Clemson offensive coordinator tests positive for COVID-19, will miss playoff game
Clemson has long had a plan in place in case Dabo Swinney or one of his coordinators misses a game for COVID-19 reasons.
The plan was kept in “a glass case,” Swinney said. The glass is now shattered.
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott will miss the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State after testing positive for COVID-19.
Elliott did not travel with the team, which landed in New Orleans Wednesday evening ahead of Friday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal game.
Clemson had coronavirus testing Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday leading up to Wednesday’s travel day. They will not test again this week before Friday’s game.
“Just unfortunate that he’s out. We love Tony. The good news is he’s doing great,” Swinney told ESPN after landing in New Orleans. “He doesn’t have any symptoms or anything like that. So wish he was with us but he’ll be with us in spirit.”
There is no word yet on how long Elliott will be out or if he could return should Clemson advance to the national championship game, which will be Jan. 11 in Miami. The winner of the Sugar Bowl will face the winner of Alabama and Notre Dame.
There is also no word yet on if any other player or coach will miss the game because of COVID protocol, which encompasses positive tests and their close contacts. The team typically releases a report on gameday, a few hours before kickoff, that lists who is unavailable. Players could be out for such reasons as COVID protocol or an injury.
In addition to serving as Clemson’s offensive coordinator, Elliott is also the running backs coach. Star tailback Travis Etienne did travel with the team, according to pictures posted Wednesday afternoon on the Clemson football Twitter page.
C.J. Spiller, who is working as a grad assistant, will move into an on-field role and coach running backs on Friday, Swinney said.
Swinney and passing game coordinator Brandon Streeter will be in charge of calling plays, with Streeter replacing Elliott in the box.
The loss of Elliott is big for a Clemson team fighting to get back in the national championship after falling short in the title game against LSU last year. Elliott is widely regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators in the country. He won the Broyles Award given to the best assistant coach in college football in 2016.
Elliott has been on staff at Clemson since 2011, serving as the offensive coordinator for the Tigers since 2015.
Streeter has been on staff at Clemson since 2015. He was initially hired as the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach when Jeff Scott left to coach USF last December.
While Elliott will not coach in the Sugar Bowl, the good news for Clemson is that he was able to take part in most of the game planning.
Elliott will also be involved the rest of this week virtually.
“He’ll be Zooming in with us until we get on the bus and go play,” Swinney said. “We’ve got no excuses. It’s just football. Players play. It’s not about plays it’s about players. We’ve got a good group of players that are well-prepared. Tony’s done an amazing job in helping put this plan together. Now it’s up to us to go execute.”
Clemson vs Ohio State
Who: No. 2 Clemson (10-1) vs. No. 3 Ohio State (6-0)
Where: Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, at Mercedes-Benz Superdome
When: 8 p.m. Friday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Clemson offensive coordinator tests positive for COVID-19, will miss playoff game."
