McElwain lauded by AFCA as FBS Region 5 Coach of Year
Monday, December 8, 2014 | Football
Newly hired Florida football coach Jim McElwain was named a 2014 American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) 2014 Regional Coach of the Year. McElwain was lauded as the FBS Region 5 Coach of the Year after leading Colorado State to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl.
McElwain, the 2014 Mountain West Coach of the Year, was named the 25th head coach in program history on Dec. 4. During his three seasons at Colorado State, he turned around a struggling program that hadn't had back-to-back winning seasons since 2002-03, and won just three games each of the three years prior to his arrival. McElwain led CSU to 22 wins in his three years, including an eight-win season in 2013, the most wins in 12 seasons, which included a victory in the New Mexico Bowl over Washington State.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Colorado State, McElwain served as the offensive coordinator at Alabama for four seasons, winning two BCS National Championships and guiding the Crimson Tide offense to record-breaking seasons in 2009 and 2010.
The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.
The 2014 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the 2015 AFCA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13.
