Jim McElwain continues to be a name used when referring to the vacant Oregon head coaching job, according to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman.
Shooting down any rumors, McElwain personally called recruits Tuesday to refute the reports, dismissing them as “hot air.” But Feldman, a very well-connected reporter in the college football industry, believes Oregon will pursue the second-year Florida coach.
"One of the names I've heard Oregon wants to kick the tires on is Jim McElwain" @BruceFeldmanCFB pic.twitter.com/lu9keMz7B0
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 30, 2016
McElwain has been linked to Oregon partially because he has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest. He was born in Montana and played quarterback at Eastern Washington before joining the school’s coaching staff as a graduate assistant in the early 1980s.
He also has stops at Montana State, Fresno State and Colorado State on his resume. But with back-to-back SEC title game appearances in his two years with Florida, it might be a little too soon for McElwain to be truly considered as a candidate for any other program, even if it is an intriguing fit.
"I definitely can see Oregon having the interest but I'm not sure if Jim McElwain would jump at that interest" @BruceFeldmanCFB
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 30, 2016
Regardless of his interest level, this could potentially set McElwain up for another pay raise with the Gators. He got bumped to $4.3 million this offseason and if UF is set on keeping him long-term, he could leverage Oregon’s (alleged) pursuit for another salary increase entering the 2017 season.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
