Long before he was Florida’s football coach, Jim McElwain was a high school basketball player. McElwain has been a vocal supporter of the Gators hoops teams, working it into his spring practice media appearances and calling his new goatee a rally beard for UF’s March Madness run.

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi caught up with McElwain at Madison Square Garden, cheering on the Gators in their Elite Eight showdown with South Carolina. McElwain has called seeing a game in The Garden a bucket list item.