UF begins coaching search

AD: Firing McElwain not a sudden decision

GAINESVILLE — UF athletics director Scott Stricklin said his decision to pursue a football coaching change came down to “more than just wins and losses.”

Stricklin said parting ways Sunday with Jim McElwain also was not based solely on recent events, including the revelation of death threats last week he refused to prove or a 35-point loss to rival Georgia on Saturday.

Stricklin said he weighed what seemed like a sudden decision for quite some time.

“You’re constantly evaluating your program,” he said Sunday night. “I don’t know that there was any one seminal moment, but it just seemed like this was the time to do it.”

Stricklin now will look to restore Florida football to what he came to expect from it during his many years in the SEC.

“Being in this league for 25 years, when Florida has been really good, from a distance it has looked really fun and I want it to be really fun,” he said. “Our fans, they deserve it to be really fun. I want our players and student-athletes to have a lot of fun. I want it to be fun for our staff.”

This past week was anything but fun for a program that has fallen once again from the nation’s elite.

The alleged death threats left the fan base disenchanted and the Georgia loss eliminated the team from the SEC East race.

Following Saturday’s game, McElwain clearly realized his job was in jeopardy less than two years after he was named the league’s coach of the year.

McElwain