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
jawga boy
December 27th, 2009
12:06 pm
Jack, A mouth that runs twice as loud it shuts up quick too, dudn’t it. theys drainin the everglades and raised de limits on Gators…. Its gone be like old times agin.
GATOR HATER
December 27th, 2009
12:08 pm
THE TRUE RUMOR IS MEYER WILL MARRY TEBOW.
Ole Yeller Dawg
December 27th, 2009
12:14 pm
Speaking from 1st hand experience of actually having heart complications I fully understand Coach Meyer’s situation. Heart disease is a silent killer, many people are not lucky enough to receive a warning sign, it’s simply lights out…..the switch is flipped off and your dead before you hit the floor! It can happen at any age, I had my first experience at 47 years of age and I am HWP and very athletic. It’s a known fact that 65% of all people die from heart complications within 6 years of having their first symptoms. Lifestyle, diet and the ability to reduce or avoid stress full situations are key!
I have the utmost respect for Coach Meyers’ very wise decision and I hate to see him step down because you always want to compete against the best. I am also very thankful that he is still alive today so that he will be able to share and pass along all of his coaching knowledge.
Gator Growl
December 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
I remember when Coach Spurrier resigned and shocked the world an avid FSU co-worker of mine said “well, there goes Florida Football because Spurrier IS Florida Football!” I told him that no one is above the program, not even Spurrier and I will say that again today. But Gator Nation mourns over a much loved coach in Urban, just like we did that day that SOS walked away. Urban is a great Gator who not only embraced the traditions of Gator Nation but added greatly to it and will always be loved by all true Gators! Our main concern right now is for him and his family and we hope he stays in Gainesville for a long long time…
Buck
December 27th, 2009
12:22 pm
Meyer knows his stock is going down with a bad year. He will stay out of football for a year or two and when a job comes open at a large school his winning record still in tact, he will still be in demand.
D(r)ooley
December 27th, 2009
12:32 pm
Meyer was a great coach, he coached the Gators to 2 BCS Titles in 3 years, something Richt can only dream of. Meyer didn’t gain a yard or throw a pass in the 2008 and 2009 blowouts in Jacksonville, the players are still going to be there to dominate the Dawgs again this coming decade. The recruits are still coming, the amazing freshmen and sophomore classes are still enrolled at UF. I will quote one top recruit from yesterday, “If you are not a Gator, you are gatorbait.” You guys know all about that one, have fun at the health company bowl against yet another half a cupcake team in a bowl, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Hawaii……the list goes on.
Frank Wren
December 27th, 2009
12:35 pm
Texas A&M, Michigan State, Hawaii……the list goes on.
Ummmm Cincinnati
Frank Wren
December 27th, 2009
12:36 pm
Urban is a great Gator who not only embraced the traditions of Gator Nation
Jean shorts and mullets?
Frank Wren
December 27th, 2009
12:39 pm
Florida goes back to 07 form next year. 9-4 at best.
New QB. Everyone gone on defense. New defensive coordinator. New HC.
Bigger question is how many recruits this is gonna cost Florida.
SuperB
December 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
Wrong! USC is the best job in the country. Notre Dame is second and Texas third. The SEC’s elite: Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia are next. Ohio State and Michigan are right there too.
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
Southern Cal? The champion of the Emerald Bowl? Best job in the country, you say?
Roll Tide
December 27th, 2009
1:49 pm
Don’t mention Dooley in the same sentence with Coach Bryant….there is NO comparison. You can look it up…UGA is so happy Meyer is gone…Richt dreaded Meyer – Saban wanted him!
Quagmire
December 27th, 2009
1:57 pm
“Best job”? Why is the head coach position at Florida the “best job”? The best job isn’t one that requires you to sacrifice your personal life and your health so much. The best job does not require you to work seven days a week, 18 hours a day.
The Florida head coach position is not the best job in American, by far. It isn’t the best job in college football by far. It’s a prestigious job, for sure, but not a great job. A great job allows a person to feel a sense of professional accomplishment, have plenty of time to have a personal and family life, get well paid, and not feel stressed out about work. From what I can tell, the Florida head coaching position doesn’t meet two of those four yardsticks.
Ed
December 27th, 2009
2:01 pm
I wish Meyer good health for many years. For UF, I wish that they seriously botch filling their coaching vacancy. Ty Willingham is available.
its called reflux
December 27th, 2009
2:05 pm
take your prilosec and get back to work. just because Tebow, spikes and Strong are gone does not mean you should throw in the towel.
ratherBgambling
December 27th, 2009
2:18 pm
Looks like Meyer changed his mind and will take a leave of absense
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-urban-meyer-gators-leave-of-absence-1228,0,6505567.story
ratherBgambling
December 27th, 2009
2:22 pm
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4774134
Yes he Can!
KingGator
December 27th, 2009
2:28 pm
You think the announcement last night was stunning? Wait until you hear the next announcement!!
Hint-Billy Donovan
jdeal
December 27th, 2009
2:29 pm
not so fast my friend, he’s already unretired
Dodaddy
December 27th, 2009
2:44 pm
I told you so!
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 27th, 2009
2:46 pm
Urban Meyer taking a leave of absence instead?
Hahahahahaha to the tacky dog nation that celebrated prematurely. I’m telling you folks, YOU are the reason Georgia football has gone down hill. You alone. You have ZERO class. ZERO.
You deserve it!
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$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 27th, 2009
2:47 pm
That ought to shut you dogs up for about 10 minutes any how. Hahahahah
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
2:53 pm
Tell me Georgia,
Has any of your coaches ever put together a 56-10 with a 22-game winning streak and TWO national championships?
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
2:54 pm
Tell me Georgia,
Has any of your coaches ever put together a 56-10 record with a 22-game winning streak and TWO national championships?
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
2:55 pm
Georgia is STILL Florida’s bitch!
Buck
December 27th, 2009
2:59 pm
Sure would be nice to see Meyer come on back and take his ass whippens like a man.
Bye bye DADDY
December 27th, 2009
2:59 pm
wait, wait, wait, what do you mean you’re not retiring, how are we ever going to win the SEC east again?
If anybody knows
December 27th, 2009
3:00 pm
about taking ass whuppins it’s Ga
Even if
December 27th, 2009
3:03 pm
Ga’s DADDY Meyer retires, Uncle Saban is waiting in the wings. New song same as the old song, can’t compete in the SEC GA
Cindy Hendrix
December 27th, 2009
3:11 pm
sorry to hear about Meyer’s health problems wish him & his family the best after all your health & family comes first he had a great run as HC at UF had done all there was to do & win but as a as a die hard UGA fan UF was one of our most heated rivals. With Meyer stepping down & Tebow gone it is not going to be so easy for UF players & fans to have to adjust to a new coach & that takes time hey Don’t Matter we will wait & see if UF can still talk the talk & walk the walk when the season starts again don’t count your chickens before they hatch cause all of UF’s rivals will be looking for payback us UGA included baby!!!!!!!!! get readty for some losses the gravy train is over for now like they say all good things must come to an end!! watch your back gators from all of you SEC Rivals & as Always GO DAWGS!!!! Cindy
Ed
December 27th, 2009
3:27 pm
(unknown Gator official and/or booster): “Uhh, coach, I understand where you are coming from, resigning for health reasons and all. One small problem. A couple of key recruits are saying that they only committed to UF because of you, and are now thinking strongly about FSU, Georgia, and Alabama. Any chance you can change your mind until the first Wednesday in February has past? I think your service to this university through February should be worth an extra mill or so.”
Meyer: “Yep, an indefinite leave of absence – sounds about right.”
Ed
December 27th, 2009
3:34 pm
“Tell me Georgia,
Has any of your coaches ever put together a 56-10 record with a 22-game winning streak and TWO national championships?”
You’ve heard of Vince Dooley, right? 43-4-1 (.916) from ‘80-’83, perfect season in ‘80, national title, three SEC titles, 4 major bowls (three Sugars, one Cotton), 23-game SEC winning streak (broken by Auburn in ‘83), a Heisman trophy winner, consensus All-Americans (Herschel, Terry Hoage, Kevin Butler).
Best part: 4-0 against Florida during that stretch.
Is that the info you were looking for?
Sorry, UF didn’t invent football. If anything, they were late to the party.
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
3:38 pm
georgia lost to florida today and didn’t even play. hahahahahahahaha
Benjamin
December 27th, 2009
3:38 pm
When someone takes the time to type out the two word “Ha” 137 times consecutively to respond to someone in a comments section of a newspaper article, there’s quite possibly a need for them to step back on a smaller scale than Urban Meyer did yesterday and reconsider their priorities in life. I’m just saying.
That said, speaking as a Georgia fan, I wish Mr. Meyer all the best in life, liberty, and happiness. Any man who walks away from a plum job like he had to address his health, faith, and family deserves to be able to walk away with their head held high, and he was (and is) a phenomenal coach. I’ll be pulling for the Gators for the first — and probably only — time in my life against Cincinnati…
T
December 27th, 2009
3:39 pm
I think that Urban is a big “cry baby”. Only because I am too much of a lady to say what I really think. Stress………..!!!?? How about losing everything you have worked for the last 20 years. When Wallstreet and the banks take it all from you…….Now that is stress……..
Don't matter
December 27th, 2009
3:39 pm
Ed,
I’ll ask you again and this time slower. Has any of your coaches ever put together a 56-10 record with a 22-game winning streak and TWO national championships?”
Hahahahahahaha. Close only counts in horseshoes Mr Ed!
Benjamin
December 27th, 2009
3:40 pm
As far as college football jobs are concerned, here’s my list:
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
…
119. Buffalo
120. Notre Dame
Notre Dame pays a LOT of money, but I wouldn’t take it for Bill Gates’s salary. Okay, I probably would, but I still wouldn’t want to coach there…
Benjamin
December 27th, 2009
3:42 pm
T, coming from a middle class family who often saw two parents work two jobs to make ends meet, I understand/get what you’re saying, but the next time your average Joe gets put under the national microscope and sees his very livelihood rely on 19 and 20 year old kids staying out of trouble, making the grades, etc., not to mention having people dig into every crevasse of his life, it’ll be the first time you saw it.
Urban Meyer’s life was much more stressful than common folk realize. And I understand his move 100 percent…
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 27th, 2009
3:43 pm
Benjamin
Let you in on a little secret there little man. I copy and pasted them all. But I do admire someone like yourself that obviously counted each one.
SOUTHGADAWG88
December 27th, 2009
3:59 pm
Looks like Meyer is up to his old tricks
Pissed off Dawg Fan(2 years running)
December 27th, 2009
5:21 pm
Hey Bradley,
Now if you are done slobbering all over 9 year head coach Urban Meyer, care to retract any of your slobbering now that Coach Cryer has been miraculously CURED by Tebow in 24 hours, now he will just take a little LEAVE!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
Cryer made you reporters look like FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Angry Dawg Fan(2 years running)
December 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
Hey Bradley,
Now if you are done slobbering all over 9 year head coach Urban Meyer, care to retract any of your slobbering now that Coach Cryer has been miraculously CURED by Tebow in 24 hours, now he will just take a little LEAVE!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
Cryer made you reporters look like FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a DRAMA QUEEN
La Jolla Dawg
December 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
What a complete non-story this has become. He says he’ll be coaching when the season opens. He is taking the spring and summer off–if that.
DawgInDC
December 27th, 2009
5:25 pm
weird situation down there in hogtown..I hope we hang 100 on those losers next year
Benjaminq
December 27th, 2009
5:25 pm
LOL — “Little man…” I sort of admire your arrogance of assumption. It’s entertaining.
For the record, it was an estimation. I didn’t count them… just more or less referred to your desire to expunge whatever aggression you may be feeling on page six of the comments section of an AJC article. I guess it could be worse, though. You could be out in the streets…
Carry on, message board warrior!
Benjaminq
December 27th, 2009
5:25 pm
LOL
What in the world is Urban doing?
DawgInDC
December 27th, 2009
5:26 pm
Bobby Bowden and Joepa have both played in many more big games than urban has and they never took a leave of absence..
Benjamin
December 27th, 2009
5:36 pm
That doesn’t really mean much, though, does it, Dawg? People have different things to deal with, y’know?
Urban’s a great coach — and has the track record to show it. He’s one national title away from having more than the same Bobby Bowden you referenced at 45, for example. He’s won everywhere. And today’s coaching environment, I think, is probably a little more stressful than it was back then, with the massive media presence, the boosters to please, and more things for his kids to get into….
PowerDawg
December 27th, 2009
5:37 pm
Just watched the ESPN live interview…and right as the team is preparing for the game against UC, mind you…
What a bunch of BS! There is absolutely nothing wrong with his arrogant a$$ other than being pissed that Mack Brown is making way more money than him…and with less hardware to show for it!
This was all an elaborate ruse to draw attention to… HIM!
If he really does have a problem with his heart (which many, many people doubt) and he’s ignoring it to keep himself in the limelight, than he deserves whatever happens to him from here on out.
I hope his wife has a nice, fat insurance policy on his stupid, selfish a$$!
If he goes out on national TV during the Sugar, the gator-worshipping clods at ESPN would lose their frigging minds! That would make the Te-Blow from the Kentucky game look like a waste of air-time!
What a tool! What an incredibly arrogant, self-absorbed tool!
messin with sasquatch
December 27th, 2009
5:39 pm
I said look out for the billy donovan move, after UF thought it through.