Florida Football: Jim McElwain’s job may be in danger despite recent events

It’s been a rocky season for Florida football, but the Gators are busy worrying about death threats to head coach Jim McElwain.

Coaching positions in college are always difficult, but SEC coaches labor under higher expectations. Florida football coach Jim McElwain may have just given the Gators’ administration the excuse they needed.

In a press conference on Monday, the Florida head coach told reporters that he had received death threats from disappointed fans in regard to the Gators’ 3-3 season. Here are the initial comments from the coach.

The Gators may not be running at the level of Alabama, but honestly, who is? The Gator football program has not been without merit under McElwain. In his two years with the team, McElwain has a 19-8 record and won the SEC East title twice. The Gators also had a solid Outback Bowl win last year. Nonetheless, the SEC is different from most conferences.

Expectations are higher in the SEC. Coaches are expected to compete for an SEC title at least and a national title at best. The SEC may have some of the most spoiled fan bases in college football, but national titles have been their traditional presumption.

They aren’t wrong to believe that. The conference has won 29 national titles — and of these, they have won nine of the past 11. Unfair or not, SEC fans, in general, and Gator fans, in particular, assume that their team can compete at the highest level.

The school, naturally concerned for the safety of the students, asked the coach to provide further details and the school released the following statement: “The University Athletic Association takes the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and families very seriously. Our administration met with Coach McElwain this afternoon and he offered no additional details.”

The university’s statement is cogent in that they aren’t backing the coach’s claims. There is no talk of any kind of investigation. The lack of unity implies that the school administration has disassociated themselves from an already unpopular coach.

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McElwain’s buyout won’t come cheap. The university will have to shell out $10 million to release the coach from his contract. Yet after the media frenzy, the angry alumni and fans and the NCAA controversy, $10 million might seem like a small price to pay to salvage the program’s tattered reputation.