Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
TV commentator and former
American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the
Bowling Green Falcons from 2001 to 2002, the
Utah Utes from 2003 to 2004, the
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
from 2005 to 2010,
[Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida]
" ESPN (December 8, 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2021. and the
Ohio State Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018. He retired from coaching in 2019 at the end of the Rose Bowl, and stayed at Ohio State as an assistant athletic director and was also an analyst for
Fox Sports, appearing weekly on their ''
Big Noon Kickoff'' pre-game show. In 2021, Meyer came out of retirement to take his first
National Football League (NFL) job as head coach of the
Jacksonville Jaguars, but was fired 13 games into his first and only season, after going 2-11 and being involved in both on and off field controversies. He then went back to Fox Sports to resume his broadcasting career.
Meyer was born in
Toledo, Ohio, grew up in
Ashtabula, Ohio, and attended the
University of Cincinnati, where he played football as a defensive back. During his time at the
University of Florida, he coached the Gators to two
BCS National Championship Game victories, during the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Meyer's winning percentage through the conclusion of the 2009 season (.842) was the highest among all active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program.
Following his temporary retirement in 2011, he worked as a college football analyst for the television sports network
ESPN before joining Ohio State to become their head coach. In 2014, he led the Buckeyes to their first
Big Ten Conference title under his tenure as well as the program's eighth
national championship. Meyer is one of four coaches, along with
Pop Warner,
Howard Jones, and
Nick Saban, to win a major college football national championship at two universities.
Early life
Meyer was born on July 10, 1964, in
Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in
Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated from Ashtabula's
Saint John High School in 1982. Meyer was selected in the 13th round of the
1982 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft.
Compensation Picks
Other notable players
*David Wells†, 2nd round, 30th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays
* Allan Anderson, 2nd rou ...
by the
Atlanta Braves as a shortstop, where he spent two seasons playing minor league baseball in the Braves organization. He concurrently played
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
at the
University of Cincinnati before earning his
bachelor's degree in
psychology in 1986.
During his undergraduate studies, Meyer was a member of
Sigma Chi Fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
(
Zeta Psi Chapter).
[Raymond Hines III,]
Denise Meyer Chat Transcript
," ''Gator Country'' (October 25, 2006). Retrieved September 1, 2009.
Meyer went on to earn his master's degree in
sports administration
The Sports Administration (SA; ) is a branch of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
History
The Sport Administration was initially established in 1932 as the Sports Council (體育委員會). On 12 January 1998, the ...
in 1988 from
Ohio State University.
Coaching career
In 2004, Meyer was recognized as the college football coach of the year by both sportswriters (
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year) and television commentators (
Home Depot Coach of the Year Award
The Coach of the Year Award is given annually to college football's top head coach. The award for the Division I (NCAA), Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is selected by ESPN and American Broadcasting Company, ABC college football analysts. Br ...
).
[Gatorzone.com, Football]
Urban Meyer
. Retrieved September 1, 2009. He then had twenty years of college coaching experience, including nine as a head coach.
[ His overall record as a head coach through the end of the 2009 season was 96–18, and he was 49–14 in conference play.][College Football Data Warehouse, All-Time Coaching Records]
Urban Meyer Records by Year
. Retrieved September 2, 2009. His winning percentage (.842) through the end of the 2009 season ranked first nationally among active college football head coaches. By winning the 2009 BCS Championship game on January 8, 2009, Meyer moved past Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...
into second place on the list of active Division I coaches ranked by winning percentage.
Meyer is Catholic, and on several occasions has referred to the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame as his "dream job", leading to speculation that he would someday wish to coach there. However, according to a July 2009 newspaper report, Meyer insisted he would never leave Florida for Notre Dame. And when the employment status of Irish coach Charlie Weis came into question in November 2009, Meyer held a press conference to dispel rumors linking him to the possible opening, stating that he would remain at Florida for "as long as they'll have me". The University of Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was eventually hired for the job.
On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign following the team's bowl game against Cincinnati, citing health concerns.[Gatorzone.com,]
UF's Urban Meyer Steps Down as Head Football Coach
", (December 27, 2009). Retrieved March 19, 2010. However, the following day Meyer announced that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence,[Andy Staples,]
Change of mind: Meyer won't quit, will take indefinite leave instead
, ''Sports Illustrated'' (December 27, 2009). Retrieved December 16, 2021. and he resumed his coaching duties in time for the beginning of the Gators' spring practice on March 17, 2010.
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley announced Meyer's resignation on December 8, 2010, but stated that Meyer would remain as the head coach through the Gators' appearance in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.[
On November 28, 2011, Meyer accepted the head coach position at Ohio State University.
]
Early coaching career
After playing as a defensive back and placeholder for the University of Cincinnati, Meyer spent one season interning as a defensive back coach at Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1985 under the mentorship of legendary St. Xavier head coach Steve Rasso, where he met members of the Ohio State coaching staff. His first collegiate coaching position was a two-year stint as a graduate assistant coaching tight ends at Ohio State under head coach Earle Bruce.[ He spent the next thirteen years as an assistant—two at Illinois State, six at ]Colorado State
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
, and five at Notre Dame
Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:
* Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France
* University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States
** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...
.[
One of the talents he coached at Colorado State was WR Greg Primus (3,096 yards and 17 TD in 3 years). He put up over 1,000 yards receiving from 1990 to 1992 under Meyer's tutelage. At Notre Dame, he coached WR Bobby Brown who would finish his career with 1,521 yards and 12 TD receiving. At Notre Dame in 2000, he coached WR David Givens who would later be drafted by the ]New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
.
In 1990, while still the linebacker coach at Illinois State, he called Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
head coach Nick Saban's home and spoke to Saban's wife to inquire if a position was available. Saban, however, never returned the call. Saban later said "I was so kind of caught up and busy with what I was doing, I never really followed up on that. Obviously, that was a huge mistake on my part because the guy's a fantastic coach."
Bowling Green
In 2001, Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.[ In his first season there, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in the NCAA football history, going 8–3 and capping off the season with a 56–21 victory over Bowling Green's rival, the University of Toledo Rockets.][College Football Data Warehouse]
Bowling Green Yearly Results: 2000–2004
. Retrieved September 2, 2009. He also earned Mid-American Conference coach of the year honors. The next year, Bowling Green finished with a 9–3 record.[ After a 17–6 overall record, Meyer left for the University of Utah.
He helped turn around a team that had gone 2–9 in 2000 in large part due to QB Josh Harris, a player tailor-made for Meyer's scheme. In a part-time play in 2001, Harris passed for 1,022 yards with 9 touchdowns and ran for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns. The next year, he passed for 2,425 yards with 19 TD and ran for 737 yards with 20 TD. Meyer would later use such quarterbacks as Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in a fashion similar to the way Meyer used Harris.
]
Utah
After two seasons at Bowling Green, he took the job at Utah in 2003.[Utah Football]
Player Bio: Urban Meyer
. Retrieved September 1, 2009. In his first year there, Meyer was named the Mountain West Conference's Coach of the Year with a 10–2 record, the best ever for a coach's first season at Utah.[ He also earned honors as '' The Sporting News'' National Coach of the Year, the first Utes coach to do so. They also won the program's first outright conference championship since the 1957 team won the Skyline Conference title.
Meyer's success can be attributed to his unique offensive system, which is an offshoot of Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, relying on short pass routes. Meyer's base offense spreads three receivers and puts the quarterback in shotgun formation.][Chris Brown,]
The Florida Gator/Urban Meyer Offense
" SmartFootball.com (December 2, 2008). Retrieved September 1, 2009. Then, he introduces motion in the backfield and turns it into an option
Option or Options may refer to:
Computing
*Option key, a key on Apple computer keyboards
*Option type, a polymorphic data type in programming languages
*Command-line option, an optional parameter to a command
*OPTIONS, an HTTP request method
...
attack, adding elements of the traditional run-oriented option offense.[
In ]2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including ...
bid, something that had not been done by a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference since the formation of the BCS in 1998. He remained at Utah long enough to coach the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh,[ capping off the Utes' first perfect season (12–0) since 1930.
In 2003, Utes quarterback Alex Smith threw for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 452 yards with five touchdowns. In 2004, he threw for 2,952 yards with 32 touchdowns and ran for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns. His production in Meyer's offensive scheme was a large reason why Smith was considered a first-round pick entering the ]2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...
.
Florida
In the wake of his accomplishments at Utah, both the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame vied for his services.[Ivan Maisel,]
Notre Dame football exists only in history books
" ESPN.com (December 6, 2004). Retrieved December 16, 2021. Meyer chose to become Florida's head coach for the 2005 season, signing a seven-year contract worth $14 million.[ He later signed a six-year contract extension with the Gators on June 7, 2007; the extended contract paid an average of $3.25 million per year. On August 3, 2009, Meyer received another contract extension that made him the SEC's highest-paid coach during the 2009 season; his 2009 extension was worth $24 million over six years. At the time of the latest contract extension, Meyer was the third highest-paid college football coach, behind only Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis.
Meyer has been criticized by some commentators because 31 of his players were arrested during his six years as the Gators' coach.][Rachel George,]
Chris Rainey 30th player to be arrested or face charges during Urban Meyer's tenure
" ''The Sun-Sentinel'' (September 15, 2010). Retrieved September 15, 2010.[Greg Bishop,]
" ''The New York Times'' (July 6, 2013). Retrieved July 7, 2013. The seriousness of the charges varied widely, from minor offenses such as possession of alcohol by a minor to the charges of possession of a concealed weapon, "aggravated stalking, domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and fraudulent use of credit cards".[ Many of the charges were ultimately dismissed.][
In September 2010, after Gator receiver ]Chris Rainey
Christopher Rainey (born March 2, 1988) is an American professional football running back and kick returner who is a free agent. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a member of Florida's BCS National Championshi ...
was arrested for sending a threatening text message to a former girlfriend, Meyer stated that he was "real upset about that. After a while, enough's enough. If there's something that we can improve on, we're certainly looking into that. It's like if our graduation rate stinks then we gotta improve that. If there are other issues in a program, that's our job to get it better. It's people making stupid mistakes, that's something we gotta correct."
2005 season
In 2005, his first season at Florida, Meyer's Gators team finished the season 9–3 (5–3 in the Southeastern Conference). The season included an undefeated record at home and a bowl victory against Iowa in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The Gators would have faced LSU in the , but they lost to South Carolina and former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...
in the SEC regular-season finale.
2006 season
In 2006, Meyer coached the Gators to a 13–1 (8–1 in the SEC) record, with the one loss coming to the Auburn Tigers. After clinching the SEC East, the Gators won the on December 2 over Arkansas by a score of 38–28. The Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 41–14, in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game
The 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 8, 2007, and featured the top-ranked Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes against the 2nd-r ...
to win the national championship.[Associated Press,]
Gators attack: Florida gets title with rout of Ohio State
" ESPN.com (January 8, 2007). Retrieved December 16, 2021. It was the first BCS bowl berth for the Gators since the Orange Bowl that capped off the 2001 campaign, and Florida's first national championship appearance and victory since winning the 1997 Sugar Bowl
The 1997 Nokia Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual Sugar Bowl game and served as the Bowl Alliance's designated national championship game for the 1996 season. It matched No. 1 Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) against ...
.[
Meyer has been known for winning big games. In addition to his 5–1 record in bowl games at Florida, Meyer compiled a 16–2 record against three of the Gators' biggest opponents—Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State.
]
2007 season
The Gators managed a 9–3 regular season record in 2007, including blowout wins over rivals Tennessee and FSU but once again losing to Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
. During his tenure at the University of Florida, Coach Meyer never defeated Auburn.[College Football Data Warehouse, All-Time Coaching Records]
Urban Meyer:2007
. Retrieved September 1, 2009. Quarterback Tim Tebow also became Coach Meyer's first Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
winner. The team led the conference in scoring, but struggles on defense made it difficult for the Gators to reach a BCS bowl game. The Gators lost the to Michigan 41–35 on January 1, 2008.[ Meyer served as a pre-game and halftime analyst for the ]2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 BCS National Championship Game (branded as the 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game for sponsorship reasons) was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the No. 1 and ...
.
2008 season
In 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 overall record and the BCS National Championship
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college foot ...
over Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, including wins over six ranked teams. The team's lone defeat came at the hands of Ole Miss on September 27, 2008, a game in which Florida led in time of possession and passing yards, but had three turnovers. Eleven of the Gators' twelve wins in the 2008 regular season were by 20 points or more. On December 6, 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 31–20 victory over then top-ranked Alabama in the SEC title game. Leading in time of possession, rushing yards, and passing yards, the Gators rallied from behind after a third-quarter deficit to score two touchdowns and hold Alabama scoreless in the fourth quarter. The victory would vault Florida to No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll, No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, and No. 2 in the BCS rankings, setting up a showdown against Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
in the BCS Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college fo ...
on January 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Gators won 24–14, securing their second national championship under Meyer.
2009 season
In 2009, Meyer's Gators began the season ranked No. 1 by the largest margin in the history of the AP preseason poll. Though the team struggled on offense at times, and quarterback Tim Tebow suffered a frightening concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
in a September victory over Kentucky, Florida finished the regular season 12–0 and still ranked No. 1. The winning streak ended in the SEC Championship Game, when they lost 32–13 to Alabama.
Florida was selected to play the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl
The 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 76th Sugar Bowl. The Florida Gators defeated the Cincinnati Be ...
. The Gators won 51–24 to finish the season with a 13–1 record for the second consecutive year.
Leave of absence
In the early morning of December 6, 2009, soon after returning home following his team's loss in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, Meyer was quietly admitted into a Gainesville hospital suffering from chest pains and dehydration. He was released later in the day, and the incident was not announced to the public at the time.
On December 26, after discussions with his family, Meyer revealed his medical scare and announced that he would resign as Florida's head coach due to health and family concerns following his team's New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
Sugar Bowl appearance. Meyer stated: "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family." He also said: "I'm proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida." Meyer admitted that he had suffered frequent chest pains, later discovered to be caused by Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and occasional severe headaches due to an arachnoid cyst
Arachnoid cysts are cerebrospinal fluid covered by arachnoidal cells and collagen that may develop between the surface of the brain and the cranial base or on the arachnoid membrane, one of the three meningeal layers that cover the brain and the ...
for years, and that they were related to stress.
On December 27, Meyer announced that he would take an indefinite leave of absence instead of resigning. He was unsure if he would return for the 2010 season but stated that "I do in my gut believe that will happen." Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio
Stephen Robert Addazio (born June 1, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He currently is the offensive line coach for Texas A&M University. Addazio served as the head football coach at Temple University from 2011 to 2012, Bos ...
would serve as the interim coach in Meyer's absence.
On January 1, 2010, Meyer coached the Gators in their 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. In a post-game interview, Meyer again suggested that he would return to coach the Gators at some point by saying: "I plan on being the coach of the Gators."
Meyer took significant time off from his coaching duties after the bowl game in an attempt to improve his personal health. While he did stay in touch with potential new players during the busy recruiting season, Meyer did much less traveling to visit recruits than usual. Nevertheless, the Gators still signed the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in February.
On March 17, 2010, Meyer returned full-time to his position for the start of the Gators' spring practice and continued in that role into the 2010 season.
2010 season
With his victory over Kentucky on September 25, 2010, Meyer achieved his 100th career win as a coach. With that win, his record was at 100–18 over the course of 10 seasons. He became the sixth fastest NCAA coach to reach that record, following Gil Dobie (108 games), George Woodruff (109 games), Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of ...
(111 games), Fielding Yost (114 games), and Knute Rockne
Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...
(117 games). He was also the second-fastest to reach 100 wins since Wilkinson in 1945.
Despite reaching this milestone, the season was a difficult one for the Gators, and their 7–5 regular-season record was the worst in Meyer's tenure at Florida. On December 8, 2010, Meyer again announced his retirement from coaching for much the same reasons he mentioned in December 2009: his family and his health.
Meyer's last game as Florida's coach was a 37–24 win in the 2011 Outback Bowl
The 2011 Outback Bowl, a college football bowl game, matched the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten. The 25th edition of the Outback Bowl, it was played at Raymond James St ...
on January 1, 2011.
Aftermath
After a three-month investigation, the ''Sporting News'' published an exposé titled "How Urban Meyer broke Florida football", suggesting that Meyer had created a toxic culture in the locker room at Florida and departed just before implosion. The article quoted several Florida players who declared that Meyer developed a "Circle of Trust" that included only star players, and that those players received favorable treatment, including not having to complete workouts, lenient punishment, and hiding the player's positive drug tests from the public. Although Meyer stated: "I've never heard of Circle of Trust before in my life", former players contend it was the foundation of Florida's culture under Meyer.
ESPN career
After resigning as the head football coach of the Florida Gators, Meyer worked as a college football commentator and analyst for the American television sports network ESPN.
Ohio State
On November 17, 2011, ''Eleven Warriors'' reported that Meyer would become the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Meyer denied the report publicly, then asked ESPN to be taken off assignment during the weekend of the Ohio State–Michigan game, adding more to the speculations that he might be named the next head coach of Ohio State. On November 28, WBNS Columbus confirmed that Meyer had accepted the job as Ohio State's head football coach, and was introduced as head coach later that night. The school said Meyer would receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments". It was reported by CBS Sports on April 13, 2015, that Meyer signed a contract extension with the Buckeyes through 2020.
2012 season
In Meyer's first year of coaching at Ohio State, he helped lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated 12–0 record and a No. 3 AP Poll ranking. The team was ineligible for all other rankings, as well as postseason play, due to NCAA sanctions. He was surrounded by first-year coaches such as offensive coordinator Tom Herman, co-offensive coordinator Ed Warriner, and co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers.
2013 season
Meyer's next year was not as good as the previous one, but Ohio State still finished #12 in the BCS rankings and a 12–2 record. Meyer lost talent at the end of the year to the 2014 NFL Draft, including linebacker Ryan Shazier
Ryan Dean Shazier (; born September 6, 1992) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Shazier had a successful fi ...
, cornerback Bradley Roby
Bradley Roby (born May 1, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at O ...
, and running back Carlos Hyde
Carlos Dawon Hyde (born September 20, 1990) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State University and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Hig ...
. Roby and Shazier went in the first round, and Hyde went in the second round.
2014 season
Before the start of the season, Ohio State lost its star quarterback, Braxton Miller, when he sustained a right shoulder injury during practice. Redshirt freshman quarterback J. T. Barrett
Joe Thomas Barrett IV (born January 23, 1995) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently an offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State ...
stepped in as his replacement and led Ohio State to an 11–1 record through the first 12 games of the season. However, in the final game of the regular season, he sustained a broken ankle and was lost for the remainder of the year. Cardale Jones
Cardale Jones (; born September 29, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Ohio State. At the beginning of the 2014 season, Jones was listed a ...
replaced Barrett at quarterback and guided Ohio State to a 59–0 blowout win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Football Championship Game. With the conference championship and the convincing win over Wisconsin, Ohio State moved up to #4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, jumping the two Big 12 teams in playoff contention, Baylor and TCU, qualifying for the inaugural four-team postseason tournament. They played #1 Alabama in the semifinal Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
. Despite being nine-point underdogs and trailing by as much as 15 points in the first half, Ohio State came back to win, 42–35. The Buckeyes then faced Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The Buckeyes were again underdogs as the #2-ranked Ducks were favored by seven points. Despite giving up four turnovers, Ohio State beat Oregon, 42–20, with MVP performances from running back Ezekiel Elliott and safety Tyvis Powell. The victory marked the eighth national championship in Ohio State's history and gave Meyer his third career national title, following his two with Florida.
2018 season
On August 1, 2018, Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave by Ohio State after reports surfaced that Meyer knew about spousal abuse allegations against assistant coach Zach Smith prior to Smith's firing the week prior.
After an independent investigative panel reviewed the evidence, the Ohio State Board of Trustees found that Meyer and Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith did not uphold the values of the university. On August 22, the board voted to suspend Meyer for the opening three games of the season for the Buckeyes. He missed the team's games against Oregon State, Rutgers, and TCU.
Ohio State finished the year with a 12–1 record, including winning the Big Ten conference, but was not selected for the College Football Playoff, instead receiving a spot in the 2019 Rose Bowl
The 2019 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2019 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 105th edition of the Rose Bowl Game, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football ...
.
On December 4, 2018, Meyer announced that he would retire from coaching following the team's Rose Bowl game due to health reasons. It was announced that Ryan Day would take over the head coaching position immediately after the Rose Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On January 14, 2021, Meyer was hired to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. On July 1, 2021, the NFL fined Meyer $100,000 for violating practice rules during organized team activities.
In early October, a video appeared to show Meyer inappropriately touching a woman who was not his wife while he was at his Columbus-area restaurant, Urban Meyer's Pint House. Meyer apologized to the team and personnel. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan
Shahid Rafiq Khan ( ur, ; born July 18, 1950)["Sha ...](_blank)
said that Meyer's behavior had been "inexcusable" and that Meyer "must regain our trust and respect".
The Jaguars won their first regular season game on October 17 against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 23–20. The Jaguars won their second regular season game when they defeated the heavily favored Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
by a score of 9–6 on November 7.
Toward the end of the 2021 season, Jaguars players and coaches were critical of Meyer's treatment of them, to which the team officially responded with assertions of Meyer's job security.
On December 15, former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo publicly accused Meyer of physical abuse, saying that Meyer repeatedly kicked Lambo's leg during warmups prior to the team's final preseason game. Lambo said it was inexcusable for any boss at any workplace to strike an employee. After Lambo told Meyer never to kick him again, Lambo said Meyer responded, "I'm the head ball coach. I'll kick you whenever the fuck I want." Later that day, Lambo reported the incident to his agent, who then reported it to the Jaguars team. Within hours of these new revelations from Lambo, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan made the decision to fire Meyer from his position and informed him of this in the early hours of December 16, 2021.
Meyer recorded a 2–11 (.154) record during his brief tenure. His thirteen-game tenure is tied with Lou Holtz
Louis Leo Holtz (born January 6, 1937) is an American former football player, coach, and analyst. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary (1969–1971), North Carolina State University (1972–1975), the New York ...
and Bobby Petrino for fourth-shortest coaching tenures in NFL history. Holtz and Petrino also were making their NFL head coaching debuts after previously being a head coach in college. His .154 winning percentage is the worst of any non-interim head coach since Cam Cameron's .063 winning percentage with the Miami Dolphins in 2007.
On January 26, 2022, Meyer spoke publicly for the first time about his tenure with the Jaguars on Dan Dakich's podcast ''Don't @ Me'', calling it "the worst experience I've had in my professional lifetime", citing the five-game losing streak and the differences in practice time compared to college football. Meyer added that he experienced "depression", and said, "I'd stare at the ceilings and hink'are we doing everything possible' because I really believed we had a roster that was good enough to win games. I just don't think we did a great job."
Spread offense
When Meyer got his first head coaching position at Bowling Green, he took trips to visit John L. Smith
John Lawrence Smith (born November 15, 1948) is an American college football coach. He was the head football coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky, a position he held from 2016 until he was fired by the university in 2018.
...
and Scott Linehan at Louisville, Randy Walker and Kevin Wilson at Northwestern, Bill Snyder at Kansas State, Joe Tiller and Jim Chaney
James Allen Chaney (born January 12, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is an offensive analyst for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He previously served as an offensive analyst for the New Orleans Saints of the National F ...
at Purdue, and Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, all of whom ran some version of the spread offense
:''"Spread offense" may also refer to the four corners offense in basketball.''
The spread offense is an offensive scheme in gridiron football that typically places the quarterback in the shotgun formation, and "spreads" the defense horizontall ...
.[
Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State all ran the spread, chiefly utilizing a run-first variation most similar to Rodriguez's at West Virginia, but with tweaks to fit the offensive personnel. For example, Meyer's first two years at Florida skewed toward a drop-back passing attack led by ]Chris Leak
Christopher Patrick Leak (born May 3, 1985) is an American football coach and former gridiron football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2007 BCS National Champion ...
, while Tim Tebow led an option run-based spread (as did Alex Smith at Utah).[ Using this offense, he won two BCS titles, won the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship, became the first coach to lead a BCS non-automatically qualified conference team (Utah) to a BCS bowl, coached a Heisman trophy winner (Tim Tebow), and graduated a player who became a number one overall pick in the NFL draft (Alex Smith).
]
Coaching tree
Assistant coaches under Meyer who became NCAA or NFL head coaches:
*Steve Addazio
Stephen Robert Addazio (born June 1, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He currently is the offensive line coach for Texas A&M University. Addazio served as the head football coach at Temple University from 2011 to 2012, Bos ...
: Temple (2011–2012), Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
(2013–2019), Colorado State
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
(2020–2021)
* Gary Andersen: Utah State
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
(2009–2012; 2019–2020), Wisconsin (2013–2014), Oregon State (2015–2017)
*Chris Ash
Chris Ash (born December 24, 1973) is an American football coach who is the defensive backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL).
A coaching veteran of 24 years, Ash previously served as the head coach at Rutge ...
: Rutgers (2016–2019)
* Tim Beck: Coastal Carolina (2023–present)
*Tim Beckman
Timothy David Beckman (born January 19, 1965) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Toledo from 2009 to 2011 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 2012 to 2014, compi ...
: Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
(2009–2011), Illinois (2012–2014)
* Gregg Brandon: Bowling Green (2003–2008), Colorado Mines (2015–2021)
* Ryan Day: Ohio State (2018–present)
* Stan Drayton: Temple (2022–present)
*D.J. Durkin
Daniel John Durkin (born January 15, 1978) is an American football coach, who is currently the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He is the former co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Mississippi ( Ole Miss) and he ...
: Maryland (2016–2018)
* Luke Fickell: Cincinnati (2017–2022), Wisconsin (2023-present)
*Cody Hawkins
Cody Norman Hawkins (born March 24, 1988) is an American college football coach and a former professional and college football player. He is the head football coach at Idaho State University. Hawkins played as a quarterback for the Colorad ...
: Idaho State
, mottoeng = "The truth will set you free"
, established =
, former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...
(2023-present)
* Tom Herman: Houston (2015–2016), Texas (2017–2020), Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-cam ...
(2023-present)
* Jay Hill: Weber State (2014–2022)
*Doc Holliday
John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the event ...
: Marshall (2010–2020)
* Scot Loeffler: Bowling Green (2019–present)
* Dan McCarney: North Texas (2011–2015)
* Dan Mullen: Mississippi State (2009–2017), Florida (2018–2021)
* Mike Sanford Sr.: UNLV (2005–2009), Indiana State (2013–2016)
* Greg Schiano: Rutgers (2020–present)
*Charlie Strong
Charles Rene Strong (born August 2, 1960) is an American football coach who is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Miami. He recently served as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach ...
: Louisville (2010–2013), Texas (2014–2016), South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
(2017–2019)
* Mike Vrabel: Tennessee Titans (2018–present)
* Kyle Whittingham: Utah (2005–present)
* Kevin Wilson: Tulsa (2023-present)
* Everett Withers: James Madison (2014–2015), Texas State (2016–2018)
Head coaching record
College
NFL
Personal life
While studying at Cincinnati, Meyer met Shelley Mather, a freshman nursing student, at Sigma Chi's Derby Days philanthropy event and they married in 1986.[ The Meyers have three children: Nicole ("Nicki"), Gisela ("Gigi") and Nathan ("Nate").][ His two daughters played Division I volleyball: Nicki played for Georgia Tech and Gigi played for Florida Gulf Coast. He is a practicing Roman Catholic. Meyer resides in Jacksonville, Florida.]
See also
* List of Ohio State University people
* List of Sigma Chi members
* List of University of Cincinnati people
This is a list of encyclopedic people associated with the University of Cincinnati in the United States of America.
Notable alumni
''Those listed include graduates of the University, as well as attendees.''
*David Applebaum, Israeli physician ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
2012 Florida Football Media Guide
', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2012).
* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). .
BGSU Football History
2006 Bowling Green Football Media Guide.
Ute Record Book
2006 Utah Football Media Guide.
Head Football Coach Urban Meyer
2006 Gator Football Media Guide.
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Urban
1964 births
Living people
American football cornerbacks
Bowling Green Falcons football coaches
Cincinnati Bearcats football players
College football announcers
Colorado State Rams football coaches
Florida Gators football coaches
Illinois State Redbirds football coaches
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches
Ohio State Buckeyes football coaches
Utah Utes football coaches
Gulf Coast Braves players
Pulaski Braves players
High school football coaches in Ohio
Ohio State University alumni
St. Xavier High School (Ohio) people
Sportspeople from Ashtabula, Ohio
Players of American football from Ohio
Baseball players from Ohio
Coaches of American football from Ohio
Catholics from Ohio
Jacksonville Jaguars head coaches