AJC: New details emerge regarding McElwain’s struggles with running the Florida program

[BMF]

Unbelievable!!


New details emerge regarding Jim McElwain’s struggles with running the Florida program

https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/...g-the-florida-program/kWRFyNGz36I7zcITZ8YoYO/


The fallout from Jim McElwain’s departure as the head coach of the Florida Gators has just about been as strange as his time in charge.

And on Tuesday, more somewhat bizarre details surfaced regarding McElwain’s final year in Gainesville and the status of the Gators strength and conditioning program.

In a strong piece examining the different coaches from the coaching tree of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples delves into part of what went wrong for McElwain during the season which ultimately became his last at Florida.

“McElwain talked about having a similar organizational structure to Saban’s, but he didn’t inherent Saban’s attention to detail,” Staples writes. “During McElwain’s final year at Florida, some Gators were paying their own way to be trained elsewhere in Gainesville by former Olympian Tim Montgomery. That should have been a glaring red flag with regard to the Gators’ strength program, but nothing was done to correct the issues that caused the players to seek help outside the program.”

With that situation occurring this past year, it’s now no surprise at all that one of Dan Mullen’s primary goals that he outlined upon being named the Gators new head coach was the necessity of an overhaul of the strength and conditioning program.

“I told them to rest up over the month of December,” Mullen said the day he was introduced. “Because when they come back in January, it’s probably going to be something they have never even experienced in their life before, our offseason conditioning program.”

And Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin backed his new coach’s plan.

“I think it’s critical,” he said. “It’s the backbone. I think any successful program has a really strong strength and conditioning program that builds accountability, and I think programs that aren’t as successful usually are lacking in that area.”

And earlier this month, Mullen took one of the first steps on that road, reportedly hiring Mississippi State strength coach Nick Savage to the same position with the Gators.

The post New details emerge regarding Jim McElwain’s struggles with running the Florida program appeared first on SEC Country.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

From the article cited:

“McElwain talked about having a similar organizational structure to Saban’s, but he didn’t [inherit] Saban’s attention to detail,” Staples writes. “During McElwain’s final year at Florida, some Gators were paying their own way to be trained elsewhere in Gainesville by former Olympian Tim Montgomery. That should have been a glaring red flag with regard to the Gators’ strength program, but nothing was done to correct the issues that caused the players to seek help outside the program.”

McElwain ran a rudderless program. McElwain gave new meaning to the term "lack of institutional control".

 

[maheo30]

From the article cited:

“McElwain talked about having a similar organizational structure to Saban’s, but he didn’t [inherit] Saban’s attention to detail,” Staples writes. “During McElwain’s final year at Florida, some Gators were paying their own way to be trained elsewhere in Gainesville by former Olympian Tim Montgomery. That should have been a glaring red flag with regard to the Gators’ strength program, but nothing was done to correct the issues that caused the players to seek help outside the program.”

 

[Chomper]

I take exception to the use of the word "STRUGGLES" as "struggling" indicates a degree of effort. I didn't see McElwain making much effort -- just sitting back cashing his paycheck, getting fatter and more detached from the needs of the program. What a f'n loser.

 

[TaterGator]

I'd say unbelievable, but I have actually watched the Gators play the last few years.

 

[BMF]

If you read the coaching changes this off-season thread, Mullen fired Mark Campbell (S&C staff assistant, former UF DT under Spurrier and coached S&C under Zook, Meyer, Muschamp, and McElwain). Appears that Mullen TOTALLY cleaned house in that department.

 

[williston_gator]

Talk about un-friggin-acceptable.

 

[Zambo]

Other than that, how was the play Mrs Lincoln?

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Didn’t Tim Montgomery get busted for PEDs?

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Didn’t Tim Montgomery get busted for PEDs?

I don’t know but by the look of the product our team put on the field, he obviously wasn’t giving PEDs to the football players he was training.

 

[GatorStud]

We look small compared to most crystal chasing programs I've watched the past seasons. We play small and get pushed around a lot. It would be nice to see that change.

 

[TN G8tr]

Would any of these actions, or should be say, in-actions cause forfeiture of the buy-out???

 

[Zambo]

Will Grier wasn't small.

 

[alcoholica]

Didn’t Tim Montgomery get busted for PEDs?

yup

 

[T REX]

No way Foley vetted this guy. He stole money. That BBQ sauce was probably a joke.

Please God, let Mullen finally be the one. I can't take much more of this. I do not want my 0-10-1 badge.

 

[alcoholica]

 

[KronoGator]

Some program is going to be insane and give Mac a job, can't wait for them to try and explain this.

What a disaster.

 

[deuce]

It's seems like Foley was trying to destroy the program....

Can Mullen be the air freshener we so badly need? At least he's saying the right things..

 

[78]

He tried emulating Saban without the attention to detail.

 

[diehardg8r]

He was a lazy fk and it showed in all aspects of the program. It's not all that surprising that Grier was getting a little extra help elsewhere. You could look at the players and tell they weren't in shape and didn't look like what you would expect from players that had been in the wt room and spending quality time doing the things one would expect.