GAINESVILLE, Fla.(CBS) — Florida has finally officially confirmed the news that began to break on Saturday: Jim McElwain is out as head coach effective immediately.
An official press release from the program Sunday evening termed it a mutual agreement to part ways.
“We want to thank coach McElwain for his efforts in leading the Gator football program,” athletics director Scott Stricklin said in the release. “We are confident coach (Randy) Shannon will provide the proper guidance to the players and rest of staff during this time and we will begin a national search for the next head coach.”
Shannon has been named the team’s interim head coach, an obvious choice given his previous experience as head coach at Miami.
The Florida press release notes that McElwain and the University Athletic Association are “currently negotiating terms of separation.”
Florida has some leverage for a potential firing for cause, which would take them off the hook for McElwain’s buyout, which is otherwise in the range of $12.9 million.
That leverage stems from comments McElwain made on Monday about facing alleged death threats, then his subsequent refusal to provide additional details when pressed by school and athletics department administrators when asked.
The school would like to agree on a reduced buyout it seems, rather than settling the matter in court.
