Section 12? Isn't that the ECU side? On Dec 17, 2014 12:03 PM, "Oliver Barry" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I was afraid what happened with the Tennessee coaching job search would > happen to us. > > There was a radio guy, Clay Travis, who would make up something like it > was gospel and everyone would get their hopes up. > > John Gruden was involved in intense negotiations with Tennessee. A > decision was imminent. > > Trouble is, it was all fiction. They went from coach to coach expecting > Superman. When they finally got Butch Jones everyone was disappointed. > > Of course, they could have hired John the Baptist at that point and > everyone would’ve been disappointed it wasn’t Saint Peter. > > It was awful. > > You can see here in our search there were a lot of rumors. All of them > false. Luckily the negotiations didn’t go any longer. > > A lot of the rumors were started by these blogs like SDS and others. If > you don’t have readers just make up something juicy. Then you’ll get > interest. > > This internet thing is a great invention. But, one sure has to wade > through a lot of sewage to get to potable water. > > > > Meanwhile, Shane’s and my tickets have arrived for the Birmingham Bowl. > Section 12, row 18, seats 13 and 14. > > I just hope it’s not too cold. Shane might get a little wimpy. > > > > > > Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI > > Bob Parks Realty, LLC > > Real Estate Broker > > 145 Maple Row Blvd > > Hendersonville TN 37075 > > Phone: 615-826-4040 > > Mobile: 615-972-4239 > > [email protected] > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *Shane Ford > *Sent:* Wednesday, December 17, 2014 7:32 AM > *To:* GatorNews > *Subject:* [gatornews] [SUN]: Foley reveals details of coaching search > > > Foley reveals details of coaching search > > > > UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, left, began the search for a new coach > shortly after the firing of Will Muschamp on Nov. 17. That search ended > with the hiring of Jim McElwain, right, on Dec. 4. > > *Staff photos by Brad McClenny and Elizabeth Hamilton/Illustration by Jon > McDonald;Flight map from flightaware.com <http://flightaware.com>* > > > > > *By Pat Dooley > <http://www.gatorsports.com/personalia/patdooley>Gainesville SUN Staff > writer* > *Published: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 6:01 a.m.**Last Modified: > Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 8:11 p.m.* > > It was always about progress, this 2014 football season. It was never how > many wins vs. how many losses, but whether or not Florida football appeared > to be on the right track. > > UF athletic director Jeremy Foley was familiar with that track, having > ridden it before. This track was being derailed. > > First, there was the mind-numbing loss to LSU. Then the embarrassing loss > to Missouri. > > “Everyone was concerned after Missouri,” Foley said. “Obviously, the > antennae were up, but there was a lot of football to be played.” > > The clincher came against South Carolina in The Swamp when Florida lost at > home for the sixth time in eight games. The fans knew it had to end. Even > Will Muschamp knew he was finished. He spent an inordinate time in the > locker room after the game, didn't meet with recruits and prepared to > accept his fate. > > On Sunday morning, as Muschamp sat in his office watching video of the > previous game. Foley lowered the boom on Coach Boom. > > “I was disheartened,” Foley said. “There was a lot of negativity that was > going to be hard to overcome, especially in recruiting. This business is > hard when a big ball starts rolling downhill and you have to catch it and > roll it back up the hill. > > “After sitting down and talking about it, some of it late Saturday night > with (UF president) Bernie (Machen) and the staff, and Sunday morning with > Bernie, the decision was made.” > > And so the process began anew of finding a head coach for the University > of Florida. It would be the fourth in 13 years and Foley understood how > important this one was. The Gators had been the dominant program in the > second half of the last decade, but had found themselves on the edge of > irrelevancy the last two years. > > “We started gathering info after the press conference on Monday (Nov. > 17),” Foley said. “I don't know how many hours we went through, 8,000 > agents calling you. You really don't know if anyone is interested until you > talk to them personally. > > “Everyone thinks everyone wants to drop the job they have and come here, > but you have to wade through that. You have to find someone who wants THE > job.” > > Foley's inner circle of administrators — Chip Howard, Lynda Tealer, Mike > Hill and Steve McClain went to work. > > One of the first names that was mentally checked off the list — Jim > McElwain. Once Foley learned of the $7.5 million buyout, it seemed like too > large a burden to overcome. > > “That's a huge amount of money,” Foley said. “But the word got back to me > as I went along that it was negotiable. I thought it might be a > deal-breaker at the start. But once you got by that hurdle, he was back in > the mix.” > > Much of the first two weeks of the process was eliminating coaches who > either were happy where they were or were not that right fit at Florida. > Sometimes, silence was the best indicator that a coach wasn't interested. > > “The one thing the South Carolina thing did for us was give us two weeks > to do a lot of work,” Foley said. “Who fits here, who wants to come here, > who's doable. I didn't want to get somebody a raise or get left at the > altar.” > > There was some interest in at least checking into some NFL coaches. > > “Is there a diamond in the rough?” Foley asked his staff. > > One of the popular names in cyberspace was New England assistant Josh > McDaniels. Foley did ask some questions about him, but it never went any > further. > > Meanwhile, there was the report that Foley wanted to talk to Philadelphia > coach Chip Kelly. Foley knew better than to go down that road because Kelly > has made it clear he likes coaching in the NFL. > > “I didn't ask anybody about Chip Kelly,” Foley said. “I never poked around > Chip Kelly at all.” > > As the process continued, Foley kept hearing good things about McElwain. > He talked to a lot of people about the Colorado State coach, including two > former McElwain quarterbacks — Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron. He also talked > to Alabama coach Nick Saban. > > On the Saturday night following Florida's loss to Florida State, Foley > pulled into his Gainesville driveway and called John Morris, the interim > athletic director at CSU, to ask permission to talk to McElwain. > > He then called the coach to set up a time on Sunday when they could talk. > > “Everyone I talked to spoke highly of him,” Foley said. “I liked the fact > that he took over a team that was 3-9, 3-9, 3-9. I liked the fact that he > would take on that challenge. I liked the fact that he went for it against > Air Force and wasn't afraid to lose. You can't be afraid to lose at this > level.” > > At noon on that Sunday, Foley called McElwain and the two talked for 45 > minutes. > > The last thing he asked McElwain was, “Are you seriously interested in > this job?” McElwain said he was, that the opportunity was one he didn't > want to pass on. > > Meanwhile, what Foley calls “the silly season” was in full force. Names > were flying all over the place and there were reports that an offer had > been made to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze. > > Foley said he never talked to Hugh Freeze. He did talk to Ole Miss > athletic director Ross Bjork, but only because Bjork called him. > > “I talked to Ross because he called me,” Foley said. “I told him, 'Ross, > if I want to talk to your coach, the first person I'll talk to is you.' But > I never did. Hugh is a great coach, but I never talked to him. > > “I've been through it before. I said at the first press conference that > half of the information out there was going to be false and that was the > truth. We don't pay attention to that because it will distract you.” > > Foley and his staff were convinced that they had their target. > > A booster plane took the Florida contingent to Fort Collins, Colo., on > Tuesday, Dec. 2. They made a stop in Joplin, Mo., to try to throw off the > media members tracking the plane on the Internet. > > “The one thing you didn't want to happen did happen,” Foley said. “At the > end of the day, we can't get distracted by that — people taking pictures > through windows.” > > Reporters stalked McElwain's home while Florida's administrators met > inside with the coach and his wife Karen. She served them dinner — pot > roast — and the meetings continued into the night. > > At one point, McElwain and Foley sat down for a private discussion. Foley > went upstairs after the meeting and talked to his staff. They knew they had > their guy. Once the reporters decided to abandon their post, the Florida > group headed for a hotel. > > The process began on two fronts — to negotiate a contract with McElwain > and also to deal with the buyout. > > On Wednesday morning, Foley and his staff waited at the hotel for some > news. When it became clear that the buyout negotiations were between > McElwain, his agent and the Colorado State people, Foley decided it was > time to head home. > > “I just wanted to know what we were dealing with,” Foley said. “When we > left, we didn't know. > > People made a big deal because I didn't bring my coach back. I didn't > bring Urban (Meyer) back or didn't bring Will back. > > “It was a tough night because I don't like uncertainty. Bernie (Machen) > knew some folks out there and he got involved.” > > On Thursday morning, the deal was getting close. > > “The final result (of the buyout) was something we suggested,” Foley said. > “What if we try this? That began to get some traction. Once that did, I > started to feel good about it.” > > Finally, the call came that the buyout had been negotiated. Foley walked > down the hall to tell Tealer, who was working on the contract for the new > coach. He walked back down to his office and McClain was there. > > “It's already out there,” he said. > > Foley just shook his head. But at least the silly season was over. > > Contact Pat Dooley at 352-374-5053 or at [email protected]. And > follow at Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent From Shane's iPhone > > Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! > > ALPCA #8756 > > Europlate #1045 > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorTalk" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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