Sorry Bobby! The Gators new coach is Colorado States Jim McElwain. Gators Have a New Coach: Jim McElwain, UF Agree to Deal By Robbie Andreu THE GAINESVILLE SUN Thursday, December 04, 2014 10:41 AM Only a little more than two weeks after promising Gator Nation that he was going to hire an offensive-minded head football coach, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley delivered today. As anticipated, the Gators new coach is Colorado States Jim McElwain, an innovative offensive coach who has turned around the CSU program in three years and has ties to the SEC and the state of Florida. McElwains hiring became official Thursday after there was a compromise reached between McElwain and CSU concerning the $7.5-million buyout clause in his contract. UFs effort to secure McElwain hit a snag Wednesday over the buyout, and Foley and members of his staff flew back to Gainesville without McElwain. But negotiations continued into the night between McElwain, his attorney and CSU and an agreement was reached, clearing McElwains path to Gainesville. Foley flew to Fort Collins, Colo., in a private jet Tuesday afternoon and spent that night and Wednesday morning discussing the job with McElwain and CSU officials. A deal seemed imminent and Foley had hoped to close it Wednesday, but the buyout became an issue. That issue was resolved and McElwain, 52, became the Gators 24th head football coach Thursday. He replaces Will Muschamp, who was fired Nov. 16 after a crushing home loss to South Carolina. McElwains buyout could be reduced or eliminated by school president Tony Frank for “extenuating circumstances,” The Coloradoan reported Tuesday. There were reports out of Colorado that CSU would not budge on the $7.5-million figure, but that was never confirmed by anyone at CSU. Tom Walsh, McElwains longtime agent, said making the move to UF will be a smooth transition for McElwain. “He knows the SEC. He knows what it takes to be successful down there,” Walsh said. “He will be a tremendous fit.” In only his third year as a head coach, McElwain already is developing a reputation for being a program changer. Thats what hes done at Colorado State in a short time. When McElwain took over the Rams program in 2012, he inherited a team that was coming off three consecutive 3-9 seasons and was immersed in a culture of losing. After going 4-8 in his first year, the Rams broke through in his second, going 8-6. This season, McElwain and the Rams have been one of the biggest success stories in college football. Colorado State finished the regular season 10-2, including signature victories over state rival Colorado and Boston College, which beat Southern Cal earlier in the season. McElwain came to Colorado State from Alabama, where he spent four seasons as the Tides highly successful offensive coordinator under Nick Saban. McElwain helped the Tide win two national championships (2009, 2011) with a potent and balanced pro-style offense. He coached a Heisman winner (tailback Mark Ingram) in 2009 and a Heisman finalist (tailback Trent Richardson) in 2011. During his four seasons in Tuscaloosa in which the Tide went 48-6, McElwains offense turned the ball over fewer times than any team in the nation — 57 over that span. In 2011, McElwains offense led the SEC in rushing (219.8 yards a game) and was second in total offense (433.4 yards a game). Florida certainly knows first-hand about McElwains offense. In the Tides 32-13 victory over the Gators and Tim Tebow in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, the Tide rolled up 490 yards (251 rushing, 239 passing) against one of the nations strongest defenses. McElwain also has ties to Florida. He successfully recruited the state when he was at Alabama, signing several top players in 2011, including safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, running back Dee Hart and quarterback Phillip Ely. McElwains offense has been a big part of his success at Colorado State. He ran a pro-style attack at Alabama, but has gone back to a spread offense at Colorado State, similar to the one he had success with at Fresno State. His offense would seem a good fit for the Gators, who reverted to a spread attack this past season after being in a pro-style offense in Muschamps first three seasons. In 2013, the Rams made the second-biggest improvement in the FBS in scoring offense, going from 100th in 2012 to 22nd. This season, the Rams are 13th in the nation in total offense, averaging 497.8 yards a game and 7.21 yards a play. McElwains passing offense is seventh in the nation, averaging 326.3 yards a game. McElwains quarterback, Garrett Grayson, is No. 2 in the nation in passing efficiency. Grayson has thrown for nearly 3,800 yards, with 32 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins leads the nation in receiving yards per game (149.1) and touchdowns (17). Having spent four years at Alabama, McElwain has ties to the SEC. But his roots are in the West. He comes from Missoula, Montana, and played quarterback at Eastern Washington, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1985, before being promoted in 1987 and serving as quarterbacks and receivers coach until 1994. He served as the offense coordinator at Montana State for five years (1995-99) before going to Louisville, where he coached the wide receivers and special teams from 2000-02. From 2003-05, McElwain was the assistant head coach, receivers coach and special teams coach at Michigan State under John L. Smith. In 2006, he moved to the NFL, where he coached quarterbacks for the Oakland Raiders for one season before becoming the offensive coordinator at Fresno State in 2007. His Fresno State offense averaged 419.5 yards and 32.9 points a game — and got the attention of Saban, who named him his offensive coordinator at Alabama after the 2007 season. McElwain is married and has three children
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:27:11 +0000
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