We’ll get this out of the way now since you’re sure to hear it 1,584,892 times this week: Florida coach Jim McElwain won two national titles as offensive coordinator at Alabama under coach Nick Saban.
Naturally, when McElwain talked with the media in a Sunday conference call for the SEC championship participants, he fielded a ton of questions about Saban.
He also became the voice for all of the chaos churning on the coaching front, speaking about Mark Richt, Kirby Smart and Geoff Collins.
Finally, he mentioned how badly he wants to make Saban proud. Here are the highlights:
McElwain on getting hooked up with Saban: When he first called I might have hung up thinking it was one of my buddies busting my chops.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) November 29, 2015
Florida coach Jim McElwain called Alabama's Nick Saban the "best ball coach of our era."
— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) November 29, 2015
Mac joked when Nick Saban called him the first time, he hung up thinking it was a buddy playing a prank. 'I'm glad he called back.'
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) November 29, 2015
"Mac, whatever you do, make sure you do it with your personality," McElwain on what Saban told him when he left Alabama.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) November 29, 2015
"Let's celebrate what he has done. He's had a great career there," McElwain on Richt getting fired today.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) November 29, 2015
McElwain asked about Richt: "It's a miserable time of year in this profession."
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) November 29, 2015
Jim McElwain on Derrick Henry: "All I can say is, Wow." Cites Henry's speed and power and that he's always moving forward
— John Zenor (@jzenor) November 29, 2015
McElwain said the best thing to happen to Saban was him getting the call from Colorado State so they could get better on offense.
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 29, 2015
McElwain: Kirby Smart will be a great head coach.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) November 29, 2015
McElwain: I hope Kirby Smart gets his head coaching job on the other side of the country so I don't have to see him every year.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) November 29, 2015
McElwain on Alabama's Front 7: "I think it's the front 30. They just keep rolling them through there."
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) November 29, 2015
Mac said he hopes #Gators LB Antonio Morrison is able to play this week. 'He's a little beat up.'
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) November 29, 2015
"I just want our guys to go out and play well. I want to make (Saban) proud, too. He took a flyer on some guy from Montana," McElwain said.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) November 29, 2015
'We get upset if we don't get our hamburger in 45 seconds in the drive-thru line,' Mac said, pointing out impatience for results, or else.
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) November 29, 2015
Jim McElwain said DC Geoff Collins is going to make a great head coach in part because of “his energy and the way he is with players.”
— Alex Scarborough (@ByScarborough) November 29, 2015
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
