Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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12 CAVALIER CORNER … The reason I believe Tony is a perfect fit for UVA is because of his values, because of his track record, and because of his life experience. "His life story is one of resilience and of overcoming obstacles. It's a life guided by faith and by a sense of purpose. It's a life story of success, and it's a life story that is a powerful testament to the ability of edu- cation to transform lives." Williams noted Elliott's humility, work ethic, intellectual curiosity, commitment to education, integrity, character and competi- tiveness, among other qualities. "These are just a few of the reasons Coach Tony Elliott is perfect for the Univer- sity of Virginia," Williams said. Elliott and his wife, Tamika, have two sons, A.J. and Ace. His wife and children have yet to join him full time in Virginia, Elliott said, but they've been visiting him regularly. Over the years, Elliott heard others in his profession talk about the challenges await- ing a first-time head coach, so he knew his workload would increase. Still, he said, it's "a shock. It's a shock to the system, and a lot of it is you're stepping outside of your comfort area. "As an assistant, it's about coaching ball, supporting academics and dealing with young people. You're primarily with a position group and a smaller number of individuals. "When you step into this role, you're re- sponsible for an entire program. You have to set the vision for everybody, and you're not just focusing on the student-athlete, you're focusing on your staff, too. "There's staff development, there's chem- istry building amongst the staff, making sure that we're all on the same page. Then it's also dealing with the players and then making sure that every part of the program that interacts with these young men is on the same page. "It's always something, and then every- body wants a piece of your time. Time man- agement is probably the biggest thing. Even though you have pretty good time manage- ment as an assistant, you're not prepared for this seat." One of Elliott's first hires at UVA was Adam Smotherman, who took over as head strength and conditioning coach. Smother- man worked with Elliott at Clemson and jumped at the opportunity to join him in Charlottesville. "He's a strong man of faith, he's a com- petitor, he's a winner," Smotherman said. "He's a phenomenal family man, who loves his players and loves his staff. He brings that love to everything that he does. "One of the foundational pieces of his vision is to build this program to love and serve and care." Elliott, who was born in California, was 9 years old when he survived a car crash in which his mother was killed. He ended up moving to South Carolina and living with an aunt there. An outstanding student, Elliott attended the Air Force Academy's prep school in Colorado. He decided not to pursue a path in the military, however, and enrolled at Clemson after being admitted there. He didn't plan to play football in college, but after realizing how much he missed the sport, Elliott joined the team as a walk-on wide receiver. His position coach was Swin- ney. The Tigers' head coach at the time was Tommy Bowden. "He didn't have great speed, he didn't have great quickness, and he was a little stocky for a wideout," Bowden recalled. "But he had tremendous hands, tremendous toughness, and he knew the assignments." In 2003, when Elliott was a senior, his teammates elected him one of Clemson's captains. "That shows you the respect that he earned," Bowden said. As a student at Clemson, Elliott received an ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgradu- ate Scholarship, and he made the confer- ence's all-academic team. He graduated from Clemson with a degree in industrial engineering and remains passionate about education. "My vision for UVA is to become the model program in college football," Elliott said. "My goal is to contribute to changing the narrative in college football and demon- strate that you can win at the highest level and do so while achieving excellence in education, leadership and service." Family is important to Elliott, pictured here with his wife, Tamika, and sons Ace (left) and A.J. Tamika met him daily for lunch at Clemson, providing a strong example for his players. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA)