Report: Florida looking into firing McElwain with cause

It appears Florida is looking to cut ties with head coach Jim McElwain, as multiple sources told Edward Aschoff and Mark Schlabach of ESPN that school administrators are discussing whether they can fire the third-year front man with cause.

The move would stem from McElwain's inability to prove claims he made earlier this week that Gators players and their families received death threats.

The administrators are reportedly working to see if the unsubstantiated allegations are enough to fire the coach without paying his $12.9-million buyout.

McElwain made the comments about the death threats during a press conference Monday, but refused to go into detail when further questioned by reporters.

Florida officials then met with McElwain, who failed to provide further details then as well.

"The University Athletic Association takes the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and families very seriously," spokesperson Steve McClain said in a statement. "Our administration met with Coach McElwain this afternoon and he offered no additional details."

The report Saturday afternoon came just hours after athletic director Scott Stricklin released a statement shooting down rumors that the school was working on a buyout with the coach.

McElwain has won back-to-back SEC East titles in the past two seasons and held an overall record of 22-11 entering Saturday. However, his 3-8 record against ranked opponents, and failure to fix the struggling offense, hasn't sat well with Florida fans.