College football is weird. Sometimes, a coach wins a division title and everyone still wants him gone because the offense is boring. Other times, a bizarre photo surfaces on the internet and a guy’s entire reputation gets swallowed whole by a meme. That’s exactly what happened with the Florida football coach shark saga. It’s one of those "internet moments" that eventually became a strange, haunting footnote in the history of the Florida Gators.
If you weren’t online in May 2017, you missed a masterclass in how a viral image can derail a career. A photo started circulating of a naked man lying on top of a dead shark on a boat. The man bore a striking resemblance to Jim McElwain, who was the head coach of the Florida Gators at the time.
It was chaos.
Suddenly, a guy responsible for a multi-million dollar program was being asked by the national media if he spent his weekends in the nude with apex predators. It sounds like a bad fever dream. But for McElwain, it was a PR nightmare that he never quite shook off until he left Gainesville.
The Viral Moment That Wouldn't Die
The image itself was grainy. It looked like a standard fishing trophy shot, except for the whole "no clothes" thing. Because the man in the photo had a similar build and facial structure to McElwain, the "Florida football coach shark" rumors spread like wildfire. Social media did what it does best: it didn't wait for facts. Within hours, the coach was the butt of every joke from Knoxville to Tallahassee.
When McElwain finally addressed it during a press conference, he was visibly annoyed. He didn't laugh it off. He didn't make a self-deprecating joke. Instead, he denied it with a sort of cold, clinical frustration.
"I don't know who it is, but it certainly isn't me," he told reporters.
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That was probably the wrong move. In the world of college football, if you’re explaining, you’re losing. By treating it with such heavy-handed seriousness, he arguably made the story bigger. It became a symbol of his tenure—awkward, slightly uncomfortable, and ultimately disconnected from the fans.
Who Was the Guy in the Photo?
The internet eventually found the real guy. Or at least, a much more likely candidate. Reports eventually pointed toward a former New York City police officer who lived in Florida. This man looked remarkably like McElwain, especially from the side profile captured in the infamous shot.
The shark was reportedly a bull shark, and the photo had been taken long before it went viral. But the truth didn't really matter for the narrative. The damage to the "Florida football coach shark" brand—if you want to call it that—was done.
Why did it stick?
Honestly, it stuck because McElwain was already on thin ice. The Florida offense was stagnant. Fans were frustrated. When you're winning national championships like Urban Meyer or Steve Spurrier, you can probably survive a weird photo rumor. When you’re struggling to score points against mediocre SEC defenses, you become a caricature.
The Anatomy of a PR Disaster
Most people think McElwain was fired because of the shark photo. That’s not true. He was fired because of a weird sequence of events involving alleged death threats against his players and staff that he couldn't (or wouldn't) provide evidence for to the administration.
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The shark thing was just the appetizer.
It showed a massive disconnect between the coach and the university’s communications department. A more savvy coach would have handled the shark rumors with a wink and a nod. Instead, it became a point of contention. It highlighted a "coach vs. the world" mentality that rarely ends well in a high-pressure environment like the Swamp.
Looking back, the "Florida football coach shark" incident is a case study in modern sports mythology. It’s a reminder that in the age of Twitter (now X) and Reddit, a coach's image isn't just about their record on Saturdays. It's about their "meme-ability."
McElwain's record at Florida wasn't actually that bad. He won the SEC East twice. Most coaches would give their left arm for that. But he’s remembered more for the shark and the toothy grin than the divisional titles.
Context Matters: The State of the Gators in 2017
To understand why this blew up, you have to remember where Florida was as a program. They were desperate to get back to the Tebow-era glory. McElwain was brought in as an "offensive guru" from Colorado State.
He promised a high-flying attack. What fans got was a slog.
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When a fan base is already grumpy, they look for reasons to poke fun at the guy in charge. The shark photo provided a limitless supply of ammunition. It wasn't just a photo; it was a way for fans to express their general sense of "this guy isn't the right fit."
Lessons From the Shark Saga
There are a few things we can actually learn from this weird blip in sports history.
First, the "Florida football coach shark" story proves that the first 24 hours of a viral rumor are the only ones that matter. McElwain’s team didn't get ahead of it. They let it fester. By the time he denied it, the meme was already the reality for most people.
Second, identity in sports is fragile. One day you're the guy who revitalized Alabama's offense under Nick Saban, and the next, you're "the shark guy."
Third, the actual facts often take a backseat to the most entertaining version of the story. Even though it was debunked, even though the real person was likely identified, the search term "Florida football coach shark" still generates massive traffic years later. People want the myth.
How to Fact-Check Viral Sports Rumors
If you see a bizarre story about a coach or athlete today, don't just retweet it. Here’s how to actually tell if it’s real:
- Check the source material: Is the photo from a burner account or a verified journalist?
- Look for physical discrepancies: In the McElwain case, people eventually noticed the man in the photo lacked certain tan lines or specific features the coach had.
- Wait for the "official" denial: If the school's SID (Sports Information Director) doesn't put out a statement within 12 hours, they might be scrambling because it's true—or they're trying to figure out how to debunk a lie.
The "Florida football coach shark" story eventually faded into the background as McElwain moved on to Central Michigan. He found success there, away from the intense SEC spotlight. He proved he could still coach. But in the deep, dark corners of the internet, that photo will always be linked to his name.
It’s a bizarre, unfair, and somewhat hilarious reminder that in Florida, the stories are just a little bit weirder than everywhere else. Whether it's the humidity or the pressure of the SEC, things just get strange.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Analysts
- Verify before you share. If a photo looks too weird to be true, it probably is. Use reverse image search tools like TinEye or Google Lens to find the original source of "viral" images before contributing to the noise.
- Understand the "Why." When a rumor like the shark photo takes off, ask yourself if the coach is already under fire. Rumors stick to vulnerable people.
- Follow the trail. Look at the reporting from local beat writers like those at the Gainesville Sun or Orlando Sentinel who were actually in the room when these things were discussed. They usually have the nuance that national aggregate sites miss.
- Distinguish between performance and personality. Don't let a meme cloud your judgment of a coach's actual on-field strategy. McElwain had flaws as a coach, but they had nothing to do with a boat or a fish.