Urban Meyer takes the Ohio State job; do Gators feel jobbed?
"Let's see: Where can I land after I retire for the third time?" (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
The second retirement of Urban Meyer lasted 51 weeks. (Up from the first retirement of Urban Meyer, which lasted half a day.) And how, if you’re a Florida fan, do you feel today?
Your team is coming off a 6-6 season and the coach who retired to spend more time with his family is uprooting that family and taking it to Columbus. Yes, the Urbanator won two national championships — one more than all other Gator coaches combined — while in Gainesville, but now he’s back coaching another school after a retirement that was really a nice long nap interspersed with appearances on ESPN, and there’s some reason to believe his successor, Will Muschamp, is in over his head.
Oh, and guess who Florida figures to meet in the Gator Bowl? Ohio State.
When last a Florida coach left of his own accord, Steve Spurrier hopped to the NFL and gave it the ol’ college try for three seasons. Meyer is back doing what we all figured he’d be back doing after 51 weeks. And Florida is in as bad a shape as Florida ever gets. (At least Ron Zook left a reservoir of talent for his successor, who happened to Meyer.)
Urban Meyer is a great coach: On this we can agree. I’m not sure, however, that Gator fans regard him as quite a great a Gator as they once did.
(For the record, here’s what Muschamp said about Meyer last week, courtesy of David Jones of Florida Today: “He’s a first-class guy. But with his deteriorating health and his family, as important as that is to him, I wouldn’t think he would [take the Ohio State job].”‘)
By Mark Bradley
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253 comments Add your comment
RSH
November 28th, 2011
10:22 am
You’ll get no complaints from me about Coach Meyer, he won us two National Championships, took us to 3 BCS Bowls & was 13-2 against UGA, Tennessee & FSU… You can’t ask for much more than that! And, despite all that success, he’ll never be the most beloved man in Gator Nation… that title will be forever be held by the Ol’ Ballcoach! Also, a reminder to all the Muschamp haters out there… In Nick Saban’s first year at Alabama… he went 6-6.
PMC
November 28th, 2011
10:25 am
AJ Smith is one of the best GM’s in the National Football League too.
Being great at ones job does not mean one is great to work with.
Destin Dawg
November 28th, 2011
10:25 am
he’ll take a couple Fla. asst’s with him too… Gators in freefall.. with Muschamp and Fat A$$ Weis… Go dawgs !!1
Benedict Muschump is a failure
November 28th, 2011
10:26 am
Glad UGA wasn’t the Guinea Pig for his coaching disaster.
Muschump at Jortsamulletville forever.
Weiss isn’t good for anything other that hovering over the field, providing aerial footage.
SawThat1nce
November 28th, 2011
10:26 am
He probably got tired of his wife nagging him around the house, with honeydo projects, and figured he might as well be getting paid if he had to work anyways.
Destin Dawg
November 28th, 2011
10:27 am
6-6 will look good to gator fans next year.. Weis is a obese loser
Benedict Muschump is a failure
November 28th, 2011
10:27 am
How’s it feel in Knukeeseville to lose to UK for the first time since Reagan was President.
Another coaching disaster.
dean
November 28th, 2011
10:29 am
I still don’t get that the talent is gone at UF. They had all those great recruiting classes. Did most of those kids never qulaify academically or something?
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
10:30 am
big difference in Saban’s 6-6 versus muschamp
Do you really think florida will win their bowl game?
Do you really think there is reason to be upbeat about the future at florida, especially on offense?
And you call us delusional
flagboy?
November 28th, 2011
10:30 am
Ohio State. If you beat Michigan and maybe one or two other conference teams that are having a decent year, you’re in the National Championship discussion. NOTHING like the grind the of the SEC. He’ll have half the “stress” of the UF job. . . dream job for him, horrible for anyone not an OSU fan. And that’s not because he’s going to turn Ohio St. into the best team in the nation, but it sure as heck is going to seem that way with all of the airplay they’re going to get from ESPN.
. . .just became a minor Michigan fan myself.
Old Dawg
November 28th, 2011
10:31 am
Floriduh’s downfall is benefitting UGA and FSU…
jjGator
November 28th, 2011
10:32 am
Meyer now joins Saban as the biggest liars in college football.
Benedict Muschump is a failure
November 28th, 2011
10:32 am
How’s that decision to be a traitor and a liar going for you Duh-Rick?
BBBWWWAAAHHHAAHHHAA
Have fun losing over and over, year after year.
Destin Dawg
November 28th, 2011
10:34 am
Big Ten is easier than the SEC.. and Ohio is home to Meyer.. good move… Fla. football is a sinking ship.. Go Dawgs.. beat LSU !!
Benedict Muschump is a failure
November 28th, 2011
10:34 am
They have plenty of talent. It’s just a Gator excuse. Muschump is a failure and a traitor.
(Reposted as my previous comment is under further review. Apparently you may not be able to put a Y in the middle of Gator)
Urban Legend
November 28th, 2011
10:34 am
All thanks to medical science and the healing hand of the Lord ! The bedridden defiled body of Urban Meyer has been resurrected and healed enough to go coach and earn a paltry $50 million bigons !
LawDawg
November 28th, 2011
10:35 am
I’m still baffled by the fact that Meyer left the cupboard so bare. How do you win 2 NCs while not recruiting much talent your last 2-3 years?
TL
November 28th, 2011
10:36 am
Meyer = Petrino. At least Meyer was already gone. Petrino sneaked in the middle of the night and stuck a note on the lockers of the Falcons. F Petrino………..F Meyer too! Big Character issues for both!
TL
November 28th, 2011
10:36 am
Meyer = Petrino. At least Meyer was already gone. Petrino snuck in the middle of the night and stuck a note on the lockers of the Falcons. F Petrino………..F Meyer too! Big Character issues for both!
Nina
November 28th, 2011
10:37 am
Gator fans: You have Charlie Weis! What could you possibly be worried about?
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
10:39 am
muschamp ran off about 15 players. Plus he has spread option skill people at running back running pro style offense with a young offensive line.
Florida now runs what evveryone else runs. The preparation for that scheme is different than the spread option.
Muschamp will not get it done IMO. He is interim
rcb
November 28th, 2011
10:39 am
Mr. Meyer said he had health problems. If so, why is he taking a new job? any jury of 12 (all Florida fans are to be struck from the panel) will unanimously agree Mr. Meyer is not switching jobs for health reasons (unless the stress of losing in the SEC has a dtrimental affect on his psyche).
The beginning of the end for Mr. Meyer at Florida was the man handling Alabama gave him and his team a year or so ago. In contrast, Alabama did the same to Georgia and Richt has stuck it out.
Where I come from you call that (what Mr. Richt is doing) character in the face of adversity. What you call Mr. Meyer is not so good. What is he going to say when he greets Alabama or LSU or Georgia in a playoff game a year or two from now???
GatorG
November 28th, 2011
10:41 am
Jobbed? He (and Tebow)gave us two National Championships. Not gonna complain about that!!
TallaDawg
November 28th, 2011
10:43 am
Florida fans are so hypocritical. AND, they are dillussional. They somehow believe: 1) college football started in 1990; 2) UF has no skeletons in their closet, but everyone else does; 3) Emotional connections to UF are iron-clad blood oathes, but commitments to other schools can be broken upon simple, flippant desire; and 4) Other schools/college towns could not possibly have the intangible draw that UF/Gainesville does.
Gator Jockey
November 28th, 2011
10:44 am
Attention all REAL Southern football fans: Here we have yet another proof of Florida’s non-Southern football credentials…Florida fans and even their coaches admire, covet, and love the Big 10. Always have, always will since so many Floridians are the sons and daughters of Big 10 families. Now, we even have UF coaches jumping to coach at Big 10 schools! Zook did it, now Meyer. Do you think Vince Dooley, Shug Jordan, Bear Bryant, or Gen. Bob Neyland would have gone to the Big 10?? No way, no time, no how.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
10:45 am
Urban Meyer is gone. Gone to Ohio State to restart his college coaching career. Good for him. I sincerely hope that whatever issues led to his resignation, do-over and leave of absence in 2009-10 and his resignation for good after the 2010 season are resolved.
Urban Meyer is an excellent coach, plays by the NCAA rules, sincerely cares about his athletes, and wins big games. He proved that he could win championships against the best of the SEC, and given time and the absence of health of personal issues, I am certain he will do it again in the Big 10+2, especially if he can recruit similar caliber athletes to those he recruited in Gainesville. Contrary to some of the jealous shots thrown by fans of former SEC rivals and the sour grapes expressed by a minority of Gators fans, Urban Meyer is the complete package as a coach. The Real Deal. And, yes, I am disappointed that he no longer coaches in Gainesville.
As for the present state of the Gators, clearly they have issues with their current talent at certain key positions, most notably on the offensive line, their lack of a power running back or two, and the absence of reliable deep-threat receivers. Quarterback John Brantley has been unfairly branded as the convenient scapegoat for every problem on the Gators’ offense. Keep in mind that the Gators lost three O-linemen who are 2011 NFL starters, a first-string NFL tight end and several wide receivers who are on 2011 NFL rosters, and a Heisman quarterback who runs like an NFL fullback. Meyer did not leave a bare cupboard, but he did leave holes. After the offensive skill positions, the biggest problem is the lack of depth: the Gators are playing with far fewer than their full NCAA limit of 85 scholarship players. The Gators have plenty of talent on defense, as shown by the fact that only two SEC teams (Alabama and LSU) scored more than 24 points against them. What they need are O-linemen who can block, a couple of deep-threat receivers who can catch, and a power tailback.
If Will Muschamp continues to recruit as he has thus far, the Gators should show marked improvement next year and contend for the conference championship in 2013. Everything else is “monkey dust.”
Good luck, Urban Meyer, and thanks for six great seasons (and two BCS championships). I hope you find personal fulfillment and inner happiness in Columbus.
GatorG
November 28th, 2011
10:47 am
Love the “hey, recruits – don’t go to Florida because your coach will leave you” comments.
Yeah, and you’ll win National Championships. What a drag.
JRW7
November 28th, 2011
10:47 am
TEBOW made Urban Meyer a GREAT coach, and when Tebow left, all of a sudden, Urban left. AND Muschamp was not a good hire for UF.
Bill
November 28th, 2011
10:50 am
As a Gator I say best wishes to Urban.He did great things at Florida.Why would I find fault with a man for taking his dream job.
As for you Bulldog (and it is spelled Bulldog) you need quit worrying about Urban and concentrate on that oncoming train coming at you in Atlanta Saturday night.
dawgdownsouth
November 28th, 2011
10:55 am
If im correct wasnt Urbans first championship at FLA with Chris Leak at QB & other players that Ron Zook recruited before Urban? Wasnt Tebow a Zook Recruit also? And when Fla won with Urban the second time wasnt it still with players that Zook Recruited? Now they are having to deal with players that Urban recruited? And how much did it hurt recruiting when he announced hi one Day retirement last year how many kids do you think changed their mind on signing with the gators? Besides Ohio State will be fine with all the support & cheering they get from ole Kirk herbstriet & ESPN
GT Fan
November 28th, 2011
10:55 am
Leaves Florida for health reasons, but now hes ok to coach again? Think he saw writing on wall, that he could not beat LSU, Bama and now maybe Georgia.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
10:56 am
“TEBOW made Urban Meyer a GREAT coach . . . .”
True. And so did Percy Harvin at wide receiver and tailback, the Pouncey brothers and Maurice Hurt on the offensive line, Brandon Spikes, Major Wright, Joe Haden and Carlos Dunlap on defense, punter Chas Henry . . . . Okay, that’s enough. I think I’ve made my point.
Augusta Dawg
November 28th, 2011
10:56 am
This hurts the whole state of Fla sooooooooooo badddddddddddddd!!!!! RECRUITING!!!!!
This will damage Fla. alot worse than UGA!!!!!!
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
10:57 am
Q: f im correct wasnt Urbans first championship at FLA with Chris Leak at QB & other players that Ron Zook recruited before Urban?
A: Yes.
Q: Wasn’t Tebow a Zook recruit also?
A: No.
Dawg '85
November 28th, 2011
10:58 am
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
10:45 am
“Brevity is the soul of wit”
GT Fan
November 28th, 2011
10:59 am
Muschamp is Floridas worst hire as is Dooley with Tennesee and Al Groh for Tech. PJ ought to see the writing on the wall—Groh is hurting him and we will never beat Ga. Our players and coaches are so intimadated by Ga. Ga. knows they are always going to win. Why didnt PJ call the same plays that he did against Kansas and UNC?
St. Clarkston
November 28th, 2011
10:59 am
Don’t worry Muschump. Meyer will be at Ohio st. longer than you will be in Gainesville. But being a lifelong gator, you’ll be happy in gatorland.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
11:00 am
I predicted that Ohio State would be higher ranked than the dogs at year end. I was wrong.
I predicted months ago that Ohio State would not offer the job to Urban and if they did, Urban would not accept. I was wrong.
I enjoyed the season acutally. They are a young team that will prove to be a top contender. Fickell and the Seniors did a great job holding the team and the Buckeye spirit together. I commend them andremain proud to be a Buckeye.
I predict LSU will put a god old fashion whuppin’ on the dogs. I think LSU could beat the bottom third of the NFL on any given day.
I’m not sold on Meyer personally. He’s too much of an ego guy IMO. As we’ve been reminded again, no one player or coach is bigget than THE Ohio State University.
I have enjoyed his film work sessions on Game Day.
FLA vs Meyer lead Buckeyes in the Gator Bowl? Beats the hell out of the Liberty Bowl, eh dogs?
Big Dawg
November 28th, 2011
11:03 am
I say congratulations to Coach Meyer as this is the job he wanted all along. Fellow Dawgs and others you should be happy for the man that he got the job he always wanted. As for Gator fans, you have a fine Coach in Will Muschamp and just need to give him time to bring in the players that will make his system work.
Go Dawgs beat LSU
Trojan
November 28th, 2011
11:05 am
Can you imagine Weiss on your sidelines each week? Horrible visual.
RedandBlackDawg
November 28th, 2011
11:07 am
At least he gets away form the buffoons he has had to work with at ESPN. I think a high school coaching job would be a step up from where he is now.
Augusta Dawg
November 28th, 2011
11:07 am
Muschamp will not recruit the state of Fla. as well as Meyer……..Other sec teams will make Fla. their main focus……. Muschamp will bring Fla.back down to earth with out any sec much less a national championship …………… Go Buckeyes……………..
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
11:08 am
“Think he saw writing on wall, that he could not beat LSU, Bama and now maybe Georgia.”
Urban Meyer vs. Alabama: 2-2
Urban Meyer vs. LSU: 3-3
Urban Meyer vs. South Carolina: 4-2
Urban Meyer vs. Florida State: 5-1
Urban Meyer vs. UGA: 5-1
Urban Meyer vs. Arkansas: 3-0
Urban Meyer vs. Tennessee: 6-0
The SEC championship game appearances in six years; two SEC championships; six straight New Year’s bowls, including four BCS bowls; and two BCS national championships.
Yup. You’re right. Urban clearly could not compete against SEC-caliber coaches and talent. Real loser.
BTW, how’s that Paul Johnson guy working out for you?
Tom in Atl
November 28th, 2011
11:08 am
Funny how all the Gator Fans are finally wising up to what the rest of the SEC said about Meyer when he was at UF – that he is unscrupulous, has no morals, and is a piece of ****. It’s all fine when the team is winning, isn’t it? And where does he land – with the cheating Scumbags at Ohio State. How many toothless rednecks will jump from bridges when Nick Saban does the same thing in a year or two, and Bama goes back to being what Bama was for 10 years prior to Saban’s arrival?
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
11:08 am
On a somewhat related note, how about Owens chasing down Percy Harvin at the 4 yard line yesterday? ESPY nominee IMO.
Go Falcons!
BulldogBen
November 28th, 2011
11:08 am
GATOR BOWL??? How on Earth can a 6-6 team go to a Jan. 1st bowl??
Oh, and don’t worry, after Meyer has a couple 7-8 win seasons due to scholarship reductions and bowl bans, he’ll cite “health reasons” again.
The man is now infringing on Petrino territory.
Destin Dawg
November 28th, 2011
11:09 am
Muschamp and especially Weis are defintely not comparable to Richt and Grantham.. I like our chances next few years.. Go Dawgs beat LSU !!
Gator Man
November 28th, 2011
11:09 am
Ok we have 2 NAT in 7 years under Meyers, we also have one under ball coach, should we be dissed under him? no way, this is still the SEC.
Now Mark Saint Richt been at UGA for 11 years and never played for a NAT, I think the Georgia fans are the ones that has been dissed.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
11:13 am
“Brevity is the soul of wit.”
And inadequate preparation and a lack of pertinent knowledge lead to silly statements from fan boys who, deep in their souls, are simply jealous of another person’s success.
Free advice: never be afraid to admit when your opponent is good at what they do. It makes you look magnanimous, adds to your credibility among people who actually know what they’re talking about, and makes your team look better if it actually beats your opponent..
DawgFan
November 28th, 2011
11:13 am
hank -
I didn’t see where anyone answered your question, so here it is. If UGA beats LSU in the SECCG, then the SEC likely would get three BCS teams. The only way a conference can have three BCS teams is if the two teams in the National Championship game did not win their conference.
And yes, I realize UGA was punished in 2007 for not even playing for teh SEC Title and this year Alabama is being rewarded for being in the same situation. No one ever said the BCS wasn’t hypocritical, though.