Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain has seizure, to be hospitalized for 'few days'

Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain has had a seizure, the university announced Monday, and he will remain hospitalized for at least a few days.

In a statement released by the school Monday night, McElwain said he suffered the seizure Sunday. He will miss the Mid-American Conference media day Tuesday in Cleveland.

"I'm doing fine and all the tests have come back good," McElwain said in the statement. "The doctors have asked that I stay in the hospital for a few days, so I won’t be at MAC media day.

I know Coach (Robb) Akey (and players) Lew (Nichols III) and Jamezz (Kimbrough) will do a great job.

"I can’t wait to get going for the start of camp.

This is the second health scare in as many years for McElwain, who had appendicitis late last summer and had to miss the Chippewas' season opener at Missouri.

McElwain, 60, is entering his fourth season as Central Michigan's head coach. He was head coach at Florida from 2015-17, and Colorado State from 2012-14. He's taken the Chippewas to two bowls in as many chances (the bowl schedule was limited by the pandemic in 2012), with CMU beating Washington State, 24-21, in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. That was a hastily arranged bowl game, after Boise State pulled out of the Arizona Bowl with CMU and Miami (Florida) pulled out of the Sun Bowl, both due to COVID.

CMU opens this season Thursday, Sept. 1, at Oklahoma State, and is at Penn State on Saturday, Sept. 24.

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tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984