Swinney ‘Would Love’ to See Elliott, Venables Make the Playoff
By: Gavin Oliver November 28, 2025

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney would love to see two of his former coordinators – Virginia head coach Tony Elliott and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables – make the 2025 College Football Playoff.

Both Elliott and Venables are in good positions to lead their teams to the 12-team CFP.

“I would love it,” Swinney said. “I would love to see them be Coach of the Years, and I can’t imagine they’re not high on the list to be that. Pulling hard for Tony, for sure, in our league, and Brent — just really proud of them.”

For Elliott and the Cavaliers (9-2) — currently ranked 18th by the College Football Playoff selection committee – a win against Virginia Tech on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN) would clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game, where a victory would likely secure a playoff berth.

For Venables and the Sooners (9-2) – currently ranked No. 8 in the CFP rankings – they would almost certainly clinch an at-large playoff berth with a win in their regular-season finale against LSU on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).

Elliott and Venables have each led remarkable turnarounds at their respective programs. Virginia went 3-7 in Elliott’s first season as the program’s head coach in 2022, then 3-9 in 2023, and 5-7 in 2024. Oklahoma, meanwhile, went 6-7 in Venables’ first season as head coach in 2022, before going 10-3 in 2023 and dropping back to 6-7 in 2024.

“They both have had some challenges in getting it going, but both administrations are both a perfect example of having some patience with good people and good coaches,” Swinney said. “They’re good people and they’re good coaches. Sometimes it doesn’t just happen overnight. Everybody wants overnight, everything. But when you do things right, it doesn’t always happen that way.”

Of course, Swinney wishes Clemson (6-5) was in contention to make the playoff again, after the Tigers appeared in the inaugural 12-team CFP last season – the program’s seventh all-time CFP berth.

But Swinney is “pulling hard” for both Elliott and Venables to get in.

“I think that both of those guys are special men, and I consider them both just family,” Swinney said. “So, I hate we’re not in it this year, but I’ll be pulling hard for both those guys the whole way.”