Jeff Scott responds to being mentioned as FSU coach candidate

Jeff Scott (right) says he is focused on the moment at Clemson and not on FSU.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Nov 04 13:55:40 GMT-04:00 2019

CLEMSON – Florida State fired head coach Willie Taggart Sunday afternoon and the internet spin cycle immediately threw out Jeff Scott’s name as a potential replacement. However, Scott told the media Monday that things are so special in Clemson he wishes he could hit the pause button.

Scott’s dad, Brad Scott, was a longtime assistant at Florida State and Jeff has recruited the state of Florida for the Tigers. He has ties there, knows the area, and would be a logical fit if the Seminoles wanted to move in that direction.

Scott said he wants to stay focused on his job at Clemson.

“I think probably with our experience we've had the last five or six years and the success we've had here at Clemson, it's natural for some of our coaches’ names to be put out there,” he said Monday at the Poe Indoor Facility. “But it goes back to what we tell our players all the time - this is the most important time of the year that we have great focus. The players have a lot of things to think about - the seniors are thinking about the NFL, you have juniors that are making decisions on whether they will leave or stay and there can be a lot of things this time of year with coaches' names being tossed around a little bit. But our success has been because our players and coaches have done a great job of staying focused on the task at hand.

“I've heard it said that you should be so busy being great at doing your job that success will find you. That is what I have seen in my own career. I've never been one to be on the internet or out there chasing a job, but if you do a great job where you are then you will have opportunities to move up and that's what's happened for me at Clemson. But we just have to stay focused on this moment.”

As a wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator, Scott said he wants to make sure he gives his players the best chance to succeed.

“Every morning when I wake up and come into the office, I am trying to prove to Coach (Dabo) Swinney and to our staff and to our players that I am the best coach for the job I have right now,” Scott said. “That is what my focus is. As a coach, you want to give your players the best opportunity to be successful and you can't be distracted by things you can't control.”

Scott was asked how he handles being approached about a job during the season, and he said you have to take the opportunities as they come and deal with them.

“The way I have always handled things is that when opportunities have presented themselves in the past when they get to a certain point I take that Coach Swinney and get his advice and opinions and then kind of handle it from there,” he said. “You just handle it as it comes. But you have to remember the most important things at that time and where the focus should be. It's not an easy timing for anybody - not easy timing for the schools and not easy timing for the coaches that are out coaching and wanting to give their best to their players this time of year.”

Scott said that for right now, he is happy coaching at Clemson and a lot of that has to do with family.

“I really love being at Clemson right now. With a four-year-old daughter and a wife that went to Clemson, I really just want to kind of pause this moment in time we have right now,” he said. “Tony (Elliott) and I talk about it all the time - how long can we keep what we have right now? It's very special. There is no doubt that if you have success in your profession there will be a desire to move up if it's the right move and all of that, but that will come down the road if you continue to do well.

"But really, there is a feeling that we have something special that is very rare. To be able to come here every day and be around Coach Swinney and these coaches and these players - we have around 80 coaches kids and staff kids between the ages of one and 18, and to have a daughter in this atmosphere, you couldn't ask for anything better.”