Florida, Jim McElwain part ways; DC Randy Shannon named interim coach
October 30, 2017 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
Florida and Jim McElwain have mutually parted ways after the football coach claimed that family members and players received death threats last week.
McElwain’s claims “created a different storyline and caused a lot of distractions,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said at Sunday’s news conference.
Strickland also added, “This is more than just wins and losses. I’ll leave it at that.”
Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon will serve as interim head coach. Shannon, who was Miami’s head coach from 2007 to ’10, was promoted to defensive coordinator in January.
Whom should Florida hire to replace Jim McElwain?
In a move few would have predicted before the season started, Jim McElwain is out at Florida. So what do the Gators do now? We break down the job, the potential candidates and offer a recommendation.
“We want to thank Coach McElwain for his efforts in leading the Gator football program,” Stricklin said in a statement released earlier Sunday. “We are confident Coach Shannon will provide the proper guidance to the players and rest of staff during this time, and we will begin a national search for the next head coach.”
Florida officials met with McElwain all day Sunday and have asked him to accept less than his $12.76 million buyout and step down as the Gators’ coach. A final number on his contract buyout hasn’t been determined between McElwain and Florida.
McElwain later released a message on Twitter:
— Jim McElwain (@CoachMcElwain) October 29, 2017
A meeting with Gators players was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.
On Saturday, sources told ESPN that the school was discussing whether it could fire McElwain with cause.
After failing to find any evidence to substantiate claims made by McElwain last week that his family and players received death threats, Florida administrators were working to see whether that would be enough to relieve the university from paying his full buyout of $12.76 million if he were fired.
Football Scoop first reported the news of McElwain’s exit.
The news comes a day after another tough result for the unranked Gators (3-4, 3-3 SEC), who were dismantled 42-7 by then-No. 3 Georgia (8-0, 5-0) on Saturday in Jacksonville. It was Florida’s third straight loss.
McElwain, who was hired in December 2014, has a 22-12 record and won the SEC Eastern Division in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first SEC coach to make it to the SEC championship game in each of his first two seasons.
His 19 wins entering the 2017 season were the second most by any SEC coach in 2015 and ’16. Those 19 wins tied Steve Spurrier for the second-most victories by a Florida coach in his first two seasons.
