From the moment that the Tennessee job opened, one name remained in the mix — Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott. The up and coming assistant was in the mix to take the UCF job back in 2017, where ultimately Josh Heupel was hired.
However, the connections to Danny White ran deep, carrying over to Knoxville. Once White was hired at Tennessee, rumors began circulating that Elliott could be the frontrunner for the job. Elliott, a long-time assistant under Dabo Swinney, has been waiting for the right opportunity. Ultimately, he decided against taking the Tennessee job.
Per a report from Yahoo Sports, Elliott considered the Tennessee job, but opted not to pursue it.