With the news of Steve Spurrier returning to Florida as an ambassador and consultant to the athletics department, one might wonder if second-year coach Jim McElwain feels any pressure having one of the school’s most successful coaches back on campus.
When Spurrier discussed his decision to come back to Florida with UF in-house reporter Scott Carter, it was noted that McElwain helped make the pitch along with athletics director Jeremy Foley:
When Gators head coach Jim McElwain and Foley talked with him informally recently about an ambassador role, the idea intrigued him. It became a reality when talks turned serious over the past week.
Spurrier was clearly made more comfortable by having McElwain’s endorsement.
“This was really something I wanted to do and I was really searching for the right time to do it and I think it’s now,” Spurrier told Carter. “I’ll try to help out any way I can there. I’m not coaching. I want to make it clear that in no way am I a coach. I’m just sort of a spectator.
“I will say this: Coach McElwain is not a big ego guy at all. He suggested that whenever I was done coaching to come around a little bit and see if I can help the Gators in all sports.”
In the media release containing the announcement, McElwain was quoted expressing his enthusiasm with a signature quip about passing by Spurrier’s statue on his way to the office.
“I look forward to visiting with him on a lot of occasions and picking his brain on a number of issues,” McElwain said. “It’s a credit to Jeremy to get him back home where he belongs. More than anything I look forward to actually talking to him and being around him rather than just saying hello to his statue on my way to work every day.”
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
