When Clemson starts spring practice on Wednesday, it will be a little different for Dabo Swinney than in years past.

Since 2008, the Tigers’ head coach has opened every practice with Jeff Scott by his side. But after 12 years together, Scott, who Swinney first hired as his assistant coach when he got the Clemson job, has moved on. Scott will soon open his first spring practice as the head coach at South Florida.

Since Swinney first came to Clemson in 2003, he has had Scott or offensive coordinator Tony Elliott with him as either a player or a coach.

“Oh, they’re great. I’ve been at Clemson 17 years, so they’ve been with me really the whole way,” Swinney said recently. “Tony played for me, was a GA for me — not a GA but a captain for me. Jeff, when I came to Clemson, it was his senior year. He had just finished, and then so I kind of tutored and mentored him his first few years as he was getting into the business, and then he became a GA. Then when he was a GA, when I was named interim, and so I promoted him right away, and that was just really based on my experience that I had had with him working with me in camps.”

Scott was Swinney’s assistant director in charge of summer camps when Tommy Bowden was the head coach. Swinney took Scott under his wing and mentored him. The two became close friends and have worked together pretty much ever since.

“Jeff was just always an above-and-beyond guy, and always knew if I ever got a job that he would be one of the first guys I hired,” Swinney said. “It just kind of worked out. So those guys have been with me from day one, and not just them, Brad Scott, too. Brad was the offensive coordinator when I came to Clemson. I’m not at Clemson if it wasn’t for Brad. Obviously, Tommy brought me in to interview me, but Brad had to sign off as the OC, and I’ve been with Brad for 17 years every step of the way.”

Scott had been Swinney’s wide receivers’ coach since Day 1 at Clemson and was his first recruiting coordinator as well. A lot of the big-time recruits Clemson has landed over the years, Scott played a big role in getting them to Clemson.

Prior to the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, Scott and Tony Elliott took over as co-offensive coordinators when Chad Morris left to be the head coach at SMU. In that first game, the Tigers rolled to a 40-6 victory over Oklahoma. Starting with that game, the Tigers were 70-5 with the two sharing offensive responsibilities the last five years.

Clemson has consistently been a top 10 or top 20 scoring offense, as well as a top 10 or top 20 offense in terms of total yards under their leadership during that time as well.

“Those guys have been great. Tony and Jeff, it’s been fun to watch them grow and develop, and then back in 2014 when we had an opening, I was able to just promote the two of them,” Swinney said. “They both deserved it, and so that’s why I made them co-OCs, and they’ve done an amazing job, obviously, since that time.”

With Scott now at South Florida, Elliott is left to run Clemson’s offense by himself.

“I’m excited for Tony to be able to take it over just himself, and it will be awesome for him. And also, a little bit more responsibility for [Brandon] Streeter, and then obviously Jeff getting this great opportunity at South Florida. Really happy for him.”

Still, it’s going to be a little different not seeing Jeff Scott alongside Dabo Swinney when practice begins on Wednesday.

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