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Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain to retire at the end of this season

Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain walks the sidelines during the first half of the Sun Bowl NCAA college football game against Washington State in El Paso, Texas, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. Central Michigan won 24-21. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton) (Andres Leighton, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain will retire following this season, his sixth year with the Mid-American Conference program.

The former Florida and Colorado State coach made the announcement Wednesday with a 33-35 record at Central Michigan. He was a coach of the year in three conferences and has a career record of 77-63.

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After leading the Chippewas (4-7, 2-5 MAC) in their season finale Nov. 30 at Northern Illinois, McElwain will become a special assistant to the athletic director.

Central Michigan hired him in 2018 after he worked as Jim Harbaugh's receivers coach at Michigan. McElwain replaced John Bonamego, who was 1-11 in his fourth and final season at Central Michigan.

McElwain was 8-6 in his first season at Central Michigan, earning a spot in the first of two bowl games with the program. He won nine games in 2021, including the Sun Bowl, before losing an average of seven-plus games over the next three seasons.

McElwain was the Southeastern Conference coach of the year in 2015, his first season at Florida, and agreed to a buyout with a 22-12 overall record in two-plus seasons with the Gators.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football