McElwain gone
It's official, Jim McElwain is leaving for Alabama and Fresno State will be searching for its third offensive coordinator in three seasons.
Alabama officials announced McElwain's hiring early this morning in a statement.
"Jim is a phenomenal coach and we are thrilled to have him on board," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban in the news release. "He did an outstanding job last year at Fresno State. Their improvement on offense, especially in the play of their quarterback, was tremendous."
McElwain turned down the head coaching job at Eastern Washington earlier this month, but Alabama calling was a different situation.
"I'm excited as heck about the opportunity to join the staff at the University of Alabama," McElwain said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm ready to hit the ground running as soon as I arrive in Tuscaloosa. Coach Saban and his staff have the Alabama football program on the rise and I want to do my part to continue that momentum. I'm leaving a great place at Fresno State and appreciate all that Coach [Pat] Hill, the players, the staff, and the fans did for me and my family while we were there."
Saban contacted Hill last week, asking permission to speak with McElwain.
According to reports, he interviewed in Alabama on Monday.
Comments
Well I can't say I blame the guy. If you're gonna hold a position equal to where you are now, and most likely get paid a lot more for it, you might as well coach at the bigger school. If McElwain is as good a coach as it appears he was, he might be a coach in a couple of years for a notable university. And Fresno State will have let another good coach get away. As for a replacement, it seems that anybody can take his job. Heck, I can do it. Here's how it'll go...1st down run, 2nd down run, 3rd down screen pass or an under route to a receiver who is two yards short of the first down marker. The only difference the coach makes is how well the players execute. Which I say McElwain actually did a pretty good job at. It seems the offensive coordinator hasn't really been allowed to do much play selection that last several years. Good luck to the next guy.
Posted by: the-sound-dude | January 30, 2008 11:28 AM