Urban Meyer reminds us there are bigger things than games
Urban Meyer near the end of the SEC championship game. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
The funniest thing Vince Dooley ever said wasn’t funny at the time. It was as serious as a coronary. Because that’s what Dooley thought he was having.
Oct. 17, 1987: Georgia had contrived to fall two touchdowns behind in Nashville, and the head coach began having chest pains. And Dooley said to himself: “I’m having a heart attack, and we’re losing to Vanderbilt.”
The next day he was at Emory, where he would undergo angioplasty. He was back on the sideline the next Saturday, when the Bulldogs — who had rallied to beat the Commodores one week after losing narrowly to Tommy Hodson and LSU — would need a late touchdown to subdue Kentucky. Some life, huh?
“We won one for the ticker,” a merry Loran Smith said afterward, but it must be noted that Vincent Joseph Dooley coached his last game not 15 months later. At age 56. And he’s still alive today.
The best coach in the country is stepping aside not to coach somewhere else but simply not to coach. Urban Meyer is 45. He’s a high-energy guy. Big-name college coaches have to be. A big-name college coach gets home late and leaves early. He recruits and he coaches and he schmoozes with alums and he briefs the media and he answers the 2 a.m. calls that inform him one of his players has done something silly.
Yeah, the big-name coaches make a ton of money, but they live a life of stress beyond measure. As skilled as Urban Meyer is, would we view him quite the same today if his Gators hadn’t blocked that South Carolina field goal back in 2006? (He’d have been 0-2 against Spurrier and the 2006 Gators wouldn’t have won the BCS title and if they don’t win the first one maybe there’s not a second one.)
The point being: Big-name coaches are all control freaks, and yet they exist in a realm where so much cannot be controlled. The wonder isn’t that one of them has been suffering health problems. The wonder is that they all don’t.
Being human, Georgia fans will view Meyer’s leaving as the sound of a window opening. And it well may be. But before we get excited about what might (or might not) happen on the field, we need to pause to consider these sobering circumstances: Here’s a man at the peak of his profession, a man with two BCS titles, a man not yet 50 … and he’s walking away because he felt to keep coaching was to die young.
It was reported that Meyer had checked into a Gainesville hospital the day after Florida lost the SEC title game to Alabama for what was called “dehydration.” We now know that he’d been having chest pains. We now know those chest pains were dire enough to drive him away from the best job in the country, and that’s about as dire as it gets.
All coaches are strivers — striving for the next big win, the next big job, the next big trophy. Urban Meyer had won everything there was to win, but when the doctor shows you the cardiogram, all that striving and winning becomes a secondary concern. Job 1 is to stay alive.
Because this is a sports column, we need pay some attention to sports. Who’ll be next as the head Gator? Well, Charlie Strong just left for Louisville and Dan Mullen is coming off his first year in Starkville. Would they be interested in turning around so soon? Would Bob Stoops’ interest be piqued this time? Would Chris Petersen leave Boise for Gainesville? Is Gary Patterson of TCU an option?
I don’t know the answers. Ninety minutes ago, I didn’t know Florida would be looking for a coach. And to be honest, I’m not really thinking about the next coach just yet. I’m thinking about Urban Meyer.
We’ve had some fun with him in this space over time, but there was never a doubt he was a talent and a force. (His game-planning for Ohio State in the desert in January 2007 was coaching at its finest.) And now he’s leaving the job of jobs at age 45. If that doesn’t make you think, you don’t have a heart.
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657 comments Add your comment
Dawgs2009
December 27th, 2009
10:51 am
Don’t matter,
Man, you have to be the biggest loser to ever post on this blog. You must not have a wife or kids to play with this morning. I am going to play with my kids and get ready for the Falcons game and get on with my life.
Enjoy your pathetic life!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:51 am
Hey, Who let the dogs out? Where did they go?
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:55 am
Dawg2009,
Dawg2009,
Why is it that everytime someone puts a dog in his pen they always say
1. You are the biggest loser to ever post on this blog.
2. You must not have a wife or kids to play with.
3. I am going to get on with my life (but you never do).
4. Enjoy your pathetic life!
m
December 27th, 2009
10:55 am
Mark…why don’t you suggest that they hire your buddy and floriduh alum, chan gomer gailey????.
Even if they never finished in the Top 25 again, you could still say gomer kept the status quo !!
Mark…look in the mirror and you will see an idiot looking back at you.
Dawgs2009
December 27th, 2009
10:56 am
BTW: Don’t matter is Saint Simmons hiding under a different name.
Same Loser! HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:56 am
Dawg2009,
Enjoy a Gator’s life and really live!
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:57 am
Dawgs2009,
Go play with your kids dude
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:58 am
Dawgs2009,
Go play with your kids. That way you might win one!
frank james
December 27th, 2009
10:58 am
Don’t matter – I am still waiting on you to name that UGA player. I am so glad you got you a computer for Christmas. Did you get the printer to?
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
10:59 am
Dawg2009,
Celebrate and Run up the score on your kids LOZER!
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:00 am
Dawg2009,
Mr front yard football dawg!
jawga boy
December 27th, 2009
11:00 am
Don’t matta…… now wait a minute. You obviously have a bad case of MYOPIA to go along with your pea brain. Check the whole record , not just the last 20. I been around a lot longer dan you. Now get yo’ ass back under the powch. UGA still owns FLA.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:01 am
jawga boy,
It took you that long to come back with THAT? LOSER!
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:03 am
This just in
Dawg2009 (41)
His kids (17)
What a pathetic Lozer! Hahahahahahahaha
frank james
December 27th, 2009
11:03 am
Don’t Matter – I just found out how you got your name. Your high school coach kept telling you that you DON’T MATTER. I heard your parents tried to get the coach fired, but then they realized you didn’t matter.
UGA alumni
December 27th, 2009
11:03 am
I hope things work out well for him.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:04 am
Hahaha, Good one Frank.
What a LUZER!
Bride of Chucky Knapp
December 27th, 2009
11:09 am
Gators wear jean shorts!
Cuz
December 27th, 2009
11:10 am
They do make medications to help relieve stress. Just saying.
Ever noticed how coaches continue to say that the internet and blogs are irrelevant and they do not pay attention to them? Last night Lou Holtz and Mark May blamed internet bloggers for stressing out coaches and getting them fired. They put a slam on us bloggers. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:11 am
who who. who shut the dawgs up. who, who, who.
Daniel
December 27th, 2009
11:12 am
THis just in, Breaking News. Ray Goff is the leading canidate to replace Coach Meyers. Ray promises to bring the best assistants to the gator program. Therefore he has contacted Willy Martenez, Chan Gailey and Ray felt is was important to bring some former gator family to the mix and has contacted galen Hall. Ray feels with this mix of coaching style he can achive what he did at Georgia, Visions of winning the PEACH Bowl. Best of luck Gator fans
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:13 am
who who who. 49-3 then 41-17. who who shut the dogs up. who who who
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:15 am
Hey Daniel,
Good one.
LOOOZER!
But make no mistake, if all those coaches did move to Florida they would ALSO own the dogs for the next 5 years!
Lionel Hutz
December 27th, 2009
11:16 am
Isn’t Meyer in some ways responsible for creating the kind of pressure on coaches that is causing him to step down? With the astronomical salaries, egos, and micro-management of all aspects of a year round, 24-7 enterprise?
Cuz
December 27th, 2009
11:17 am
Notice how coaches say they don’t pay attention to the internet boggers. Last night Lou Holtz and Mark May stated that internet bloggers cause coaches uinimaginable stress and headaches. Lou was stating that one could post the vilest lies on the internet without being challenged because of the anonymity. He and May slammed all of us bloggers.
It made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:18 am
I wonder what the score is in Dawg2009 vs his kids game right about now. I bet they got an early lead and he also took on the roll of ref too. Lol. You know he did.
Saint Dawg>>>
December 27th, 2009
11:20 am
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all the GATOR FANS…Hope you enjoyed your late XMAS gift…lol lol…….And oh it came from URBYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!I’ve heard that Urby has been playin golf with Tiger..HUM>>LMAO>>>>>>>>C’MON URBY tell us the truth…
Tony
December 27th, 2009
11:21 am
I think one of the best names may have been June Jones, he runs a high power offense and he can turn a program around ( look at SMU and Hawaii), He is a good quarterback coach and they will get a good DC to go with the offense.
Saint Shreveport
December 27th, 2009
11:22 am
Enter your excuses here on Monday
UGA Russ Rules
December 27th, 2009
11:29 am
I am just temporary but I do own a win over Tech. Shreveport has one of the best dog food plants in America and I am touring it before the game. In fact, a whole bus load of Georgia fans will be touring with me since there is almost nothing to do here. I was thinking that whoever becomes DC for Georgia is going to know he was at best third, fourth, fifth choice for the job. I wasn’t first choice for mascot, either. I’m a temp like the coaches in the bowl game. This program is in a sad fix, isn’t it? At least we can get some good buys at the dog food outlet.
Bizzy Bone
December 27th, 2009
11:30 am
I’ve been hearing that there was a scandal with Meyer and a student at UF.
Saint Dawg>>>
December 27th, 2009
11:34 am
NEWS FLASH>>>> This just in the whole athletic dept. and what coaching staff is left at the UF,has been quarantined…! They have been diagnosed with TT syndrome,,{TIM TEBOW SYN.}symptoms are:not having tim tebow for four more yrs.,lost SEC CHAMP.,lost chance at NC,blurried visions of playin in the independence bowl next season,all there good players goin to the NFL:CURE QUIT WHILE YOUR AHEAD…CURE was found by DR. LOU…!!!lmao….Best wishes to coach MYERS if he is really sick..HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE…WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Hamad Meander
December 27th, 2009
11:35 am
It is truly a stunning announcement, especially when you consider the timing. Why didn’t Meyer wait until after the bowl game to announce? Was it to give Foley more time to look for a replacement or to rally his troups for one more win? Either way, Florida is in a similiar position to what Alabama was when they fired Mike Price and hired Mike Shula.
Recruiting is critical this time of year, so I would expect Florida to not take their time finding a replacement. That might mean that they can’t or won’t end up with who they ultimately want to replace Meyer.
Not having Strong or Mullen in Gainesville is the biggest problem because either one of them would have provided the most seemless transition.
UGA Russ Rules
December 27th, 2009
11:35 am
Reality is as reality does. All this bitterness from the UGA fans reminds me of when I was a pup and we were pre-season number one. Now, here we are in Shreveport without any coaches and stories in the paper reporting who has already turned us down. Urban Meyer is leaving Florida and any coach worth his salt is going to see if he can coach there instead of in Athens where the head coach doesn’t get to pick his own staff. Heck, even I’m a temp. This is going to get worse before it gets better. Woof!
Joe M
December 27th, 2009
11:36 am
Its just a simple bout with postpartum depression.
Once he gets moved into Timmy’s house in Jax he’ll be all better.
Saint Dawg>>>
December 27th, 2009
11:38 am
NEWS FLASH::half the football team just quit!!!SO SO SAD they lost there URBY!!!
UGA Russ Rules
December 27th, 2009
11:39 am
If I could grow a tail maybe I could be a full time gator mascot instead of a part time Dawg mascot. I heard my brother turned down the job as UGA and it just hasn’t hit the news hit.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:43 am
Dawg2009,
What’s the score out there?
UGA Russ Rules
December 27th, 2009
11:44 am
Not inbred enough. That was the excuse for making me only a temporary mascot. I heard that was what they told Willie on the way out the door. How would you like to be hunting a bunch of defensive coaches at the same time as Florida? I think we may be at a disadvantage. I wonder if Coach Willie would come back?
Reggie
December 27th, 2009
11:44 am
Ugga
Listen, according to Meyer’s previous record…a heart attack would produce a half games’s absense. With a possible 26 halfgames…no way he could survive a whoe season. I wouldn’t be suprised if he cited the celebration penalty as one of the causes of his resignation…after all “it will be forever in the mind of the Florida Gators and forever in the mind of Urban Meyer.” Maybe now that the Refs have gotten over their payback and Meyer is gone…hopefully UGA will start off on a level playing field against the Gators!
Syntax not important smart really folks huh? Keep posts the good up huh?
UUUGHH- Exactly what I am talking about.-= Please look at your spelling~ and oh you never addressed the statement that the gators will own you no matter who is coaching. Also by the way since you wanted to bring in south Georgia politics the current president will bring us out of the hole we have been driven in the previous 8 years.
1eyedJack
December 27th, 2009
11:44 am
I smell tuna fish. Any Jrs on the fence…decision made.
Ken Myers
December 27th, 2009
11:45 am
Something like this should be a wake up call to ALL coaches no matter what sport. You don’t mess with your health, but I have a gut feeling 99.9% of the other coaches in the USA will say this won’t happen to me and ignore warning signs.
Live from the Dome, where consolation is available | Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
11:48 am
[...] of which: I’ve seen Petrino’s name listed as a possibility for the Florida post. At such times I ask myself, “Who makes these lists?” He’s a good coach [...]
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
11:52 am
Enter your comments here
jawga boy
December 27th, 2009
11:54 am
Look like Don’t Matter went and got under the powch wid ole St. Simons. Boy that guy wouldn’t shut up. He has now.
Mr. Dawg
December 27th, 2009
11:57 am
UGA — new sheriff in the SEC East! Meyer’s gone, tebow’s gone, strong’s gone, most of their recruits will bail—it’s a great time for the Dawgs to take over the conference. Look for a big win by the Dawgs this year in Jax on the way to the SEC East title!!!
jawga boy
December 27th, 2009
11:59 am
I think it pretty shiddi that UM waited until Strong took off. Seems like he has that ” no-one can succeed me” narscistic attitude. He only rode one horse named Tebow and he was going to have to coach finally. That’s when his butt and his arteries began to tightten.
Although, it is only a game.
jawga boy
December 27th, 2009
12:02 pm
Mr. Dawg, I believe the title gwine be bigger than the EAST. We’ve got a whole bunch a comin back, and new top 10ers coming in. OOOOBoy dat dawg, he lickin’ his chops. And I believe CMR done finally figured out he’s going to have to come off the sideline and do some coachin’ too.
1eyedJack
December 27th, 2009
12:03 pm
A candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
Florida Coach Urban Meyer Stepping Down for Health Reasons - Gambling IQ
December 27th, 2009
12:06 pm
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