Jim McElwain

Head coach, Central Michigan, 2019 to 2024
Before: Florida

Now

Career arc

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFBS medianColorado StateFloridaCentral MichiganColoradoColoradoGeorgiaGeorgiaEastern MichiganEastern MichiganBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelColorado State when he took over: 13.3 (Regional Program IV), its final 2011 readingtook overColorado State, 2012: 4-8, Regional Program IVColorado State, 2012: 4-8, Regional Program IV20124-8Colorado State, 2013: 8-6, Regional Program III20138-6Colorado State, 2014: 10-2, Regional Program IIColorado State, 2014: 10-2, Regional Program II201410-2+7.0Florida when he took over: 66.5 (Blue Blood), its final 2014 readingtook overFlorida, 2015: 10-4, Blue BloodFlorida, 2015: 10-4, Blue Blood201510-4Florida, 2016: 9-4, Blue Blood20169-4Florida, 2017: 3-4, Power Program IFlorida, 2017: 3-4, Power Program I20173-4-7.1Central Michigan when he took over: 15.0 (Regional Program III), its final 2018 readingtook overCentral Michigan, 2019: 8-6, Regional Program IIICentral Michigan, 2019: 8-6, Regional Program III20198-6Central Michigan, 2020: 3-3, Regional Program III20203-3Central Michigan, 2021: 9-4, Regional Program III20219-4Central Michigan, 2022: 4-8, Regional Program III20224-8Central Michigan, 2023: 5-7, Regional Program IV20235-7Central Michigan, 2024: 4-8, Regional Program IVCentral Michigan, 2024: 4-8, Regional Program IV20244-8+0.7best: 2015gray dashed: rival programs · ○ the program when he took over · Dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Bowls and playoffs: 3-2

Colorado State2013New Mexico BowlW 48-45Florida2015Citrus BowlL 7-412016Outback BowlW 30-3Central Michigan2019New Mexico BowlL 11-482021Sun BowlW 24-21

Report card

Below the median on both sides of the ball — 48th percentile offense, 31st percentile defense.

Central Michigan, every completed season graded against the whole field, then averaged.

Offense

C+
of which —48th
efficiency — 48th percentile success rate, 2019–24
B-55th
Standard-downs success
C41st
Passing-downs success
B69th
Trench push (line yards)
C44th
Red-zone scoring rate
B69th
Power-success (short yardage)
C-30th
Ball security (giveaways per game)

Defense

C-
of which —31st
31st percentile SP+ defense, 2019–24
A82nd
Front-7 havoc
B65th
Secondary havoc
B61st
Stuff rate (run defense)
D27th
Takeaways per game

Each season is his team’s percentile among every team with that stat (the share it beat), averaged over his completed seasons here; a mid-season takeover year and the season in progress aren’t graded. Letters: A+ 90th percentile and up, A 80, B+ 70, B 60, B− 50, C+ 45, C 40, C− 30, D 15, F below.