Washington State Football: Top 3 candidates to replace Nick Rolovich

1. Jim McElwain, Central Michigan head coach

OK sure, Jim McElwain hasn’t been in the SEC since 2017, but recruits might find it appealing to go to Washington State knowing their head coach played against the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and LSU often.

McElwain is currently the head coach of Central Michigan football. He took over a program that went 1-11 in 2018 and led them to an 8-6 record in 2019. That first season also included a trip to the MAC championship game.

Prior to his tenure at Central Michigan, he was the head coach at Colorado State and Florida, where he would win the SEC East division twice. His overall head coaching record is 58-39.

He also served as the offensive coordinator for Alabama under Nick Saban from 2008-2011 and helped coach running back Mark Ingram to win the first Heisman Trophy in Alabama football history. He also won a pair of national championships with the Crimson Tide, helping them begin a dynasty that is still going strong today.

McElwain does have some ties to the state of Washington. He attended and played at Eastern Washington University, and served as the team’s quarterbacks and wide receivers coach for a few seasons.

The one knock against McElwain was his messy tenure at Florida. He reportedly told UF officials he, his family, and players had received “death threats”, but he declined to give further detail about the situation, and was ultimately let go after a blowout loss to rival Georgia. He also was not on the best of terms with the Florida athletic department.

If they want to take a chance with him, Washington State would be a great opportunity for McElwain to jump back into coaching at the Power Five level again. He is familiar with the area and has a pretty good offensive mind that could help the Cougars win consistently.