Central Michigan’s game on Nov. 30 will be the final game on the sidelines for coach Jim McElwain.
The school announced Wednesday that McElwain, 62, would retire at the end of the season. The announcement comes a day after CMU improved to 4-7 on the season with a 16-14 win over Western Michigan.
“My wife Karen and I have cherished every moment of our football journey,” McElwain said. “We want to express our deepest gratitude to the all the players who have welcomed us into their lives, and the incredible coaches and support staff at every stop along the way—it has been a true privilege to work alongside all of them. The lifelong friendships that were created mean the world to us.”
“We are especially thankful for our time at Central Michigan. Mount Pleasant and the CMU community hold a special place in our hearts, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of this program and this great community. Thank you for the unwavering support and the unforgettable memories.”
McElwain’s retirement also comes as he’s reportedly the subject of an NCAA investigation into Connor Stalions’ presence on the CMU sidelines at the start of the 2023 season. The infamous former Michigan staffer who ran an advanced in-person scouting scheme was in CMU attire as the Chippewas played at Michigan State.
McElwain has said he was unaware if Stalions was on the sideline. Quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner, a Michigan graduate, resigned earlier this season.
In-person scouting is against NCAA rules and the advance scouting scandal led to former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s suspension by the Big Ten for the final three games of the 2023 regular season as the Wolverines went 15-0 and won the national championship.
McElwain, a former coach at Florida and Colorado State, has been at Central Michigan for six seasons. The Chippewas are 33-35 in his time and went to two bowl games. The team’s best season came in 2021 when CMU went 9-4 and won the Sun Bowl.
McElwain came to CMU after he spent the 2018 season as Michigan’s wide receivers coach under Jim Harbaugh. He had that interlude as an assistant after he was fired midway through his third season with the Gators.
Florida moved on from McElwain after a 3-4 start to the 2017 season. The Gators went 10-4 in his first season and were 9-4 in 2016. His firing came seven games into he 2017 season after McElwain said there had been death threats against himself and the team. Florida quickly released a statement saying that McElwain had not provided the school with details of any threats. The athletic department reportedly debated if it could fire McElwain for cause and ended up mutually parting ways with the coach days later following a 42-7 blowout loss against Georgia.
Before arriving in Gainesville, McElwain was the head coach at Colorado State for three seasons. The Rams improved from 4-8 in his first season to 10-2 in his final year in Fort Collins.