Just minutes before Jim McElwain made the mistake that doomed his Florida tenure, he finished answering a question in last Monday’s press conference about how he and his staff had managed to secure commitments from talented recruits despite a lack of high-profile wins in 2017 and any attendant negative recruiting from other programs.
McElwain stressed that his and his coaches’ relationship-building was the key to that effort: “We’re honest and upfront, and let ‘em know the way it’s gonna be.”
Three questions — really, a question and two follow-ups in search of a quote — later, McElwain was asked about whether his coaches deserved credit for staying upright through a stormy season.