Named the fifth head coach in USF football history on Dec. 9, 2019, Jeff Scott was one of the most respected coordinators and recruiters in the nation when he took over the Bulls program, becoming the youngest head coach in The American as he turned 39 in December.
Having served as the co-offensive coordinator at Clemson since 2015 and as a member of the Tigers’ football staff at his alma mater since 2008, Scott was a key part of the rise of one of the most dominant football programs in the nation. He helped lead the Tigers to five straight College Football Playoff appearances, four CFP Championship game appearances (2015, 2016, 2018 & 2019 seasons) and national titles in the 2016 and 2018 seasons while coaching in nine CFP games and posting a 6-3 record. Scott returns to a home field in Raymond James Stadium where Clemson scored 21 fourth-quarter points to defeat Alabama, 35-31, in the CFP National Championship game on Jan. 9, 2017 to claim the program’s first national title in 35 years.
“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. “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.”
In his five seasons serving as co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, Clemson posted a 70-5 record and claimed five ACC championships. In 2019, Scott helped lead Clemson to 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.
A No. 3 seed in the CFP Playoffs, Clemson would go on to finish the season with a 14-1 record after defeating No. 2 seed Ohio State, 29-23, and falling to No. 1 seed LSU, 42-25, in the championship game in New Orleans. Scott remained as a coordinator with the Tigers throughout their 2019 season playoff run while pulling double-duty assembling his first USF staff, which he completed on Jan. 10, and recruiting his first USF signing class.
Clemson finished the 2019 season ranked No. 4 nationally in scoring offense (43.9 ppg) and No. 5 in total offense (528.7 ypg) as Scott was named the Wide Receivers Coach of the Year by Football Scoop. Higgins earned first-team All-ACC honors, finishing the season seventh nationally with 13 receiving touchdowns and 19
th with 1,167 yards. Meanwhile, All-ACC quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns and All-ACC running back Travis Etienne posted 1,614 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
“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 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!”
Born in Arcadia, Fla., Scott was a key figure in recruiting the talented student-athletes that led to Clemson’s ascendance to the top of college football as he helped the Tigers claim six overall ACC titles and eight division titles. 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 was 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.
A 2018 Broyles Award finalist as the top assistant coach in the nation, Scott has been exceptional at guiding student-athletes to record-setting success. 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 posted a 130-31 record and reached a bowl game in each of his 12 seasons on the staff, including 33 wins over top 25 ranked teams and 16 over top 10.
Since Scott became co-offensive coordinator alongside Tony Elliott starting with the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl vs. Oklahoma, the Tigers went 70-5 (38-2 in the ACC) with just two regular season losses and posted the four winningest seasons in program history (2018 (15-0), 2019 (14-1), 2015 (14-1), 2016 (14-1)). During that span, Clemson averaged 40 points and 500 yards per game, while Tigers quarterbacks completed better than 66 percent of their passes.
In his five seasons as co-offensive coordinator, the Clemson offense averaged better than 500 yards per game in four seasons and set 138 team and individual records, including marks for total offense (2018, 527.2 ypg), scoring offense (2018, 44.3 ppg), passing offense (2016, 5,009 yards), rushing offense (2018, 3,723 yards) and total touchdowns (2018, 90). The top three total offense seasons in program history, all over 7,500 yards, came with Scott as co-offensive coordinator, as did the top three scoring seasons, all with 577 points or better. Clemson produced the fifth 4,000-yard passing season in school history in 2018 and it joined the 2015 season as the only seasons in school history to feature 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
Eight wide receivers Scott has coached were on 2019 NFL rosters. Included among the standouts he coached at Clemson are Bay area products, Ray Ray McCloud, Deon Cain and Artavis Scott (All-ACC, 2014-16). He also coached Fort Myers, Fla., product Sammy Watkins, a two-time All-American who set school season records for receptions (101), receiving yards (1,464) and touchdowns (12) in 2013 and career marks for receptions (240), receiving yards (3,391) and receiving touchdowns (27) before being selected in the first round NFL Draft. Under Scott, DeAndre Hopkins earned second-team All-America honors before being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and going on to make three Pro Bowl appearances. More recently, Scott has coached Mike Williams (All-ACC & Second Team All-American, 2016) and Hunter Renfrow (2018 Burlsworth Trophy winner) among many outstanding student-athletes.
Scott served as head coach at Blythewood (S.C.) High School (2005-06) and won a 3A state title in the first year the program fielded a varsity team. He entered the college ranks as wide receivers coach at Presbyterian College in 2007 before returning to Clemson as a graduate assistant in 2008.
Scott graduated cum laude from Clemson in 2003 with a degree in mathematics, having earned President’s List recognition with a 4.0 grade-point average in 2001 and 2002. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education instruction technology from American Intercontinental University (2005).
He was a three-year letterman at wide receiver at Clemson (2000-2002) and was named the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete and recipient of the Athletic Director’s Excellence Award. The Tigers reached three bowl games during his time as a player.
Scott and his wife, Sara, have a young daughter, Savannah, and welcomed son, Hunter, in 2020. Hunter was named after Hunter Renfrow, the Clemson wide receiver that caught the game winning touchdown in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game in Tampa vs. Alabama.
Birthdate: Dec. 28, 1980
QUOTES ON JEFF SCOTT
Dabo Swinney - Clemson Head Football, two national championships
I first want to thank Jeff Scott for a wonderful 12 years. I’m happy for him and his wife, Sara, and his daughter, Savannah, and I’m so appreciate of all their family has meant to us over the last 12 years. We’re going to miss them tremendously.
Jeff has been with me since day one when I became interim. He's somebody I trust immensely and he's extremely loyal. He's been patient for the right opportunity, and I think this is that right opportunity. He’s got a great AD in Michael Kelly. It's a great fit for Jeff and I know that he's well-prepared to take this next step and has all the tools he needs to be a great head coach.
It's been a real joy to watch Jeff grow and develop and work side-by-side with him. He's done an amazing job representing Clemson, representing the program, coaching our wide receivers and coordinating our offense. His leadership has been a big part of our success, and we will always appreciate his contribution to our program.
Bobby Bowden - Florida State Hall of Fame Head Coach
In my opinion, South Florida hired one of, and maybe the best, young coaching prospects in the country. I have known him since he was a child. Not only does he know football, but his character is off the charts. His dad was one of the best coaches I ever worked with and Jeff has inherited the same qualities.
With Jeff's hiring you don't have to worry about cheating, lying, embarrassing scenes and probations. These are not in his genes. Jeff comes to you from Clemson University, the most successful football program in the country the past five years.
You are to be congratulated!
Sammy Watkins – Clemson two-time All-American, first round NFL Draft pick
I’ve literally seen him build me, DeAndre (Hopkins), Martavis Bryant, Adam Humphries, Charone Peake, Mike Williams. You have so many that he helped impact their lives. I think he was one of the best recruiters at Clemson. He got top players, including myself. I think what people need to first realize is, he’s got to change the whole program first and get the ideal players that fit his scheme.
I know that he’s a guy that’s got strong faith, Christian faith, and he’s going to win games. He definitely got the best out of me. Being away from home, he was that father figure and my parents literally gave him the key to help me, to discipline me. I think by having him in my corner, not just him but his wife, his dad, his whole family, helped me with anything I ever went through or faced. He was one of the guys that was literally in my corner, getting me up for church. Even days when I didn’t want to go, he was going to knock on my door the whole time and make sure I’d get up. He, all around the board, is a good man.
Artavis Scott – Clemson three-time All-ACC receiver, NFL receiver
He definitely challenged me as a player. He could have let me just go there and stay the same, but his biggest thing was he challenged who I was as a player to bring the edge out. The kids at USF, if they just listen to him and see what he’s trying to do, they’ll be in a good situation. They’ll like what they have at USF. He knows how to win. He knows how to get great players. I think if his team buys into what he’s trying to get across, they’ll win. He definitely knows how to recruit. He loves Florida players and I think he’s going to get it turned around at USF.
Hunter Renfrow – Clemson 2018 Burlsworth Trophy winner, 2019 NFL Draft pick
I could tell when I was there (Clemson) that he was going to make a great head coach, just because of the way he processed everything and the way he’s very analytical about the decisions he made. He’s such a great coach, but he’s a great person first. I remember talking to Adam Humphries my redshirt freshman year when he was in the NFL, and I asked him about Coach Scott. He was just saying how fundamentally good he is at coaching and I would say the same thing. He doesn’t turn a blind eye to anything. He wants to coach you and make sure it’s right. But he also gives his players the freedom to be able to kind of put their own twist on things. What makes him such a good coach is him allowing his players the freedom to go out there and make plays because of how prepared they are.
Renfrow on what went into the play that won the national championship for Clemson in Tampa:
On that play, it just shows you the preparation that went into it. We knew from Coach Scott watching film that Alabama was going to be in man coverage inside the 5 100 percent of the time. That’s what we’d run all year long to prepare for that situation. We knew coming in if we were inside the 5, we were going to run that play. I was just so appreciative of him for giving me an opportunity, for his commitment to allowing me to play, for his commitment to really being his best, being our best and having fun with it. There were so many times during the year where you’d kind of get bored doing the same thing over and over again, but Coach Scott always kept it fun. He always kept it kind of lighthearted in the meetings. He could break up the monotony and allow us to have fun playing the game of football.
Adam Humphries, Clemson, NFL receiver
Obviously, they got a great leader, a strong Christian guy. I think one thing you’re going to see from him is how much he cares about the players. In a game where it’s all about wins and losses, I think for him it’s developing young men first and making sure they’re doing well in school and being good people in the community. But at the same time, he’s going to bring a lot of excitement on the football field. He was a guy who always was very detail oriented, really big on fundamentals and making sure young players were developed the right way. You know it shows now.
He developed me as a receiver and as a young adult. It got me to where I am today. I enjoyed playing for him and being surrounded by the likes of Sammy (Watkins), Martavis (Bryant), DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams, all those guys that were in that receiver room with me when Coach Scott was there. It speaks highly of how he was with us as players.
Andy Staples, The Athletic/Sirius XM Radio
“The first time I ever talked to Jeff Scott, he was a GA who had just been given kind of a battlefield promotion to wide receivers coach at Clemson when Dabo Swinney became the interim coach. I thought, ‘Well, this guy is pretty smart. He gets it.’ … You knew he was going to be somebody. He was going somewhere. He’s a very good recruiter, and obviously Jeff gets people. He can form relationships with just about anybody. He can talk to anybody. The great thing with him going to USF, and not a place where he’s not really familiar, is he knows people at every high school he’s gonna recruit. He knows people in Hillsborough County, in Pinellas County, in Polk County, in Orlando, in Jacksonville, because he’s been recruiting those areas. It’s gonna be a pretty natural transition for him. He’s gonna have to blanket it a little more thoroughly because obviously he’s getting more players out of that area. But he already knows who he needs to talk to, who he can trust, and then that’s gonna help him get players.”
Stewart Mandel, Editor-in-Chief of The Athletic College Football
“I’ve been around him a lot the last few years because Clemson is always in the Playoff, or the national championship game. He’s got a very dynamic personality. He’s obviously played a huge role in their success, in particular with the receivers they’ve had come through Clemson, and he’s a really good recruiter. It’s always been a mystery to me why, not just him but Tony Elliott, why they hadn’t gotten called up to a head coaching job sooner. The fact that it ended up being USF, it ended up working out really well.”
Rece Davis, ESPN College GameDay Host
“I think he’s had a great deal of experience seeing how elite programs are run. Obviously, he’s grown up in the sport and I think he understands the components it takes to build a successful program. There are a lot of guys who can build successful teams, but he’s had experience in developing a program. He’s been there from the ground floor, when Dabo sort of transformed Clemson. I’m sure he’s gonna put his own spin on it, but just having that experience and knowing what your philosophy is and being able to implement it, I think will be really important for him. The thing that strikes me about him, he’s a very genuine guy. Authenticity shines through when it comes time for recruiting. Kids know when you’re just trying to sell them on something. His demeanor, when I’m been around him and such, you get the impression that he believes what he’s telling you, and that’s really important. I think he has a great opportunity to do well there.”
Marty Smith, ESPN Reporter
“First of all, (he’s) a brilliant leader. I asked him what he’s gonna take from Clemson to South Florida from Dabo, and it is not hiring great coaches first. It’s hiring great men first. It is loving those players first, and that’s how you lead. That’s how Jeff is. His priority scale is perfect. He is a brilliant offensive mind and he’s gonna carry that former walk-on chip on his shoulder that Dabo carries, too, every single day. He is the perfect hire down there. I’ve been around that man a lot over the past five or six years, with all the time I’ve spent at Clemson. He’s a coach’s son. He walked on. He built WRU at Clemson. Think of who he’s coached, man – DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Sammy Watkins, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross. It’s big-time after big-time after big-time, but that’s not how they started. They started with a lot of people that didn’t believe in them and Dabo got elevated. Look what they built. Obviously, I can’t speak highly enough about the man. He’s an amazing hire.”
Matt Fortuna, The Athletic
“I think it’s kind of the perfect match of job and coach, when you look at what he’s built at Clemson, when you look at his background, when you look at his ties to the state. I’ve long thought that USF has been a sleeping giant. So, when you get a guy who has been at the Power Five level, who has been to the Playoff for five straight years, and who can bring that recruiting advantage in the state to Tampa, I think it has the potential to be a home run.”
Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated Senior Writer
“Jeff Scott, I think is a rising star in the profession. Really a talented coach, but really a people person. He does very well on the recruiting trail. He’s good just in his interactions with everyone. I think fans will gravitate to him; players will gravitate to him. He’s coming out of the most successful program in the country. It’s not very often that people would leave a Dabo Swinney coaching staff, so to get him away from there is a pretty big coup.”
Andrea Adelson, ESPN National Writer
“I’ve gotten to know Jeff Scott over the last nine years as one of the ACC reporters for ESPN.com and I have built a terrific relationship with him. I think that word right there – relationship – is so key when it comes to understand who Jeff really is. He’s a guy who thrives on building relationships with people. For me, that’s the foundation of how you want to be able to build your football program. It’s developing relationships, not just with your players and your coaches, but also the folks in the community, so you can get everybody ‘all in.’ I’m using a Dabo Swinney phrase, to buy into your program as you start to build up to where you want to be. With Jeff’s background, his family working for Bobby Bowden and Florida State, knowing the state of Florida, all of his recruiting ties to the west coast of Florida. Being instrumental in recruiting guys like Sammy Watkins out of Fort Myers. I think all of that is going to contribute to why I think he’s such a great fit for USF. He knows how to build relationships. He knows the state of Florida and he knows how to win.”
Ralph Russo, Associated Press National Reporter
“You can’t help but notice the similarities between him and Coach Swinney, not just in personality but demeanor and all those things. I think that helps. I think being around the Clemson program, understanding what makes Clemson tick, I’m sure will help going on to USF. He’s a great communicator. I think he really cares about his players; I think you can really sense that in him. I think it will be really fascinating to see how he grows when it’s his offense, solely his offense. He’s a tremendous recruiter. You look at some of the great talent that Clemson has, he’s responsible for a lot of those guys. But I think ultimately, it’s having sort of seen the blueprint, lived that blueprint, and being a person who has a similar personality, similar demeanor, similar values it seems (to Swinney). I think that will be the thing that really benefits him in transitioning to becoming a head coach. It’s one thing to sort of have the blueprint, it’s another thing to sort of have the personality that will implement it.”
Pete Thamel, Yahoo! Sports National Reporter
“I think one of the things about Jeff Scott is he’s established himself as one of the best assistant coaches in college football over the last decade. He’s also established himself as one of the best people. He’s really, in the Clemson community, looked at as a beacon of accountability, and in that program, he’s one of the most respected leaders. He’s one of the most respected human beings, really that Dabo Swinney has leaned on for all these years. He’s a dynamic recruiter. Just look at the list of NFL wide receivers that have come through that program during his time there. He’s well-respected in the high school ranks, both in Florida and beyond. There’s a certainty that comes with him and his head coaching hire. He’s very patient. He’s had a lot of different opportunities. He’s waited for the right one and I think it’s a perfect match.”
Brett McMurphy, Stadium College Football Insider
“Michael Kelly could have gone a lot of different routes with this USF hire and he made absolutely the best choice. With Jeff Scott, you get somebody with a great pedigree. Everything he’s done at Clemson he will bring to USF. A version of Clemson will now be on Fowler Avenue. Since Jeff took over as co-offensive at Clemson, five consecutive College Football Playoffs, two national titles… I’m very excited, as a Tampa resident, to see what Jeff can do and bring USF football back to championship caliber.”
Paul Myerberg, USA Today National Reporter
“Coach Scott is a guy who I’ve known for a while. (I’ve) always been struck by the fact that he’s motivated as a recruiter, as an offensive technician, as a guy who loves to game plan and call plays. But what’s been obvious for me, watching him at Clemson, is the connection that he’s made with players. I think the bonds that he’s built with receiver corps, guys like Higgins and Watkins, and all those guys, runs so deep. It’s very obviously that these guys will run through a wall for him. I think that part of the reason Clemson has been so good is because guys like Jeff have been able to milk the most out of all those talents. He goes to South Florida, to a place where you can get talent there. You can get speed. You can get athleticism. It’s really exciting to think about what he can do with that level of talent he can bring in to play for the Bulls.”
Matt Hayes, Bleacher Report Senior National College Football Writer
“Jeff Scott’s a mini Dabo Swinney. Same personality, same ability to reach kids. I look at Jeff and I see a guy that’s a very good organizer, a guy that understands offense, a guy that understands game day. It’s very similar (to Swinney). He’s got his dad’s personality. He can reach beyond just players and other coaches. He can work in the community. It’s a home run hire, absolutely.”
Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports National Reporter
“I think it says a lot about South Florida. This guy had been up for a lot of jobs and he ‘chose’ South Florida. That says a lot. It says a lot about the ability to recruit, the ability to win, and everything else. He is starting his career as a head coach and hopefully he stays there for a long time. That was my initial impression, ‘OK, Jeff Scott’s going to South Florida.’"
“I think it’s obvious. The recruiting base there, the conference, the resources that are put into the program, I think absolutely he can win.”
“He’s very agreeable, very approachable. The offense, and what he’s done, the quarterbacks and the production, speaks for itself. He will draw top quarterbacks to South Florida because of his reputation and ability to develop guys. I don’t have to tell you about Trevor, or some of the guys he’s had there. He will get players to South Florida maybe that didn’t look at South Florida before.”
Tony Elliott, Clemson Co-Offensive Coordinator
“First, he’s a good man. I think that what you’re getting is a man that cares about family. He cares about the young person holistically. He cares about their education and I think he’s gonna invest in the young man first, which is gonna pay dividends on the back end, on the field, and result in a winning culture. He’s not just a guy that’s coming there to give you a good team. He wants to build a great program. I think that’s first and foremost.”
“He’s a relentless recruiter, the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know his secrets, and I don’t think I can replicate what he does in recruiting. He’s just a tireless worker. He’s a guy who has had this vision his whole life. He knows what he wants it to look like, and if you talk about Clemson football, that’s what Coach Swinney had. Coach Swinney had this vision for what we are way before it ever happened, and Jeff has that same type of vision.”
“Coaching wideouts, and I’ve played wideout, he’s taught me a lot of things. He’s very detailed. He does a great job of going out and researching. He also understands the importance of being successful while not doing too much, so he’s gonna have a lot of fun with the plan. He’s gonna be detail-oriented, very, very sound in what he does. Then, he’s gonna be able to communicate it effectively with all his players, so that they believe in the plan and can go out and execute.”
Tee Higgins, Clemson All-ACC wide receiver
“He’s just a man of faith and he’s passionate about what he’s doing, what he does. It’s just a guy that is going to love you. He has the head coaching job at USF now and I’m really proud of him for that. Hopefully he can go down there and do what he’s done with me and the receivers, and just go out there and do it with those guys.”
“Go out there and have fun, no matter what. Even off the field, stay in class and do what you gotta do. Him telling me those things, it’s just great. It shows you what kind of guy he is and that he loves me.”
“You can tell he really knows his stuff. He’d come back in the meeting room and see what we did wrong. He’d fix it and everything would be all right.”
Justyn Ross, Clemson All-ACC wide receiver
“He’s been everything he told me he was gonna be in recruiting. He’s been that guy that will be there for me, always developing me and always that guy I can talk to when I need to.”
“You can see in his coaching how passionate he is about us as a wide receiver group, and just the emotion he shows on the field.”
Amari Rodgers, Clemson All-ACC wide receiver/returner
“He’s been a very honest guy. He’ll tell you what you need to fix right away and you know he wants the best out of you. You just trust his instincts. You trust the process that he goes through every single day in practice. He’s a guy that you can trust to get the best out of you every single day.”
“He’s a family man. As far as the receiver room, just keeping us very close, taking us out to dinner and stuff like that. Also, his family at home, with his wife and daughter, always having them around. Having his daughter, Savannah, around us all the time. It’s really a family and he really means well with that.”
“He’s been at Clemson for a very long time. He’s been able to gain that knowledge, being with Coach Swinney for a long time. It’s built upon to where he is now, being the co-offensive coordinator, and being able to lead a great offense we have here. You just trust his instincts. You trust his plan when he puts it in and you know that it’s gonna work whenever he says something. We trust him. We’ve very happy for him with his opportunity.”
Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson All-ACC tackle
“He’s a worker. This guy is relentless about team and getting better. He’s always pushing his position group and the guys around him to really just focus on the task at hand and get better every day. Accompany that with the most important part, which is him being a really genuine guy. You can see it in his life. He’s a great father, a great husband, and he’s an even better friend. Anybody he interacts with lights up. We’re losing a really great man. We’re losing a really great friend. USF is getting a really great coach.”
