- Sep 8, 2014
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- 59,358
Florida’s Jim McElwain likes his team — and he certainly hasn’t been shy about saying it
http://gridironnow.com/jim-mcelwain-likes-his-florida-team/
Vince Dooley would never approve. If the legendary former Georgia coach heard Jim McElwain talk about his Florida football team, he might just lose it right there in the garden.
The longtime head Bulldog was a master poor-mouther long before he was a master gardener. Dooley was a magnificent coach and a true Southern gentleman, one who always paid proper respect to the opponent and humbly explained that his outmanned team probably wouldn’t have a chance.
Until afterward, when Georgia had won. Like it did 201 times in Dooley’s splendid career.
The formula was so effective, it became a template for coaches for years: Build up the other guy, speak humbly about your team, then spring the surprise.
McElwain, now entering his third year in Gainesville, has followed part of the script. He often speaks highly of the opponent, particularly lauding opposing coaches, many of whom he has befriended through many years in the business. He appears well-connected and well-liked in the industry.
But he also can be salty; he’s proud of his team and the strides the program has made in his two seasons on campus. He seems to bristle at the notion that the Gators won the SEC East each of the past two seasons by default. Or that some focus more on his offense has struggled than that the Gators, for all practical purposes, have turned in back-to-back 10-win seasons. (The Presbyterian game last year, a layup, had to be canceled, leaving UF with nine wins on the season).
I could sense it when I spoke with him at SEC Media Days last month. I sense it when I hear and read his comments about his team leading up to the season. And although I wasn’t at Florida’s Media Day, you still could feel it: McElwain still doesn’t think people realize how good his team is.
He was asked at media day, essentially, if in year three his team is where it needs to be to compete for championships.
“Yes, I do. I feel like we’re at that point now. I’m not going to give you a Joe Willie Namath,” he said, referring to the former Jets quarterback guaranteeing a Super Bowl win. “But I know this, we’re OK. We’re better than OK. We’re pretty darn good.”
A day later, he was asked about his veterans showing better-than-expected energy in their first workout.
“Well, expectations of them, from the outside world, are pretty low,” he said. “Maybe they feel like they have something to prove.”
The theme is the same. Why would expectations be low for a two-time defending division champ? That is the question that I think bugs the coach.
And you know what? I like it. Coaches are so hellbent on managing expectations, so fearful of setting a high bar and then not reaching it, that they remind everyone how difficult the challenges are going to be. It has become dreadfully common, predictable and maddeningly boring.
It is clear McElwain believes he has a good team. Yes, the quarterback situation is unsettled, but the crop to pull from seems to have grown exponentially. The best example is Luke Del Rio.
Consider this: A year ago, the Gators needed an inexperienced Del Rio, who never had started a college game and had thrown a total of 19 college passes, to be good or else. There were really no other options. Austin Appleby was a journeyman transfer from Purdue who was just OK, and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Franks were greener than the grass they were playing on.
One year later, Del Rio now is much more experienced – with six starts and a 5-1 record as an SEC quarterback under his belt – yet he has gone from the only hope to, quite frankly, a player who many think is the longest shot to win the job. That’s because Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire arrives with experience and swagger, because Franks, although he still hasn’t played, seems so much further along than a year ago.
Most agree that if McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier get the quarterback thing figured out, everything else appears in place. McElwain can’t quit raving about his offensive line. The running backs, led by Jordan Scarlett, and the receivers and tight ends, led respectively by Antonio Callaway and Deandre Goolsby, had to play so much when they were young that they now are extremely experienced.
Defensively, there are a host of new starters, but does anyone really believe the Gators aren’t going to be good on defense? If so, they haven’t been paying attention.
In punter Johnny Townsend and charismatic kicker Eddy Piniero, Florida will field the best combination of specialists in the nation and possibly in school history.
Point is, the evidence suggests McElwain is correct. Do the Gators have the roster depth of Alabama and Florida State? No. But it’s close. Closer than it has been in a long time.
So if you’re McElwain, why not be confident? Who cares if you are creating expectations. All great programs have huge expectations. If you want to be one of them, you must take on the risk that inherently comes with the territory.
By spreading the news that the program is legit, you attach neon lights to it that shine brightly for potential recruits to see. The brighter the lights, the more the recruits want to walk through the door. That is one reason the Gators, who had struggled to recruit at points in these past two years, suddenly are landing commitments from highly ranked recruits. Never have the McElwain Gators landed them at this pace.
In addition, coaches often talk to their teams through the media, and I have to believe the last thing McElwain wants is for his team to line up against Michigan feeling like an underdog. Yes, underdogs sometimes play with a chip on their shoulder, and since the Wolverines are higher ranked and favored, that will be there anyway. But you don’t want your team to feel inferior. And the coach is making certain that isn’t the case.
McElwain can have a quirky sense of humor at times; his jokes don’t always work. But he seems to be a dead-on straight shooter, candid as they come. He believes he has a very good team. And he isn’t afraid to say it.
Which is pretty refreshing.
http://gridironnow.com/jim-mcelwain-likes-his-florida-team/
Vince Dooley would never approve. If the legendary former Georgia coach heard Jim McElwain talk about his Florida football team, he might just lose it right there in the garden.
The longtime head Bulldog was a master poor-mouther long before he was a master gardener. Dooley was a magnificent coach and a true Southern gentleman, one who always paid proper respect to the opponent and humbly explained that his outmanned team probably wouldn’t have a chance.
Until afterward, when Georgia had won. Like it did 201 times in Dooley’s splendid career.
The formula was so effective, it became a template for coaches for years: Build up the other guy, speak humbly about your team, then spring the surprise.
McElwain, now entering his third year in Gainesville, has followed part of the script. He often speaks highly of the opponent, particularly lauding opposing coaches, many of whom he has befriended through many years in the business. He appears well-connected and well-liked in the industry.
But he also can be salty; he’s proud of his team and the strides the program has made in his two seasons on campus. He seems to bristle at the notion that the Gators won the SEC East each of the past two seasons by default. Or that some focus more on his offense has struggled than that the Gators, for all practical purposes, have turned in back-to-back 10-win seasons. (The Presbyterian game last year, a layup, had to be canceled, leaving UF with nine wins on the season).
I could sense it when I spoke with him at SEC Media Days last month. I sense it when I hear and read his comments about his team leading up to the season. And although I wasn’t at Florida’s Media Day, you still could feel it: McElwain still doesn’t think people realize how good his team is.
He was asked at media day, essentially, if in year three his team is where it needs to be to compete for championships.
“Yes, I do. I feel like we’re at that point now. I’m not going to give you a Joe Willie Namath,” he said, referring to the former Jets quarterback guaranteeing a Super Bowl win. “But I know this, we’re OK. We’re better than OK. We’re pretty darn good.”
A day later, he was asked about his veterans showing better-than-expected energy in their first workout.
“Well, expectations of them, from the outside world, are pretty low,” he said. “Maybe they feel like they have something to prove.”
The theme is the same. Why would expectations be low for a two-time defending division champ? That is the question that I think bugs the coach.
And you know what? I like it. Coaches are so hellbent on managing expectations, so fearful of setting a high bar and then not reaching it, that they remind everyone how difficult the challenges are going to be. It has become dreadfully common, predictable and maddeningly boring.
It is clear McElwain believes he has a good team. Yes, the quarterback situation is unsettled, but the crop to pull from seems to have grown exponentially. The best example is Luke Del Rio.
Consider this: A year ago, the Gators needed an inexperienced Del Rio, who never had started a college game and had thrown a total of 19 college passes, to be good or else. There were really no other options. Austin Appleby was a journeyman transfer from Purdue who was just OK, and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Franks were greener than the grass they were playing on.
One year later, Del Rio now is much more experienced – with six starts and a 5-1 record as an SEC quarterback under his belt – yet he has gone from the only hope to, quite frankly, a player who many think is the longest shot to win the job. That’s because Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire arrives with experience and swagger, because Franks, although he still hasn’t played, seems so much further along than a year ago.
Most agree that if McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier get the quarterback thing figured out, everything else appears in place. McElwain can’t quit raving about his offensive line. The running backs, led by Jordan Scarlett, and the receivers and tight ends, led respectively by Antonio Callaway and Deandre Goolsby, had to play so much when they were young that they now are extremely experienced.
Defensively, there are a host of new starters, but does anyone really believe the Gators aren’t going to be good on defense? If so, they haven’t been paying attention.
In punter Johnny Townsend and charismatic kicker Eddy Piniero, Florida will field the best combination of specialists in the nation and possibly in school history.
Point is, the evidence suggests McElwain is correct. Do the Gators have the roster depth of Alabama and Florida State? No. But it’s close. Closer than it has been in a long time.
So if you’re McElwain, why not be confident? Who cares if you are creating expectations. All great programs have huge expectations. If you want to be one of them, you must take on the risk that inherently comes with the territory.
By spreading the news that the program is legit, you attach neon lights to it that shine brightly for potential recruits to see. The brighter the lights, the more the recruits want to walk through the door. That is one reason the Gators, who had struggled to recruit at points in these past two years, suddenly are landing commitments from highly ranked recruits. Never have the McElwain Gators landed them at this pace.
In addition, coaches often talk to their teams through the media, and I have to believe the last thing McElwain wants is for his team to line up against Michigan feeling like an underdog. Yes, underdogs sometimes play with a chip on their shoulder, and since the Wolverines are higher ranked and favored, that will be there anyway. But you don’t want your team to feel inferior. And the coach is making certain that isn’t the case.
McElwain can have a quirky sense of humor at times; his jokes don’t always work. But he seems to be a dead-on straight shooter, candid as they come. He believes he has a very good team. And he isn’t afraid to say it.
Which is pretty refreshing.
