Jeff Scott has been named as the new head football coach at the University of South Florida.
The selection of the Clemson co-offensive coordinator was announced Monday by Michael Kelly, USF's Vice President of Athletics. Scott will become the fifth football coach in USF's history.
Scott will be introduced to the public Wednesday on USF's Tampa campus.
“Jeff is a very bright, enthusiastic and driven leader for our program and we are thrilled to welcome him to USF and back to Florida, where he was born and where he has recruited so well for Clemson for many years,” Kelly said in a prepared statement.
“He is a young and extremely gifted offensive mind, a developer of high-level talent and an elite national recruiter who brings the experience of having played an integral role from the beginning in helping to build one of the most successful programs in college football. We are thrilled that he and his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Savannah, are joining our Bulls family and will be part of the exciting future of USF football.”
Scott also released a statement:
“I have great respect for the USF football program and what has been accomplished in a very short time and can’t wait to get to work building on that foundation to produce a championship program,” Scott said. “I am thankful to President Currall and Michael Kelly for this tremendous opportunity and their support and belief in me.
"It is difficult to leave my alma mater and the great program we have built at Clemson, but I believe we can do great things at USF. I am thankful to Coach Swinney and all the Clemson players and staff for the great experiences and lessons that have prepared me to lead USF football. Go Bulls!”
Last week, Kelly fired Coach Charlie Strong shortly after the Bulls’ 34-7 season-ending loss to Central Florida. That knocked them out of contention for a bowl game.
Here's some background on Scott from USF Athletics:
The co-offensive coordinator at Clemson since 2015 and a member of the football staff at his alma mater since 2008, Scott has been a key part of the rise of one of the most dominant football programs in the nation. He has helped lead the Tigers to their fifth straight College Football Playoff appearance in 2019, three CFP Championship game appearances (2015, 2016 & 2018 seasons) and national titles in the 2016 and 2018 seasons. Clemson scored 21 fourth-quarter points to defeat Alabama, 35-31, in the CFP National Championship game on Jan. 9, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to claim the program’s first national title in 35 years.
In his fifth season serving as co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2019, Scott helped Clemson claim its fifth straight ACC title and improve to 13-0 on the year with a 62-17 ACC Championship game victory over Virginia in which the Tiger posted 619 yards of offense. Wide receiver Tee Higgins was named the game MVP after posting nine receptions for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson will enter its CFP semifinal matchup with Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28 ranked No. 3 nationally in total offense (547.7 ypg) and No. 4 in scoring offense (46.5 ppg).
Born in Arcadia, Fla., Scott has been a key figure in recruiting the talented student-athletes that have led Clemson’s ascendance to the top of college football. He took over as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator in December of 2008 and served in that role until 2014, leading the Tigers to top 10 ranked classes in his first season of 2009 and also in 2011 and 2012. Continuing as an elite recruiter while taking on coordinator duties, he has been named a top 10 recruiter nationally by ESPN.com (2014), a top 25 national recruiter seven times by Rivals.com (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and the ACC Recruiter of the Year in 2015 by Rivals and in 2018 by 247Sports.
“I am delighted to welcome Jeff Scott to the University of South Florida community,” USF President Steven Currall said. “We seek to attract top talent across our entire University, and Coach Scott fits that profile as one of college football’s most promising coaches. He brings national championship-level experience to USF from a very successful, highly regarded football program. I congratulate Michael Kelly for his leadership throughout the search process, and I am confident about the future of USF football under the direction of Coach Scott.”
Scott was a 2018 Broyles Award finalist as the top assistant coach in the nation. He became Clemson’s wide receivers coach midway through the 2008 season when Dabo Swinney took over as interim head coach and then added co-offensive coordinator duties under Swinney in 2015. The Tigers have posted a 129-30 record and reached a bowl game in each of his 12 seasons on the staff, including 32 wins over top 25 ranked teams and 15 over top 10.
