Jim Mcelwain

James Frank “Jim” McElwain, born on March 1, 1962, in Missoula, Montana, developed his early football skills as an all-state quarterback at Sentinel High School. He continued his playing career at Eastern Washington University from 1980 to 1983, where he pursued a degree in education. His coaching journey began at his alma mater, Eastern Washington, serving as a graduate assistant before becoming the quarterbacks and receivers coach from 1985 to 1994. During this period, the team achieved two NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances and secured the Big Sky championship in 1992. McElwain’s early career also included a successful stint as offensive coordinator at Montana State from 1995 to 1999, where his offense notably led the Big Sky Conference in scoring in 1998.

McElwain’s career progression saw him transition to Division I-A football, joining the University of Louisville as the receivers and special teams coach from 2000 to 2002. His work with Louisville’s special teams set a school record with nine blocked kicks in the 2000–2001 season. He then moved to Michigan State as assistant head coach, overseeing receivers and special teams from 2003 to 2005, contributing to the team’s appearance in the Alamo Bowl. His professional experience extended to the NFL in 2006 as the quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders. From 2008 to 2011, McElwain served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban, where he was instrumental in two BCS National Championship victories in 2009 and 2011. During the 2009 SEC Championship Game, his offense amassed 490 yards against a top-ranked Florida defense.

His head coaching career included tenures at Colorado State University (2012–2014), the University of Florida (2015–2017), and Central Michigan University (2019–2024). At Colorado State, he earned the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year award in 2014 for leading the team to a 10–2 record. At Florida, he secured two consecutive SEC Eastern Division titles in 2015 and 2016 and was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2015, a unique achievement for a first-year coach. Most recently, he led Central Michigan to an 8–4 record in his inaugural 2019 season, earning the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year award, and further successes including a Sun Bowl victory in 2021 before retiring from coaching at the end of the 2024 season to join Central Michigan’s athletics department as a special assistant to the athletic director.