Former Clemson offensive coordinator Jeff Scott says he doesn’t plan to coach in 2023
Jeff Scott is back in Upstate South Carolina.
But the former Clemson co-offensive coordinator, who was fired after three seasons as South Florida’s coach in November, doesn’t plan to be coaching for the Tigers or any other college football team in 2023.
As of now, Scott is “planning to take the year off to spend time with his family” after recently moving back to South Carolina, Matt Connolly of ClemsonSports.com reported.
Scott caused a bit of a social media stir earlier Sunday when, in his first post since being fired as USF’s coach, he shared a photo of his two children posing in front a sign in downtown Clemson reading “Welcome to the Clemson family!”
“Happy New Year,” Scott wrote in the caption.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Scott, who worked at Clemson for 11 years, have maintained a close relationship since the latter accepted USF’s coaching job in 2019.
“I’ll definitely reach out to Jeff and just know he gave it everything he could down there and it just didn’t apparently work out,” Swinney said after Scott’s Nov. 7 firing. “But he’s a great coach and a great person. He’s got a great family and he’s somebody I love dearly. I know he’ll grow from it.”
Speaking on a Sunday conference call ahead of Clemson’s Nov. 12 home game against Louisville, Swinney also declined to discuss potentially re-hiring Scott.
“I’m not getting into any of that kind of stuff, man. I just want to beat Louisville,” he said. “That’s all I wanna do. That’s the only thing I’m focusing on right now, not all the hypothetical stuff.”
Scott had previously worked as Clemson’s co-offensive coordinator since 2015 and on his alma mater’s staff since 2008. He helped lead the Tigers to five straight College Football Playoff appearances, four national championship game appearances and two national championships in 2016 and 2018.
Widely regarded as one of the top offensive coordinators and wide receivers coaches in college football, Scott struggled as a head coach. He finished 4-26 in three seasons with USF, which competes in the American Athletic Conference, and 1-26 against FBS opponents in the same span.
No. 7 Clemson finished the 2022 season at 11-3 after winning the ACC championship against UNC and losing to No. 6 Tennessee, 31-14, in Friday’s Orange Bowl.
The Jeff Scott file
- 2000-02: Clemson wide receiver
- 2007: Presbyterian College wide receivers coach
- 2008-2019: Clemson GA (2008), wide receivers coach (2009-19), recruiting coordinator (2009-14) and co-offensive coordinator (2014-19)
- 2019-22: USF head coach
This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Former Clemson offensive coordinator Jeff Scott says he doesn’t plan to coach in 2023."
