UPDATED
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators head coach
Jim McElwain has heard the mounting criticism after back-to-back home losses.
More concerning is that McElwain said Monday he has heard death threats.
"A pretty good kind of lesson for the way things are,'' McElwain said during his regularly scheduled press conference. "There's a lot of hate in this world and a lot of anger, and yet it's freedom to show it. The hard part is obviously when the threats [are] against your own players, the death threats to your families, the ill will that is brought upon out there. I think it's really one of those deals that really is a pretty good testament of what's going on out there nationally.
"A lot of angry people, and in this business, we're the ones you take the shots at and that's the way it is."
The Gators (3-3, 3-2) enter Saturday's annual showdown against No. 3-ranked Georgia (7-0, 4-0) in Jacksonville coming off home losses to LSU and Texas A&M. Florida won back-to-back SEC East titles in McElwain's first two seasons but have dropped back in the race after winning their first three conference games.
McElwain did not go into great detail about the threats but did acknowledge he has not contacted law-enforcement officials. McElwain is 22-11 in three seasons at Florida.
"It is what it is,'' McElwain said. "It's when it's directed toward your players, when it's directed toward families, wives, that kind of thing. At the same time, they know what they signed up for as well. That's part of the business."
Early Monday evening, the University Athletic Assoctaion released a statement on the situation via spokesman
Steve McClain.
"The [UAA] 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."
