I thought you all were going as our necked redneck contingent? What happened? Need more body paint?
A. Leon Polhill, Gator "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know." - Mark Twain On Wednesday, December 17, 2014 1:27 PM, Shane Ford <[email protected]> wrote: > > >I'm glad Foley and crew moved quickly as well! They really had to! I don't >know if Coach Mac would have survived on the open market too long anyway. >I'll bet Michigan would have come calling sooner or later. > > >I think we hired a great coach who wants to be here. I love his DC hire and I >hope they can work things out with T Rob to keep him on staff. > > >WOO-HOO on the tickets! Anyone else from Gator Talk going to the game? I'm >sure we'll end up by the Alumni tent sooner or later. I may have to wait >outside tho. I'm glad Oliver's saving face about me possibly being wimpy. >I'll take a game day picture and show you the light coat I'll be wearing and >the snow parka and multiple layers that Oliver will be wearing. > > >Go Gators!!!!! > > >SHANE > > >Sent From Shane's iPhone >Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! >ALPCA #8756 >Europlate #1045 > >On Dec 17, 2014, at 11:03 AM, 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 >By Pat Dooley >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 http://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 http://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. >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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