By Buddy Martin
SouthernPigskin.com

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Jim McElwain can warm up a room. He is personable and chatty and pretty much a regular guy. An aura of positivity has been the hallmark of his interaction with players.

GAINESVILLE — The most startling move made so far by Floridas new football coach came at the conclusion of his first official press conference.

After announcing, ctheres pie in the other room,d Jim McElwain assisted his media staff in grabbing a half-dozen boxes of pizza, spreading them out before the press corps of 25 who had just grilled him for the last 90 minutes.

Which just goes to show how savvy McElwain really is: The secret to distracting the media is always the allure of free food.

Whats more amazing is that McElwain actually even cares about the media, period. Most coaches just wish theyd all go away.

Dont get the idea that theres any romance going on here, however. This is just one more small detail for a detail-oriented coach who is laying some bricks of a new foundation.

For Jim McElwain, its all about relationships. Even with the media snipers, who later may be taking pot shots at him.

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In January, when the morning shadows are too steep for the radiant Florida sun to penetrate the chill, the northwest breeze sweeping over the parking lot across the street from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium can cut deep to the bone.

I have walked this trail for decades on the way to football games or press conferences under 10 different Gator coaches.

And as I walked it again, reflecting on coaches past, I couldnt help but remember how much colder some of those days had felt than others. Its tough to gauge the temperature these days when Gator fans are in the midst of another winter of discontent.

By Florida football standards, 2014 was an abysmal season. And the season before that. In the last two years the Gators could only win 12 games. The departed Muschamp won 11 of those. Thats a number often equaled or surpassed in a single season around here.

D. J. Durkin gets credit for the Birmingham Bowl win over East Carolina, but hes gone and that was only like a fresh coat of paint — and the program is going to need more than a touchup. At least, though, it gave McElwain a chance to observe the squad live and start his regime off on the right foot.

As much as Muschamp and the powers-that-be try to convince us all that the Florida football program is in great shape, the truth is that McElwain had best bring a shovel (and an overcoat) because hes got some digging out to do.

The fan base is broken. There is a huge scar across the face of a once-proud program considered to have been one of the nations most elite. Florida has fallen behind drastically in recruiting as well as in athletic facilities. Several players have defected to the NFL early. Several more apparently either quit or were asked to leave before the bowl game. And cross state rival Florida State, coming off a 29-game winning streak, is mopping up the state.

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McElwain has navigated the long, winding road of an assistant in small increments, through rain and sleet and snow to make his appointed rounds, before landing The Big One. He is a life force when it comes to building relationships through affirmation and good energy.

McElwain felt good vibes in his first meeting with the players.

cI thought there was great energy in the room,d he said. cThe guys were very receptive and, you know what, (they) should feel good about themselves. As you go through life, one of the most important things you do, is really the energy that you carry. There are a lot of unknowns. And everybody in this room gets a little nervous when theres something different, when theres change.d

Building a bridge of trust takes time. And the flow of positive energy must go both ways. Some days you are the pitcher, sometimes the catcher. And dead fish need not apply.

cOne of the first things I told them,d McElwain said, cwas 8look there are going to be days when Im like a dead fish, man. How many of you guys have been to Publix or whatever, and you walk by the frozen fish isle. I see it a little bit, OK. You look down and the trout that are laying on ice, how do they make you feel? The last thing I want is a bunch of dead trout hanging around. Its about energy and affecting the people around you in a positive way.

cThere are days Ill come to the office, even after Ive had a bunch of cups of coffee, I may still look like that dead trout. As I explained to our team, I need them to come up and say, 8Coach, Mac, how are you doing today. Is there anything I can do to help?d

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Help is on the way. Most of the reinforcements arrived with the new coaching staff which he refers to cas a bunch of good dudes.d There is no receiver coach yet, but McElwain reminds us he once coached the position. And he says he has ca ton of interestd from candidates.

Three hires in particular seem to stand out. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier is somebody who talks the same language. They are friends and former associates with like-minded philosophies.

c8Nuss and I can sit and talk the same language and its not going to take a five-hour conversation. Its going to take a two- or three-minute 8Oh. yeah. You know what Im getting at. And boom! There you go.d

Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, his first hire, was known as cThe Minister of Mayhemd at Mississippi State. cHis defenses have been successful everywhere,d said McElwain.

The real gem, however, was former Miami head coach Randy Shannon, linebacker coach at Arkansas. He was at the top of McElwains list.

Not only does Shannon bring knowledge of the game, but he still has rich recruiting ties in South Florida and is experienced as the top man. cHes sat in this chair,d says McElwain.

cUntil youve sat in this chair, its really hard to understand all the things that come with it. He has already helped me immensely on things and hes a guy you can bounce ideas off. Not only football ideas, but also organizational ideas. I cant tell you how excited I am that hes here.d

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McElwain can warm up a room. He is personable and chatty and pretty much a regular guy. An aura of positivity has been the hallmark of his interaction with players.

Apparently cold doesnt bother him, because he never wears socks.

Still, I couldnt help but wonder whether the man from Montana via Washington via California via Alabama via Colorado knew what he was stepping into. Especially with no socks.

If you want a forecast, its partly cloudy with a chance of rain. And cold.

If weather didnt deter him in Montana and Colorado, however, it certainly wont in Florida, so its not likely, and hes never going to let a bad forecast discourage him. Hes the kind of guy who would turn that forecast into cpartly sunny with a good chance of blue skies.d

Besides, he serves a mean pizza.