Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports T ony Elliott's first season as the head football coach at UVA was a difficult one, with a 3-7 record on the field and an un- speakable tragedy off it that took the lives of three of his players. On the eve of his second season in charge, he spoke with us about his team, the state of college football and more. Cavalier Corner: What excites you the most about this upcoming season? Elliott: "It's the opportunity to see these guys respond. It has been a challenging and hard offseason, and I'm just excited to see these guys go out and play and show their ap- preciation for an opportunity to play the game. "But also, what it looks like when you when you play with a purpose and a passion bigger than yourself." Cavalier Corner: How different will Year 1 and Year 2 be for you and the team? Elliott: "It is drastically different, but that doesn't mean what everybody else sees will be different. For us, it has been a lot smoother from an operational standpoint, a lot more unity, cohesion amongst the staff. "The players have a better understanding of what the daily expectations are. I have a much better understanding of how to con- struct the calendar and then execute the plan that we put in place." Cavalier Corner: What is the biggest thing that concerns you about the sport of football at this time? Elliott: "Probably the leadership and what direction that leadership is taking the game. There's been a lot of changes to the game, many very positive and good. But, in the pro- cess of changing, I think there's also been a lot of influences given access to the game that may not have the best interest of the game holistically in mind. "Is leadership going to be able to grab the reins and take back control and steer college football in the right direction? At the end of the day, for me, college football is all about the young people and helping them to grow and develop between the ages of 18 and 20 to 23. They need leadership, they need direc- tion and they need guidance. Can the leader- ship keep the development of young people at the forefront?" Cavalier Corner: What are your thoughts on the ACC going back to a single division play? Elliott: "I had grown to like the divisions. It presented the opportunity to have a goal and accomplish something as a team. It gave you a little bit of pride on your side of the confer- ence. I understand it; I'm not against it. "Now, my focus is on being one of the top two teams so you get an opportunity of play- ing in an ACC Championship Game and be- coming a champion of the league. I'm excited about the new challenge." Cavalier Corner: Now that the new Football Operations Center is less than a year away, how will that impact recruiting? Elliott: "It's going to have a huge impact. For many years, it's been promised, it's been talked about and there have been pictures and renderings. Now they can actually see the structure going up. It's an illustration of the commitment from the athletic department to the experience of the student-athlete as a football player. "A lot of times, the facilities you have in place for a student-athlete are what initially attracts them. Now we're going to be able to attract those individuals and then share with them all of the other great facilities and great programming that we have here at the Univer- sity of Virginia." — Jim Daves five questions with Fralin Family Head Football Coach Tony Elliott Elliott has settled into his role as head coach and is excited to see his team compete in 2023. (Photo by Pete Emerson/courtesy UVA)