epic proportions, especially in the ACC.
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