Ex-Gators Coach Jim McElwain Sold Florida Home at Loss to Help Family With Disabled Kids

Losing money on the sale of his house no longer looks like a tough hit for the ex-Gators coach.

Former Gators coach Jim McElwain sold his house at a heavy loss in March, but there's a good reason: He was helping a family with two disabled children, according to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.

McElwain was fired by the Gators in late October after the team went 3-4 to start their season. In March it was reported that the coach sold his home for $400,000 less than the he paid for it in 2015, prompting derision.

However, McElwain and his wife took the $1.4 million offer on their house because they knew the family, the Staabs, that asked to buy it, reports the Times—and the Staabs wanted the house because it was perfectly suited for the needs of their kids. 

Rick Staab first met McElwain when he purchased tickets at a charity auction for a dinner at McElwain's home. He spoke to McElwain a few times after the dinner.

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When Rick and his wife, Michelle, felt that their two-story house was no longer meeting their needs, Rick remembered the wide hallways and ramps in McElwain's home. 

According to the Times, the Staab's oldest child, Tyler, 20, suffers from a neurological condition called dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions. Tyler started showing symptoms at age seven and is now wheelchair bound, unable to use the left side of his body. His younger sister, Samantha, 17, also suffers from dystonia and sometimes has trouble walking.

When the Staabs put in their offer, the McElwains initially turned it down. Once they found out it was from the Staabs, they reached out.

"The McElwains have a good heart," Daurine Wehbe, the Staabs's realtor, told the Times. "No one knows that. No one appreciates that."

The Staabs are continuing to settle into their new home, while McElwain has moved on as the receivers coach at Michigan. He coached the Gators from 2015 through October 2017 with a 22-12 record, winning the 2015 and 2016 SEC East Division title. 

Make sure to read the whole story over at the Tampa Bay Times.