As a kid, one of my favorite movies was Air Bud. That dog was so cool . He could do it all and then some.
In his second outing, this time playing football, he scored 11 touchdowns on offense and then another on defense when he forced a fumble for a scoop and score. He’s a serious weapon with a gorgeous mane of blond fur.
So when new Florida head coach Jim McElwain said his dog Clara-A-Belle could play quarterback for the Gators if need be, I immediately got excited.
Sadly I have accepted the realization that this most likely will not happen (although after the last three years, who knows) but it was enough to cause a chuckle across the media room and in living rooms across Gator Nation as fans tuned in to hear from their new head coach.
The introductory press conference, which lasted just over 38 minutes, was full of jokes and zingers from McElwain. He stayed on the dog track for a while.
When asked to describe his offensive philosophy, he likened himself to a mutt someone drops off at the pound that has a little bit of everything. So what should we call his offense? “How about the Humane Society?”
Ok Jim you’ve got it.
It wasn’t all ruff talk though. McElwain also told a story about he and his wife wanting to build an outdoor barbecue kitchen. But then they used the money instead to help fund the red turf for the field at his alma mater Eastern Washington. Or he may have meant they put the red turf in the outdoor kitchen. That story was actually confusing and ended abruptly.
He did talk about football. McElwain recalled when he first started recruiting the state of Florida for several of former positions, noticing the importance and history of the Florida Gators in the Sunshine State. He says it’s been ever since then that he has wanted to coach at Florida.
Now that he is, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. McElwain doesn’t want to commit to one type of offense, just an offense that wins football games.
He’s not ready to make any major decisions concerning coaches as they still have a bowl game to command.
He’ll use that bowl game to evaluate players before making any serious depth chart decisions. He’ll also use that bowl game to tailgate with outgoing UF president Bernie Machen. That plan was made during the press conference. We’ll keep tabs on it to see if it comes to fruition.
Overall, McElwain made good on an old cliche. He won his opening press conference.
The ease with which he came in, no notes or predetermined points to make, and jumped right into it should’ve put fans at rest that they have a capable captain to right the ship.
He took 48 questions from reporters which covered a fast array of topics from running backs to media meals.
It was the questions in which he really shined. McElwain answers with almost a perfunctory effortlessness that will simultaneously amuse and frustrate. He can mold an answer like a skilled potter to give exactly what he wants to show while expertly sidestepping what he doesn’t. It’s an art form that comes from decades of being a coach with just a dash of an aw-shucks attitude.
That Mayberry attitude (crafted in Missoula, Montana) will be what draws fans to him the most, as he spoke with a candor that reflected friends catching up at the feed store laced with the intelligence of a man who has risen to the top of his profession and did it the right way.
He also laughs at his own jokes.
If you want to laugh along to while also getting a feel for the new direction of Gator football, check out our full video of McElwain’s press conference below.