GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jim McElwain has spent the majority of his 30-year coaching career outside the spotlight. A career assistant until his three-year stint as head coach at Colorado State, McElwain’s most visible role previously was four years as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under Nick Saban.
McElwain was muzzled working under Saban’s “one-voice” policy. However, McElwain’s offenses were not, helping the Crimson Tide win a pair of national titles in his four seasons in Tuscaloosa.
But don’t be fooled. McElwain has a personality to go along with his prolific career as an offensive coordinator. The 24th head coach of the Gators might not be a household name in Gator Nation, but he is well-respected and well-liked by those who know him. That can be a tricky combination to pull off. He also isn’t afraid to venture off the beaten path like so many coaches.
Fan interest at Colorado State had dwindled prior to McElwain’s arrival. The Rams were 9-27 in the previous three seasons. Once the Rams started to win under McElwain, students and fans started to pay more attention. In mid-October as Colorado State prepared for a key Mountain West Conference showdown with Utah State, McElwain broke away from the office to speak to a couple of classes: Fashion Merchandising and Music Appreciation. He impressed the professor in the Music Appreciation class by referencing The Cyrkle, a band that charted with hits “Red Rubber Ball” and “Turn Down Day” in the late 1960s. The students had no clue. It didn’t matter to McElwain. He had fun. “There seemed to be a little bit of energy on campus and I thought that was pretty cool,’’ McElwain told The Denver Post. As for his stop in the Fashion Merchandising class?
“I knew absolutely nothing about it and of course, they laughed at what I was wearing, which obviously meant my fashion was not very good,’’ he said. The 52-year-old McElwain is headed to The Swamp. He’ll be in charge of the Gators soon. Let’s take a closer look at the man who was born in Missoula, Mont., consumed episodes of “The Partridge Family” growing up, and whose perfect day is hanging out with his family on Montana’s Flathead Lake eating his those legendary barbecue ribs he is known for amongst family and friends. McElwain started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Eastern Washington, where he played quarterback from 1980-83. While teaching a golf class, he met Karen, his future wife. The couple has three kids – daughters JoHanna, 23, and Elizabeth, 21, and 19-year-old son Jerret. Growing up in Missoula, Mont., McElwain’s mother Marjorie and father Frank were educators. Marjorie McElwain was an English teacher who also worked at the University of Montana’s ticket office. Frank McElwain was a high school coach, official and principal who passed away in 2009. Jim developed into a talented quarterback at Sentinel (Mont.) High and is one of five siblings.
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