Butters future suddenly looking brighter

[crosscreekcooter]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...reward-coach-jack-del-rio-new-4-year-contract

After 1st playoff berth since '02, Raiders give Jack Del Rio new deal
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Jack Del Rio, who was hired by the Oakland Raiders as the 15th head coach in franchise history on Jan. 15, 2015, was rewarded with a new four-year contract on Friday.
Contract details were not made available, though team owner Mark Davis said in a release the Raiders had "torn up" Del Rio's initial four-year deal.
"We are excited to continue building on the strong foundation that has been established," Davis said in the release, "and this is a significant step in achieving that goal."

Indeed, the season before Del Rio arrived, Oakland was 3-13 under Dennis Allen, who was fired after starting 0-4, and interim coach Tony Sparano. The Raiders improved to 7-9 in Del Rio's first season and then broke through with a 12-4 regular-season record and the team's first playoff appearance since 2002.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

At least we know where he is going next year.

 

[Jbossgator8]

and here I was thinking that this was a thread that Butters FINALLY got his teeth whitened!!

 

[GatorStud]

oh wait, different thread theme

 

[alcoholica]

He has to have a horrible season to be gone after next year. So you can either root for us to lose, or get ready for a 4th season..

 

[t-gator]

He has to have a horrible season to be gone after next year. So you can either root for us to lose, or get ready for a 4th season..

Not necessarily true. I hope we win it all and the nfl poaches him away

 

[alcoholica]

Not necessarily true. I hope we win it all and the nfl poaches him away

so your hope is that we have someone build a national championship team and then leave immediately?

 

[t-gator]

so your hope is that we have someone build a national championship team and then leave immediately?

He'd be the luckiest sob in the history of college football if we won it all next year. I don't get how expecting us to lose 5 games next year equates us wishing it happens. I don't talk about gator football 365 days a year with you guys and hope we lose every Saturday come football season.

 

[Gator Fever]

Well I guess LDR will get the opening day start now.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

So you can either root for us to lose...

Well, Im pretty sure it doesnt matter whether or not I claim we are going to win 15 or lose 8.

 

[Gatorraid81]

After he somewhat saved this past recruiting class and winning the east 2 years in a row(although not a major accomplishment) , I just don't see anyway he gets fired next year unless he's caught up in some scandal. People on here have been so sure he gets canned after next year and even with a bad season I just don't see the administration doing it. I think he gets 4 yrs minimum. Remember we have a Mississippi State AD now so 7-8 wins = spectacular season!!!

 

[Gator2222]

I realize that this message board has created an alternate universe in which Coach McElwain is on the verge of being fired. However, the real world sees things in a much different fashion.

The reality of the matter is that McElwain inherited a team that was coming off a 7-5 season in 2014 and had suffered it's first losing season in over three decades in 2013. Florida football fell to the point that it lost at home to a lower tier team riddled with injuries that never completed a single pass. The program was no longer seen as elite by the general public and recruits in particular. Despite having one of the nations top defenses, the roster was in disarray and depth was at critical levels at numerous positions. McElwain produced results immediately.

• 2015 Coaches Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 Media Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 SEC East champions
• Only coach in school history to be voted media and coaches SEC Coach of the Year in his inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• Tenth coach in SEC history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win SEC East division in inaugural season
• One of only three coaches in SEC history to win their SEC division in inaugural season
• Improved regular season record from 6-5 (2014) to 10-2 (2015) tying the record for third biggest single season turnaround in school history
• 2015 Gators led the state in average attendance of 90,065 an increase of almost 5,000 over the previous season and the first time average attendance exceeded 90,000 since 2010
• 2016 SEC East champions
• First coach in SEC history to win his division in each of his first two seasons
• 11-1 record in home games
• 13-5 SEC record second only to Alabama in the same time period
• CBS Sports states that McElwain deserves 2016 SEC Coach of the Year http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...h-of-the-year-again-after-winning-east-again/
• Saturdaydownsouth.com ranks McElwain as second best coach in the SEC behind Saban http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/se...c-head-coaches-entering-spring-practice-2017/

You can say that the East is weak, our losses are blowouts, recruiting is down......I know all of that and so does the rest of the world. We don't find losing acceptable. We don't think it's OK to get blown out. We understand recruiting needs to improve.

However, the rest of the world sees a coach that stepped into a dumpster fire and has not only put out the fire, but has the program headed in the right direction faster than anybody could have reasonably expected given the state of the program when he arrived.

McElwain is not on a hot seat in the real world. It may be message board perception, but it's not reality.

 

[stephenPE]

I realize that this message board has created an alternate universe in which Coach McElwain is on the verge of being fired. However, the real world sees things in a much different fashion.

The reality of the matter is that McElwain inherited a team that was coming off a 7-5 season in 2014 and had suffered it's first losing season in over three decades in 2013. Florida football fell to the point that it lost at home to a lower tier team riddled with injuries that never completed a single pass. The program was no longer seen as elite by the general public and recruits in particular. Despite having one of the nations top defenses, the roster was in disarray and depth was at critical levels at numerous positions. McElwain produced results immediately.

• 2015 Coaches Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 Media Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 SEC East champions
• Only coach in school history to be voted media and coaches SEC Coach of the Year in his inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• Tenth coach in SEC history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win SEC East division in inaugural season
• One of only three coaches in SEC history to win their SEC division in inaugural season
• Improved regular season record from 6-5 (2014) to 10-2 (2015) tying the record for biggest single season turnaround in school history
• 2015 Gators led the state in average attendance of 90,065 an increase of almost 5,000 over the previous season and the first time average attendance exceeded 90,000 since 2010
• 2016 SEC East champions
• First coach in SEC history to win his division in each of his first two seasons
• 11-1 record in home games
• 13-5 SEC record second only to Alabama in the same time period
• CBS Sports states that McElwain deserves 2016 SEC Coach of the Year http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...h-of-the-year-again-after-winning-east-again/
• Saturdaydownsouth.com ranks McElwain as second best coach in the SEC behind Saban http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/se...c-head-coaches-entering-spring-practice-2017/

You can say that the East is weak, our losses are blowouts, recruiting is down......I know all of that and so does the rest of the world. We don't find losing acceptable. We don't think it's OK to get blown out. We understand recruiting needs to improve.

However, the rest of the world sees a coach that stepped into a dumpster fire and has not only put out the fire, but has the program headed in the right direction faster than anybody could have reasonably expected given the state of the program when he arrived.

McElwain is not on a hot seat in the real world. It may be message board perception, but it's not reality.

Well there is all that but.......................what was I gonna say.

 

[Tunaboat]

I realize that this message board has created an alternate universe in which Coach McElwain is on the verge of being fired. However, the real world sees things in a much different fashion.

The reality of the matter is that McElwain inherited a team that was coming off a 7-5 season in 2014 and had suffered it's first losing season in over three decades in 2013. Florida football fell to the point that it lost at home to a lower tier team riddled with injuries that never completed a single pass. The program was no longer seen as elite by the general public and recruits in particular. Despite having one of the nations top defenses, the roster was in disarray and depth was at critical levels at numerous positions. McElwain produced results immediately.

• 2015 Coaches Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 Media Poll SEC Coach of the Year
• 2015 SEC East champions
• Only coach in school history to be voted media and coaches SEC Coach of the Year in his inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• Tenth coach in SEC history to win 10 games in inaugural season
• First coach in school history to win SEC East division in inaugural season
• One of only three coaches in SEC history to win their SEC division in inaugural season
• Improved regular season record from 6-5 (2014) to 10-2 (2015) tying the record for biggest single season turnaround in school history
• 2015 Gators led the state in average attendance of 90,065 an increase of almost 5,000 over the previous season and the first time average attendance exceeded 90,000 since 2010
• 2016 SEC East champions
• First coach in SEC history to win his division in each of his first two seasons
• 11-1 record in home games
• 13-5 SEC record second only to Alabama in the same time period
• CBS Sports states that McElwain deserves 2016 SEC Coach of the Year http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...h-of-the-year-again-after-winning-east-again/
• Saturdaydownsouth.com ranks McElwain as second best coach in the SEC behind Saban http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/se...c-head-coaches-entering-spring-practice-2017/

You can say that the East is weak, our losses are blowouts, recruiting is down......I know all of that and so does the rest of the world. We don't find losing acceptable. We don't think it's OK to get blown out. We understand recruiting needs to improve.

However, the rest of the world sees a coach that stepped into a dumpster fire and has not only put out the fire, but has the program headed in the right direction faster than anybody could have reasonably expected given the state of the program when he arrived.

McElwain is not on a hot seat in the real world. It may be message board perception, but it's not reality.

Agree. Mac has waded around in this sea of mediocrity that we're still in but the bowl win and unexpected success on signing day has toned down the heat level and bought him some more time. How much more will be interesting to watch.

 

[Gator Fever]

If our offense doesnt improve a lot Mac will be on a definite hot seat from fan noise at least. It probably would take that and 5 or more losses for TPTB to consider doing anything however since he salvaged the recruiting class.

 

[78]

Not necessarily true. I hope we win it all and the nfl poaches him away

 

[T REX]

You can say that the East is weak, our losses are blowouts, recruiting is down......I know all of that and so does the rest of the world. We don't find losing acceptable. We don't think it's OK to get blown out. We understand recruiting needs to improve.

However, the rest of the world sees a coach that stepped into a dumpster fire and has not only put out the fire, but has the program headed in the right direction faster than anybody could have reasonably expected given the state of the program when he arrived.

McElwain is not on a hot seat in the real world. It may be message board perception, but it's not reality.

Getting blown out by Bama and FSU in back to back years is bad. The SEC East is the worst its ever been. 2-8 vs ranked teams. 4-5-6 losses again with another FSU loss and the noise is going to be very very loud. Year THREE is his and not on anybody else. It sounds like some of you think he overachieved with an NFL stacked defense. LOL. Next year will be more of a true representation of MAC's coaching abilities. Can we all agree on that? I feel that some folks feel that there will be a significant step back and this is all pre-emptive. Why would anyone be calling for a fourth year unless they think that next year isn't going to be all that great.

If he has a bad year then it is academic at that point. The players are his and there won't be any excuses. Year four will be like year three. I truly believe that.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

has the program headed in the right direction faster than anybody could have reasonably expected

This isn't even in the same stratosphere as reality.

 

[soflagator]

This isn't even in the same stratosphere as reality.

Ehh, I don't know about that. I have no problem criticizing Mac, and have done so on many occasions. But as I've also stated numerous times, go back and look at projections for UF in 2015 on this board and in the national media. Most had us struggling to win 6 in year one, and felt we were a solid 3 years away from being a true contender in the East. And that was with an already putrid division, so the condition of the East is really irrelevant. If we're being honest, he's probably won as many games in 2 years (20 really) as many felt he would in 3.

Now, the way we've won and the issues on offense are completely unexpected, as are his difficulties in recruiting. So we don't look the way most had envisioned. But he's probably exceeded expectations in getting us to consecutive to 9+ win seasons. So I don't think he enters the year on a hot seat per se. But I do think excuses are officially gone, and he'll have to own our performance this season, with his job possibly on the line by the close.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Ehh, I don't know about that. I have no problem criticizing Mac, and have done so on many occasions. But as I've also stated numerous times, go back and look at projections for UF in 2015 on this board and in the national media. Most had us struggling to win 6 in year one, and felt we were a solid 3 years away from being a true contender in the East. And that was with an already putrid division, so the condition of the East is really irrelevant. If we're being honest, he's probably won as many games in 2 years (20 really) as many felt he would in 3.

Now, the way we've won and the issues on offense are completely unexpected, as are his difficulties in recruiting. So we don't look the way most had envisioned. But he's probably exceeded expectations in getting us to consecutive to 9+ win seasons. So I don't think he enters the year on a hot seat per se. But I do think excuses are officially gone, and he'll have to own our performance this season, with his job possibly on the line by the close.

Oh I agree that hes met or maybe exceeded initial expectations based on the projections that encompass him at the helm, however I most certainly don't agree about the implied premise that those expectations would be the same regardless of who was hired to fix us. There are a number of coaches out there that would have had us really playing well by year 2. AND the expectation for the team and program would have been much higher if one of those individuals was hired.

The expectation is based on Mac, not the ceiling of the football program.