Jim McElwain
Quick Bio: Vol fans are plenty familiar with who Jim McElwain is. He served as Florida’s head coach from 2015-17 and was the head coach at Colorado State from 2012-14 before that. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama from 2008-11, meaning he worked with Pruitt with the Tide. McElwain spent this last season as the wide receivers coach at Michigan.
Pros: McElwain has head coaching experience in the SEC and has served on plenty of Power Five staffs. He was the wide receivers/special teams coach for Louisville, the associate head coach and receivers coach for Michigan State, and worked with Pruitt at Alabama. He also served as the quarterbacks coach for a season with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL in 2006.
Cons: McElwain may have a ton of experience, but not all of it has been good. His Florida offenses struggled mightily for how much he was lauded for his offensive prowess. Maybe he’s just not cut to be a head coach, because he’s had good offenses at most of his other stops. But that has to give Vol fans pause.
