"Doug and I have worked together on the same staff and I've known him for years," McElwain said in a school release. "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."
Indeed, McElwain and Nussmeier are quite familiar with each other, meeting as staff members under John L. Smith at Michigan State. McElwain served as associate head coach, wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator from 2003-05, while Nussmeier was the Spartans' quarterbacks coach during the same time frame.
Nussmeier has since succeeded McElwain as offenisve coordinator at two different stops, replacing him at Fresno State for the 2008 season and then at Alabama from 2012-13. Nussmier helped direct the 2012 Crimson Tide to school records for offensive touchdowns (68), passing touchdowns (31), total offense (6,237 yards) and total points (542) as Alabama captured the 2013 BCS National Championship that season.
"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."
He will also serve as the quarterbacks coach for Florida.
Nussmeier was unable to turn around Michigan's offense this past season with the Wolverines finishing 90th in the FBS in yards per play. Nevertheless, he has proven to be successful at other stops and will certainly be overseen by McElwain, who by all expectations will be the leader of Florida's offense.
He will be the fourth offensive coordinator to don an orange and blue polo for the Gators in a span of five seasons and the sixth in a span of eight seasons dating back to 2008.
Nussmeier is also the second former Alabama staffer that McElwain -- a former Tide assistant himself -- has hired to his Florida coaching ranks. McElwain announced last week that Mississippi State defensive coordiantor Geoff Collins -- a director of player personnel under Nick Saban in 2007 (the year before McElwain arriveD) -- would take the same position on his staff.
With the top tier of the Gators' coaching staff now sorted out, McElwain must fill in all of the assistant slots. He is reportedly putting the full-court press on retaining defensive backs coach and lead recruiter Travaris Robinson (who is also being pursued by Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp) and looks to be in favor of bringing back offensive line coach Mike Summers and possibly defensive line coach/associate head coach Brad Lawing.
