McElwain: Gators Must Start Getting Best Players in State to Return to Top
Saturday, December 20, 2014 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- New Gators head coach Jim McElwain spent part of Saturday afternoon watching his former team play in the Las Vegas Bowl.
In the second quarter of the Colorado State-Utah matchup, McElwain joined ABC announcers Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer for a phone interview.
Musburger asked McElwain what it was like to watch the Rams from afar after leading them to a 10-2 regular-season record and then taking the Florida job less than a week later.
"I've got to tell you, this may be the toughest thing I've ever done,'' McElwain said. "Seeing those guys out there, I just can't tell you how proud I am of everyone in the organization."
McElwain's offensive coordinator at Colorado State, Dave Baldwin, is serving as Colorado State's interim head coach. Meanwhile, McElwain is busy trying to fill out his inaugural Gators staff.
He announced the hiring of defensive coordinator Geoff Collins on Tuesday, his first hire since being introduced as the 25th coach in Florida football history Dec. 6.
He did not place a timetable on hiring assistants.
"It takes patience because you only have one chance to get it right,'' McElwain said. "At Colorado State I really assembled some outstanding coaches with recruiting relationships in some areas we needed to make some headway in and that's kind of the same thing we're doing here."
As McElwain gets acclimated at Florida, he is evaluating the current roster and has watched the Gators practice for the Birmingham Bowl under interim head coach D.J. Durkin. Beyond that, his primary focus is on building a successful program like he did during his three seasons at Colorado State.
The Rams were 9-27 in the three seasons prior to McElwain's arrival. He posted a 22-16 record with the Rams and had back-to-back winning seasons after a 4-8 record in his first season.
"Number one, just getting a feel for the infrastructure and how it's built, and then, really putting the plan in motion,'' he said of the learning curve when taking over a program. "It takes time. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Much of McElwain's first two months on the job will be focused on National Signing Day and trying to salvage a solid recruiting class. When Florida parted ways with Will Muschamp, Florida lost momentum in recruiting.
McElwain spent his first full week on the job traveling the state and region with secondary coach Travaris Robinson for recruiting purposes.
The mission is clear.
"You've got to take care of your own state, first,'' McElwain said. "And then from there, find them regional. You've got to be smart, and wise, and yet get the right fit for the area that you're in."
At Florida, McElwain has a much deeper in-state talent pool than he did at Colorado State.
However, he has Florida State, Miami, USF and UCF to compete with for recruits.
In his view, it's no secret what Florida must do to climb the recruiting rankings and ultimately, the national polls.
"When the Gators were on top, they had the best players in the state of Florida," McElwain said. "And that's something we've got to come back and do."
