Less than 24 hours after it was reported as a very likely possibility, a key hiring for Jim McElwain‘s first Florida coaching staff has officially come to fruition.
In a press release Wednesday, UF announced that McElwain has hired Doug Nussmeier as his offensive coordinator. Nussmeier, who will also serve as quarterbacks coach, spent the 2014 season as the coordinator at Michigan.
McElwain and Nussmeier are very familiar with one another, having worked together on the same coaching staff at Michigan State from 2003-05. Twice, Nussmeier has replaced McElwain as offensive coordinator, first when McElwain left Fresno State to become the coordinator at Alabama in 2008 and then again when McElwain left Alabama for the head coaching job at Colorado State in December of 2011.
Nussmeier was the coordinator at Alabama in 2012 and 2013 before leaving for the same job at Michigan in January of this season.
“Doug and I have worked together on the same staff and I’ve known him for years,” McElwain said in a statement. “We are like thinkers in that he will adapt to the players we have in the program and develop them as we continue to evolve.”
During his lone season in Ann Arbor, Nussmeier’s offense struggled due to a combination of poor quarterback play and a shaky offensive line.
In 2014, the Wolverines finished 114th in yards per game (333) and 111th in points per game (20.9). During his two seasons at Alabama, though, the Tide finished 18th (38.2 ppg, 2013) and 12th (38.7 ppg) in scoring offense.
“I’m excited to reunite with Coach Mac -- we obviously have a long history and share similar philosophies,” Nussmeier said. “I’m honored to join The Gator Nation and work for one of the most storied programs in all of college football.”
