Steve Spurrier on Jim McElwain’s firing: Florida’s ‘offense has been so bad’

By Adam Silverstein
October 30, 2017
Steve Spurrier on Jim McElwain’s firing: Florida’s ‘offense has been so bad’
Football

Image Credit: ESPNI

The greatest coach in the history of Florida Gators football holds an office in the University Athletic Association facility on campus. He also happens to be an offensive genius. But when former head football coach Jim McElwain‘s ouster was announced on Sunday, along with it came a tidbit that the aforementioned man — national championship winner Steve Spurrier — did not always have his voice heard while attempting to dip his toe into the pool and lend an occasional helpful shoulder to a struggling coaching staff.

The State caught up with Spurrier on Monday to get his opinion of the Florida football program’s split with McElwain. He called it” not shocking but surprising” and admitted to be true what everyone assumed to be his opinion about how the Gators played on the side of the ball he was famous for coaching.

“The offense has been so bad, everybody knows it,” Spurirer said candidly. “Did you see us play Georgia? Yeah, it was a sad, sad day.”

Though Spurrier said offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier “was OK” in terms of being “open for suggestions a little bit,” he made it clear that he did not bring such items to McElwain.

“Oh yeah, I [suggested plays] every week or so,” he said, “just with Nussmeier and his staff and they look at it. He’s put some of them in. He’s put a few in. I’ll walk through there and give them a play every now and then, one or two plays, say, ‘What’d you think about this? This was good for us.’

“Sometimes, they actually use them, and sometimes, it’s foreign to them. Our offense was so much different from what they do here.”

(Yeah, Spurrier’s offenses moved the ball and scored points.)

Never the bashful type, Spurrier also told The State that he has no interest in becoming a head coach again but that he “may throw some names” at athletic director Scott Stricklin during his search as Spurrier does not anticipate being on the so-called “selection committee.”

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