Jim McElwain
Encyclopedia
Jim McElwain is an American football
coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator
of the Alabama Crimson Tide
. McElwain was hired on January 30, 2008, to succeed Major Applewhite
.
from 1980 to 1983. While attending Eastern Washington he earned a degree in Education.
After leaving Eastern Washington, McElwain was offered an offensive coordinator position at another NCAA Division I-AA school, Montana State. He enjoyed a successful career while at Montana State from 1995 to 1999, even coaching his team to the number one scoring offense in the Big Sky Conference in 1998 with 31.6 points per game.
His first coaching job in Division I-A football was at University of Louisville
where he was the receivers and special teams coach from 2000 to 2002. At Louisville he tutored All-Conference USA receivers Arnold Jackson, Deion Branch, Damien Dorsey and Zek Parker. Also his special teams set a school record of nine blocked kicks in 2000-2001 season. He was then offered the assistant head coaching position at Michigan State when he followed Louisville’s head coach John L. Smith
there. At Michigan State University
his coaching of the receivers and special teams helped lead them to the Alamo Bowl
in his first season.
. He was only with them for one year in which the Oakland Raiders ended the season 2-14. McElwain was dismissed along with many of the other coaches on the team, including head coach Art Shell
.
On February 1, 2008 Jim McElwain accepted an offer from Coach Nick Saban
to be the Offensive Coordinator at the University of Alabama
. In his first season as the Offensive Coordinator the Crimson Tide finished the regular season 12-0; then lost their last two games to the University of Florida
in the SEC championship and the University of Utah
in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2009, his offense led the Crimson Tide to a 12-0 regular season record. They then went on to defeat the number one team in the country, the Florida Gators, in the SEC championship. There his offense dominated the Gators number one defense in the country compiling 490 yards of offense, more than twice the yards the Gators defense had averaged giving up all year. McElwain's offense out rushed the Gators offense 251 yards to 88 yards. 63 of those yards coming from the 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow
. His offense put up 32 points and held on to the ball for 39 minutes and 37 seconds, almost twice the Gators total of 20 minutes and 23 seconds. Alabama went on to beat the Texas Longhorns
in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game
. Running back Mark Ingram, Jr.
would win the 2009 Heisman Trophy
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
of the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. McElwain was hired on January 30, 2008, to succeed Major Applewhite
Major Applewhite
Major Lee Applewhite is the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs Coach for the University of Texas. Prior to Texas, Applewhite served as offensive coordinator at Rice University under Todd Graham in 2006, and at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban in 2007...
.
Early life
Jim McElwain was born in Missoula, Montana in 1962. He played quarterback at Sentinel High School in Missoula, Montana where he was chosen as an all state quarterback. He then went on to play quarterback in college at Eastern WashingtonEastern Washington Eagles football
The Eastern Washington Eagles football team represents Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
from 1980 to 1983. While attending Eastern Washington he earned a degree in Education.
Personal life
Jim McElwain currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with his wife Karen. He has two daughters Johanna and Elizabeth, and one son Jerrett.Early career
After graduating from Eastern Washington he stayed there as a graduate assistant and was eventually given the job of quarterbacks and receivers coach. During his stint as a coach there from 1985 to 1994 his team made its way to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs twice and won the Big Sky championship in 1992 under head coach Dick Zornes.After leaving Eastern Washington, McElwain was offered an offensive coordinator position at another NCAA Division I-AA school, Montana State. He enjoyed a successful career while at Montana State from 1995 to 1999, even coaching his team to the number one scoring offense in the Big Sky Conference in 1998 with 31.6 points per game.
His first coaching job in Division I-A football was at University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
where he was the receivers and special teams coach from 2000 to 2002. At Louisville he tutored All-Conference USA receivers Arnold Jackson, Deion Branch, Damien Dorsey and Zek Parker. Also his special teams set a school record of nine blocked kicks in 2000-2001 season. He was then offered the assistant head coaching position at Michigan State when he followed Louisville’s head coach John L. Smith
John L. Smith
John L. Smith is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the special teams coach at the University of Arkansas, under head coach Bobby Petrino...
there. At Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
his coaching of the receivers and special teams helped lead them to the Alamo Bowl
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
in his first season.
Oakland Raiders
Jim McElwain’s National Football League coaching career was very brief. After his success at Michigan State University he was offered a job to be the quarterback coach for the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was only with them for one year in which the Oakland Raiders ended the season 2-14. McElwain was dismissed along with many of the other coaches on the team, including head coach Art Shell
Art Shell
Arthur "Art" Shell is an American former collegiate and professional football player in the American Football League and later in the NFL, a Hall of Fame offensive tackle, and a two-time former head coach of the Oakland Raiders...
.
Return to college football
In 2007, Jim McElwain was contacted by Fresno State. The university offered him a job to become their offensive coordinator. While at Fresno State he built a powerhouse offense which ranked 38th in the country averaging 419.5 yards a game and 32nd in the nation in points per game with 32.9. He helped lead them to a 9-4 record on the year even beating Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl.On February 1, 2008 Jim McElwain accepted an offer from Coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
to be the Offensive Coordinator at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. In his first season as the Offensive Coordinator the Crimson Tide finished the regular season 12-0; then lost their last two games to the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in the SEC championship and the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2009, his offense led the Crimson Tide to a 12-0 regular season record. They then went on to defeat the number one team in the country, the Florida Gators, in the SEC championship. There his offense dominated the Gators number one defense in the country compiling 490 yards of offense, more than twice the yards the Gators defense had averaged giving up all year. McElwain's offense out rushed the Gators offense 251 yards to 88 yards. 63 of those yards coming from the 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
. His offense put up 32 points and held on to the ball for 39 minutes and 37 seconds, almost twice the Gators total of 20 minutes and 23 seconds. Alabama went on to beat the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game
2010 BCS National Championship Game
The 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game was the finale of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was played between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California,...
. Running back Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
would win the 2009 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
.