Not that I don't have a couple of concerns, but let me try to walk you back from the ledge on this potential hire.
The good...
The guy has an absolute engaging personality, and he will warm up to the fan base and alum very quick. He's got a little bit of a folksy approach, and he's known as a master recruiter. This guys going to embrace his job and will put himself out front from day 1. Coming from his years in the SEC, he's not afraid to push the boundaries, but he's never received a NCAA violation either. Before becoming a HC, he was seen as one of the top assistants in college football, and had big success at Colorado St. winning 18 games in his last 2 years. He lead Florida to back-back SEC title games his first two years before the pressure of the job lead to his demise down in Swamp Country. The bottom line is this guy has coached in some big time programs, in big time games, and he has a national net in recruiting, and has the personality to fight Power 5 schools for kids. This guy is not afraid and will come in and apply a big program approach ASAP. He's got a competitive edge that we haven't seen around here since the BK and BJ days.
The concern...
Need to be honest and put this 1st. My BIGGEST concern at this point is him coming in and retaining Frazier as OL coach. Frazier was his OL coach at CSU, but he did not follow him to Florida, so maybe he won't make that mistake. He does that, and he's lost the fan-base already from day 1. Neither Alford and McElwain can't afford to let that happen, and if it does, it's a colossal mistake. Second, his inability to develop an offensive identity and develop a QB at Florida cost him his job. His D's we're always one of the nastiest in the country, but we have the worst offense in D-1, so he better get an OC who can develop QB's and get some points on the board. Lastly, I know things got strange at the end for him at Florida, but don't let that turn you off. Coaching at a place like Florida makes sane men do crazy things. If you don't win big within 3 year at 95% of SEC schools, you will be fired. The environment got to him, and was a blemish in what was otherwise a great coaching career.
Bottom line...
There is no longevity with this hire. McElwain is looking to rehab himself to get back to a Power 5 job and will use CMU in an attempt to do that (assuming he is hired). If he's successful, he'll be gone in as little as 2 years. We also need to understand that Alford is doing the same thing. He's also looking to run a Power 5 program, and is using CMU to do that. He's not looking for longevity, and if this is the hire, he's betting on this guy to get him a ticket out to his next job. Alford has fired 4 coaches in the short time he's been here, so he's not messing around, but we all need to understand he's making moves so he can nab the next job as well.
The good...
The guy has an absolute engaging personality, and he will warm up to the fan base and alum very quick. He's got a little bit of a folksy approach, and he's known as a master recruiter. This guys going to embrace his job and will put himself out front from day 1. Coming from his years in the SEC, he's not afraid to push the boundaries, but he's never received a NCAA violation either. Before becoming a HC, he was seen as one of the top assistants in college football, and had big success at Colorado St. winning 18 games in his last 2 years. He lead Florida to back-back SEC title games his first two years before the pressure of the job lead to his demise down in Swamp Country. The bottom line is this guy has coached in some big time programs, in big time games, and he has a national net in recruiting, and has the personality to fight Power 5 schools for kids. This guy is not afraid and will come in and apply a big program approach ASAP. He's got a competitive edge that we haven't seen around here since the BK and BJ days.
The concern...
Need to be honest and put this 1st. My BIGGEST concern at this point is him coming in and retaining Frazier as OL coach. Frazier was his OL coach at CSU, but he did not follow him to Florida, so maybe he won't make that mistake. He does that, and he's lost the fan-base already from day 1. Neither Alford and McElwain can't afford to let that happen, and if it does, it's a colossal mistake. Second, his inability to develop an offensive identity and develop a QB at Florida cost him his job. His D's we're always one of the nastiest in the country, but we have the worst offense in D-1, so he better get an OC who can develop QB's and get some points on the board. Lastly, I know things got strange at the end for him at Florida, but don't let that turn you off. Coaching at a place like Florida makes sane men do crazy things. If you don't win big within 3 year at 95% of SEC schools, you will be fired. The environment got to him, and was a blemish in what was otherwise a great coaching career.
Bottom line...
There is no longevity with this hire. McElwain is looking to rehab himself to get back to a Power 5 job and will use CMU in an attempt to do that (assuming he is hired). If he's successful, he'll be gone in as little as 2 years. We also need to understand that Alford is doing the same thing. He's also looking to run a Power 5 program, and is using CMU to do that. He's not looking for longevity, and if this is the hire, he's betting on this guy to get him a ticket out to his next job. Alford has fired 4 coaches in the short time he's been here, so he's not messing around, but we all need to understand he's making moves so he can nab the next job as well.
