Florida reportedly is working hard to see if they can fire head coach Jim McElwain with cause over his death threat comments.
ESPN’s Edward Aschoff and Mark Schlabach reported on Saturday that Florida administrators are working to see whether they can fire McElwain with cause, which would allow them to avoid paying an expensive buyout to the coach.
McElwain said earlier in the week that family and players received death threats.
“There’s a lot of hate in this world, and a lot of anger,” McElwain told the media on Monday. “And yet it’s freedom to show it. The hard part is obviously when the threats [are] against your own players, the death threats to your families, the ill will that’s brought upon out there.”
The school apparently was unable to substantiate those claims, and they believe that will be enough to fire the coach with cause.
Florida seems to be looking for a reason to get rid of McElwain, who went 10-4 and 9-4 in his first two years as Gators head coach. He appeared to have the program on the right track, but then the program suspended multiple players — including starters — for an alleged fraud scheme before the season. The team was being crushed by rival Georgia at the time the report emerged. A loss to the Bulldogs would put Florida at 3-4 on the season.
McElwain has a buyout that costs nearly $13 million. The school’s AD said Saturday they have not had buyout talks with McElwain’s agent, contrary to a report from earlier in the day.
ESPN says Gators defensive coordinator Randy Shannon would serve as interim coach of McElwain were to be fired.
