Florida hires Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator under Jim McElwain

Update (December 24, 2:30 p.m.): Florida has confirmed the hiring of Nussmeier in a release.

Florida will hire Doug Nussmeier as its offensive coordinator under Jim McElwain, Sports Illustrated's Thayer Evans reported late Tuesday afternoon. The Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu confirmed Evans's report a half-hour later.

Nussmeier, who served as Michigan's offensive coordinator in 2014, was Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013, replacing McElwain, who left the position to become the head coach at Colorado State. Nussmeier has previous experience as an offensive coordinator at Washington and Fresno State (where he first replaced McElwain), and has served as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL and CFL in addition to his time at the FBS level.

But it's the stint at Alabama, where Nussmeier coordinated offenses that finished second to Texas A&M in F/+ in 2012 and finished 10th in 2013, that is probably most important to McElwain, especially given how McElwain's players made up the lion's share of the roster at Alabama at the time. And it may be Nussmeier's familiarity with the two coaches' greatest forbear, John L. Smith, that really cinched his hiring.

Florida likely won't confirm Nussmeier's hiring until the ink is dry, but Evans also correctly reported the hiring of Geoff Collins as defensive coordinator first last week, and it would seem he owns this beat at the moment. (Andreu's confirmation should make this a fait accompli.)

With both Nussmeier and Collins in the fold, McElwain will likely begin filling out his Florida staff in the coming weeks. Retaining certain coaches — defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson, offensive line coach Mike Summers, and perhaps defensive line coach Brad Lawing — will now become the priority.

And though McElwain has made noise in radio interviews about possibly having to wait on College Football Playoff teams and the NFL regular season to hire staff members, hiring Nussmeier — who is free of postseason obligations after Michigan's 5-7 season — would seem to cast those comments as sound and fury.