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
pb
November 28th, 2011
1:20 pm
Let Urban go back to Ohio. That seems to be where his heart is. I understand why Florida fans are a little pissed, though. Don’t think he was totally honest about his “heart” problems… But it doesn’t matter now. He will be happy and so will Ohio State— as long as he wins.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
1:21 pm
TIME OUT
TIME OUT
TIME OUT
Tell The Truth
November 28th, 2011
1:22 pm
Does anyone remember the facial expressions on Meyer’s face during the championship game in 2009?
He looked like the masked magician had just revealed all of his tricks.
He then realized that same feeling again in 2010 when got spanked 4 times.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
1:23 pm
@War Eagle 30082:
Duly noted, sir.
Larry
November 28th, 2011
1:23 pm
Tebow was to Urban what Cam Newton was to Gene Chizik. The difference is that Urban can win without a Tebow. Chizik is really not a very good coach. His record outside the year of Cam is terrible.
Bobo is Not the Problem
November 28th, 2011
1:24 pm
Enter your comments here.
Bobo is Not the Problem
November 28th, 2011
1:26 pm
Wish this ding dang thing would tell you why your comment is not being published. Let’s try a medley.
UGA got Jobbed
November 28th, 2011
1:26 pm
They still have Clown Bobo!
Heart Attack
November 28th, 2011
1:26 pm
Muschamp is a kid trying to do a man’s job. He an his granddaddy Charlie are pathetic together.
DetroitBraves
November 28th, 2011
1:29 pm
I guess I could google it, and I’m not saying I don’t believe it, but does anyone know what Meyer’s health problems are exactly?
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
1:29 pm
“Also, Gator fans enlighten me on the mess Urban left. Your D line is 2 deep in NFL talent that gave up 39 yards of offense in the first half against FSU. I’ll take it.”
@Nom Nom Nom Chuck,
Please see my longer comment above—-Gators need to reload on the offensive line, at wide receiver, and at tailback. Brantley is taking a fall for an offense that’s missing most of the pieces on the line and the skill positions.
Bobo is Not the Problem
November 28th, 2011
1:31 pm
“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.”
Exactly. But racking up 10 wins against a weak schedule will keep him in Athens for another 10 years at least.
Nom Nom Nom Chuck
November 28th, 2011
1:32 pm
You guys don’t have 70 scholarship players? How the ehll did that happen? Like I noted, OL play is pretty scary….but seriously, your D line is pretty choking.
I guess give the O another year for adjustment, also Weis’s scheme seems pretty confusing, like most I form pro sets are for college kids.
Jamie
November 28th, 2011
1:32 pm
Good offensive and defensive lines win championships. They can make ordinary skill players look good.
Bobo is Not the Problem
November 28th, 2011
1:32 pm
OK, apparently I cannot re-post in quotes the remark someone made earlier about Mark Saint Richt not even playing for the NC in 11 years. So I paraphrased it. Here is my response.
Bingo. But racking up 10 wins against a weak schedule will keep him in Athens for another 10 years at least.
Look how it would hurt recruiting if we let him go.
It took Meyer, Saban, Miles, and Chizik a total of 2 or 3 years to recover from the recruiting damage and win a NC.
Good grief.
The DAWG
November 28th, 2011
1:33 pm
Meyer quit cause he knew the talent at Florida was way down and pretty much expected the year the Gators had this year. Gator fans should be glad the WUSS is gone
Nom Nom Nom Chuck
November 28th, 2011
1:33 pm
TRADE OFFER: We will take Weis and eat him…you take Bobo so Richt will call his plays and we can hire a Special Teams coach.
Agreed?
Nom Nom Nom Chuck
November 28th, 2011
1:35 pm
Also, I want Shareff Floyd….and a taco
GatorGrad1985
November 28th, 2011
1:36 pm
I went to the game versus F$U saturday, went to 4 home games, 2 away games this season. I graduated from UF, saw Dickey, Pell, Hall, Darnell, SOS, the Zooker, Urban, and now Muschamp.
For most of the rank and file- not the internet loudmouths – we are good with it. Had he stayed at UF and posted a 7-5 or 6-6 season, what then? The seat would have been white hot for him in 2012. Instead, he leaves for another conference that no SEC team plays against this year or next, or after that. Had he gone to an SEC or ACC school, more vitriol.
Sidewalk alums and fair weather fans from the early 1990’s to now for UF are the ones complaining.
The only small measure of disappointment for me is how he left. Saying family and illness were the reasons for his stepping down. I have kids – both under 15 – and each has asked me this weekend, “Did Coach Meyer lie” when he quit UF. Kids get it. So the lessons Meyer taught while at UF … the traditions he instilled, the push for being candid and honest – seem to have been undone a little with him taking this job.
I do predict this- his name will go up on the Ring of Honor at the Swamp (look it up) and folks will give him a standing ovation.
He won a National Championship with Chris Leak for god’s sake!
IAKOW
Gatorbait
November 28th, 2011
1:38 pm
Here was Meyer’s assessment of the status of his team after last year’s FSU game:
“The fix starts tomorrow,” Meyer said. ” … There’s one way to do it, and it’s hard work and go rebuild it. … We’re going to rebuild it right, though. Not wrong. We’ll rebuild it right.”
Of course, he quit a few days later. Too much hard work involved, I guess.
Oh, and then he got to ESPN and said that he left a “loaded” team behind in Gainesville.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
1:38 pm
Does this mean Tebow is now a Buckeye?
Gatorbait
November 28th, 2011
1:41 pm
We’ll give you Weis for a coach to be named later. You can keep Bobo.
Nom Nom Nom Chuck
November 28th, 2011
1:43 pm
OUCH!!!! What about my taco?
DetroitBraves
November 28th, 2011
1:45 pm
@Gatorbait, do you think the Ohio State situation is more or less difficult than what he would have faced trying to reload at Florida? Seriously asking the question. Obviously, Florida has fallen as step behind a few of the powers in the SEC but there aren’t any real scandals and it’s a good state in which to start looking to reload. It’ll be interesting to see which program comes back quicker from 6-6 seasons.
duronimo
November 28th, 2011
1:47 pm
There is likely more to Meyer leaving Florida than we all know. I can’t figure out why Tennessee and Florida have had to fall so far over a simple coach replacement. It gives Georgia fans cause to think really hard about making such a change. (It’s not going to happen now anyway). The AD probably made the right call …. to give Richt some time. Richt said he was re-dedicating himself to football and I think he has kept his word. UGA teams are beginning to looked well coached again. The “dream team” recruits are awesome. Best bunch of receivers ever at UGA in my opinion.
Gbal
November 28th, 2011
1:49 pm
Q: If LSU beats UGA, can Sugar Bowl take another SEC team or do they have to reach out to another confrence?
I know there was something about 1-2 from the same confrence that in this case, a third team could go to a BCS game, but could it be UGA if they loose to LSU?
GaBuckeye
November 28th, 2011
1:50 pm
What if Urban Meyer returned to coach UGA, what would the dawg fans say then? I seem to remember a few years ago that Muschamp was the greatest football coach to walk this earth. I think Meyer will do just fine in Columbus.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
1:54 pm
I’m a pathetic attention whoooring classless POS, just like my new coach!
Gatorbait
November 28th, 2011
1:57 pm
@ DetroitBraves – I think that’s a good question. I think that the NCAA situation probably tilts that question in Florida’s favor. There is a ton of talent in the state of Florida, but everybody and his brother is trying to sign that talent, including FSU and Miami, and the SEC is brutal when you don’t have the horses.
Gbal
November 28th, 2011
1:58 pm
No dawg fan cares where CUM goes Bkeye. And no UGA fan said Muschamp was the greatest to walk the earth… just a possible candidate. Your blabing nonsense.
Glad urban is at Ohio State and UGA fans hope to be meeting him on the field in comming years.
Gbal
November 28th, 2011
2:03 pm
No UGA fan cares if Urban goes to Ohio State and no UGA fan said Muschamp was the best coach on earth… Just that he was a possible candidate …. And from what I saw this season I am glad he went to UF because I am not confident in his ability.
UGA fans hope to be playing against UM soon in a BCS Bowl game. It would be great!
Cardinal Sin
November 28th, 2011
2:04 pm
As a Gator, yes, we do feel JOBBED by this LIAR! He wants his players to buy into his system, have character and the like, and he leaves a great program all based upon LIES!!! I do not think Muschamp is the answer either. FL should have hired Spurrier back when they had the chance!
gator fan
November 28th, 2011
2:22 pm
Get ready Buckeye Fans because he will only be be there for about 4-5 years just like he has done at every other place he has been(Miami of Ohio-Utah & Florida) & leave you with no talent. Recruits take a look at the offensive skill players that have gone on to Florida under UM very few have made it to the NFL. NO WR-NO RB-A FEW OL & A TE. HIS SYSTEM DOES NOT GET KIDS READY FOR THE NFL
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
2:47 pm
“Good offensive and defensive lines win championships. They can make ordinary skill players look good.” (Jamie @1:32 pm)
Never have truer words been written in a Mark Bradley column/blog. Unsurprisingly, they were not written by Mark Bradley. LOL
Fred-D
November 28th, 2011
2:56 pm
I am by no means a Gator fan, but just once I would like to see a coach be a true role model for their players and just MAN UP and tell the truth about whether or not that at the very least that they have been approached with a job offer, whether it be from an “iconic school”, or the NFL,or even the CFL for that matter (OK, I went too far with the CFL thing). You got kids in Florida that made a commitment because of Meyer, and he leaves because of “health & family” reasons. These kids see their coach leave and before the next season is completly over, takes a job at another school.
Meyer is not the first to deny deny deny only to have the opposite be true. Many coaches have done it in the past, and you have 2 recently lie to their NFL teams about taking another coaching job (Saban, Petrino)
I don’t have a problem with Urban Meyer taking the job at Ohio State, it just would have been nice if for once someone had the courage to at least admit that they had been at least comtacted or was honestly interested in the position
I hear a lot about coaches teaching their kids life lessons that will make them better people? What are these coaches teaching these kids with their actions? I’d really like to know.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
2:59 pm
“Recruits take a look at the offensive skill players that have gone on to Florida under UM very few have made it to the NFL. NO WR-NO RB-A FEW OL & A TE. HIS SYSTEM DOES NOT GET KIDS READY FOR THE NFL”
Hmmm . . . . let’s see.
Percy Harvin, starting NFL wide receiver (2009-2011);
Maurkice Pouncey, starting NFL offensive lineman (2010-2011);
Mike Pouncey, starting NFL offensive lineman (2011);
Maurice Hurt, starting NFL offensive lineman (2011);
Louis Murphy, starting NFL wide receiver (2009-2010), injured (2011);
Aaron Hernandez, starting NFL tight end (2010-2011)
Riley Cooper, backup NFL wide receiver (2010-2011); and
Chas Henry, starting NFL punter (2011).
That’s only on the offensive side of the ball. There are even more of Urban Meyer’s former defensive team Gators playing in the NFL today.
I’m sorry did you just say something foolish? Should have restricted your comment to quarterbacks, and then you would have had a defensible point. Oh, yeah, and then there’s that Cam Newton kid, but he didn’t graduate from Florida, did he? How’s he doing in the NFL?
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
3:01 pm
“I don’t have a problem with Urban Meyer taking the job at Ohio State, it just would have been nice if for once someone had the courage to at least admit that they had been at least comtacted or was honestly interested in the position.” (Fred D @2:56 pm)
I can’t argue with that.
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
3:04 pm
@Nom Nom Nom Chuck,
We’ll give you your pick of taco combo specials—-but only if you keep Bobo.
: )
Atlanta Gator
November 28th, 2011
3:09 pm
@Fred D,
While I agree with your point generally, here’s something else to consider . . . the timing of the announcement relative to the Buckeye’s big annual rivalry game. I am fairly certain that neither Meyer, the Ohio State AD, nor the powers-that-be at Ohio State wanted to do anything to distract the Buckeyes players from focusing on Michigan. In fairness to all, the timing of the announcement seems to have been timed to Michigan game.
Could it have been handled better? Sure. Absolutely.
Gorilla Biscuit
November 28th, 2011
3:19 pm
Charlie (Weeble) Weiss is an embarrassment. He should have to pay a 500% surcharge for his pants. I’ve seen skinnier women trying to get Social Security Disability.
Broke Back Jacket
November 28th, 2011
3:40 pm
Enter your comments here
Broke Back Jacket
November 28th, 2011
3:46 pm
hey Buckeye…..care to take a guess at osu’s all time record vs the SEC?
Let me save you the time of googling it………1 win..9 losses!
CUM will do just fine in the slow, plodding weak 10!!!!!!!
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
4:04 pm
Imposter Buckeye at 1:54,
Back on the ajc and it doesn’t take but one day that someone ( a dog I suspect) to post using my name.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
4:05 pm
Brokeback,
No, Sir. You are wrong. The lone win was vacated.
Buckeye
November 28th, 2011
4:06 pm
Broke,
At present, the SEC consists of the Big 2 and the rest. Hmm, sounds familiar.
Gator Fan
November 28th, 2011
7:07 pm
We supported Urban when he won games. Urban is not a likeable guy, we would not have supported him otherwise.
Anthony Scirica
November 28th, 2011
7:33 pm
I have been a Gator fan for 45 years. I told my fellow Gator fan friends that Meyer was faking when he claimed health problems over a year ago. His quitting was not due to his health, but the fact that he lost a bevy of talent and did not have the where with all to recruit new talent to replace it. If you remember, his offensive ( or Mullins) plays that worked over and over again were Tebow left, Tebow right, Tebow pitch to Hernandez , Tebow throw to Hernandez ,Tebow swing pass to Harvin, Tebow throw to Murphy and Tebow throw to Riley, all behind a very good offensive line. That talent will win big in most places. Once that talent was gone and he had to actually coach ,he couldn’t because he can’t. Look at the teams he coached before and the talent they were against. Utah? Bowling Green? Why was he chosen to head one of the top porgrams in the country? Why? The media ( as it normaly does) pushed this mans coaching talent to a level far above his ability. If you buy into it ,he becomes your next head coach and your expecting him to lead your team to the Holy Grail. At Florida, he was at the right place at the right time, mainly because of Tebow. If he would have stayed coaching at Florida ,his ability would have showed for what it is and his stock would have gone to a level to where no big program would touch him.I watched all of his post game comments the year after Tebow and the man could not even answer ” The Alligator” ( The schools paper and an informal question and answer forum–designed for its questions the water boy could answer) with concise , intelligent answers–because he had none. He honestly could not tell you what was wrong with HIS team. By the way, his position is HEAD COACH!
In conclusion, I wish him the best at Ohio State, but, he is a liar and his character CANNOT BE COUNTED ON .Especially, appearing as a mentor and a coach ( Actually ,I think he gained strength from Tebow. Ohio State is a great university with great tradition, I really hope this man does not add another disappointment ( by lying or quitting) to one of the best college football programs and fan base in the country.
RedandBlackDawg
November 28th, 2011
11:12 pm
Folks,
It is really pretty simple. I believe he did have some health issues when he left Florida. I think the pressure to succeed got to him, as it appears that Florida fans and the university demanded a lot of him. He delivered with two NC’s in six years. Not too shabby in my book. He is a native of Ohio and he went home, I believe, to settle down there as he knew he would be given a chance to do some type of football analysis or game day job.
Then OSU got caught because their good coach, couldn’t accept a few things and lied about them on a official form letter to be sent to the NCAA every year. It wasn’t a mistake or an over sight, it was falsifying a document. It led to the uncovering of a fair amount of violations and the coach in place this year, didn’t seem to be able to put a stop to it.
So, Mr. Meyer is sitting there, enjoying his gig somewhat, even though he was working for one of the most over rated sports news organizations in the world, but he was picking up a little pocket change from them, and at the same time, keeping his mind in at least, on what to him is his true passion in life;Football.
Now OSU feels the need to try and move on and get their team, back on an even keel, and a top notch football mind is needed and there sits Urban. So, the really great AD and college president of OSU, think, “What amount of money, would it take for Urban to take this job”. They arrive at a figure that makes a lot of colleges choke on their oatmeal,and it is around 6 million dollars per year. Once they offer it to Urban, his health suddenly takes a back seat. 7 years there and he can buy the state of Ohio if he so wishes. He took the money, the same as anybody else would have done, if it was offered.
He didn’t betray the Gators. In all actuality, he probably just got tired of the pressure cooker that is the SEC, and Florida, and the stress wasn’t worth continuing because he was fairly well set with the money at that point. Stress can lead to a variety of illness’s or symptoms that are similar to serious problems. However, when a college team comes calling and offers over 40 million for you services for 7 years, you suddenly heal up in the body darn quick.
billdawg
November 29th, 2011
8:13 am
After er, UM, er, left UFla with an empty sack for Muschamp, Goaters should rejoice [and give Will a chance to rebuild]. The OSU/UM game is still “2 mules fighting over a turnip” to quote Lewis Grizzard.
Fan of both Georgia and Georgia Tech
November 29th, 2011
7:34 pm
I am surprised that most Sports Writers did not understand why Meyer left Florida (are you guys/gals that gullible). As each year progressed, he lost his best assistance coach Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullins to Miss State and his replacement was ineffective, and he lost his star QB (Tebow).
Urban saw this decline coming, and got out. Goodness, this was easy to see.