Jim McElwain couldn’t mask his emotions.
Florida’s first-year coach was openly upset about a lack of discipline displayed during the Gators’ closer-than-it-should-have-been 31-24 victory against East Carolina on Saturday night.
He could have trotted out to the lectern, put on a fake smile and praised the team’s ability to win.
But he didn’t.
McElwain went the hell off.
"It’s not OK to call attention to yourself when the selfish act hurts the whole team," McElwain said.
The coach didn’t refer to him by name, but he was likely referencing the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty accrued by Kelvin Taylor.
The junior had just capped a touchdown with a quick yet blatant throat-slash gesture — a harmless offense but a taunt, and subsequent penalty, nonetheless.
Cameras caught McElwain ripping into Taylor on the sidelines, reminiscent of the anger that was a common occurrence under former UF coach Will Muschamp.
The video went viral, and a cellphone clip of the tirade emerged soon after which revealed McElwain’s diatribe wasn’t appropriate dinner conversation.
In the ensuing hours, McElwain has been torn apart by media and fans alike, but I don’t understand why.
It would be naïve to think coaches talk to collegiate athletes like they’re in elementary school.
There are more effective methods of motivation, and many of them involve dropping a few F-bombs when your lesson falls upon deaf ears. Advocating discipline coolly must not have worked on Taylor and Co.
McElwain has preached discipline, calmly, to the media and in meetings with players. The team has said they want to shed the stigma that the Gators are undisciplined.
"Over the last 10 years, most penalized team in the league, in the country," McElwain said. "We’ve got to learn."
I have no problem with McElwain’s tongue lashing, nor do I have a problem with him being livid following a victory.
He wants the Gators to be restrained and intelligent, and he’s having to overhaul a culture that tolerated mindless penalties.
For a coach in his first year at a new university inheriting a group of players who committed to a previous UF coaching regime, sometimes yelling is all you can do.
Maybe McElwain was at his wits end with the showboating, the personal fouls and the unfocused play.
Championship teams prepare every day to be the best, but the phrase "no days off" doesn’t seem to belong in the Gators’ vernacular. McElwain said the week didn’t start the correct way for Florida, who came out unfocused.
"It started Monday when 30-plus guys didn’t have their ankles taped for the first meeting," McElwain revealed. "That’s unacceptable. That was a look into maybe what was going on this week. They were feeling good about themselves. For what? Because they took care of one opportunity?"
If McElwain has one regret, it’s likely not waiting until he was in private with Taylor before unleashing on him. It’s a necessary lesson, but it doesn’t need to be a public one. Shaming a player can have unintended consequences, such as a loss of confidence. That’s the last thing the Gators need from Taylor.
Florida needs to listen to McElwain and buy-in. The Gators have one of the most talented defenses in the country, and the offense has displayed more promise than in recent years. The foundation is in place for UF to return to its competitive ways and become a premier college football program again.
McElwain thinks the Gators are talented enough to win any game they play, and has previously implied Florida could go undefeated and win a national championship.
But the toughest opponent the Gators face is themselves.
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @Graham311
UF running back Kelvin Taylor carries the ball during Florida's 31-24 win against East Carolina on Sept. 12, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
