5. Tony Elliott (Co-OC/Clemson)
There are rumors that North Carolina will be interested in bringing back Mack Brown, who coached the Tar Heels for 10 years before leaving for Texas and ultimately winning a national championship in 2005. He hasn’t coached since 2013, and at 67-years-old, he wouldn’t exactly be the young innovative mind they are seeking, nor would he move the needle much with recruits at this point. He doesn’t seem like a realistic candidate, in my mind.
Tony Elliott does, however, as one of the best coordinators in the country, leading a high-powered Clemson offense since 2015. The 38-year-old Elliott won the Broyles Award in 2017 as the nation’s top assistant coach.
Elliott has the right to be picky, but it seems only a matter of time before he makes the jump to a head coaching job at the Power 5 level. Elliott played at Clemson, and has spent his entire coaching career in the Carolinas. This job could be very attractive to him as it would afford him the opportunity to stay close to home and remain in the fertile recruiting grounds that he knows the best.
Elliott is a proven play-caller and has only upped his profile this season working with a true freshman QB in Trevor Lawrence, and still helping the Tigers boast one of the nation’s best, and most explosive, offensive units.
Elliott is also an excellent recruiter, helping to establish Clemson as a national brand, securing Top-5 class after Top-5 class year in and year out.
While Elliott doesn’t have the head coaching experience that some would prefer, he is an outstanding young coach and would be an excellent hire for North Carolina.