Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American sportscaster and former 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 from 2005 to 2010, 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 pregame 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. While 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 active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program." College football: Highlights and lowlights of the decade," Sports Illustrated (December 17, 2009). Retrieved December 16, 2021.
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." ," ' 'ESPN' ' (January 13, 2015). Retrieved December 16, 2021. 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. Meyer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
Meyer was selected in the 13th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft 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 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 (Zeta Psi Chapter).
Meyer earned his master's degree in sports administration in 1988 from Ohio State University.
Meyer is Catholic,Mark Schlabach, " Determined Meyer elevated Gators", ESPN.com (December 26, 2009). Retrieved December 16, 2021.Peter Kerasotis, " Notre Dame, Meyer seem like perfect fit", Florida Today (November 20, 2008). Retrieved September 1, 2009. 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.Pat Dooley, " Urban Meyer: 'I'm not going to Notre Dame. Ever.'" Gainesville Sun (July 13, 2009). Retrieved September 1, 2009. 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". Florida's Meyer: Notre Dame not a coaching option 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.Kyle Maestri, " First spring practice, Urban Meyer feeling 'fine,' ready to work on improving team", Palm Beach Post (March 17, 2010). Retrieved December 16, 2021.
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.
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.
In 1990, while still the linebacker coach at Illinois State, he called Toledo 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."
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.
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.Kelley King, " Wild out West," Sports Illustrated (November 1, 2004). Retrieved December 16, 2021. 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 offense attack, adding elements of the traditional run-oriented option offense.
In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series 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.Associated Press, " Efficient Smith leads dominant win," ESPN.com (January 1, 2005). Retrieved December 16, 2021. 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.College Football Data Warehouse, Utah Yearly Totals . Retrieved September 13, 2009.
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.
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, " Hernandez Among Many Who Found Trouble at Florida in the Meyer Years," 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 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."
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.
Florida was selected to play the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The Gators won 51–24 to finish the season with a 13–1 record for the second consecutive year.
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 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 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 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.
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 on January 1, 2011.
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.
On December 4, 2018, Meyer announced that he would retire from coaching following the team's Rose Bowl game for health reasons. It was announced that Ryan Day would take over the head coaching position immediately after the Rose Bowl.
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 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 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 placekicker 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.Sullivan, Tyler (December 16, 2021). " Urban Meyer Fired: Ex-Jaguars Kicker Josh Lambo Says He Was Kicked by Former Coach During Warmups in Preseason". CBS News. 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 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 think '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."
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, 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).
Early coaching career
Bowling Green
Utah
Florida
2005 season
2006 season
2007 season
2008 season
2009 season
Leave of absence
2010 season
Aftermath
ESPN career
Ohio State
2012 season
2013 season
2014 season
2018 season
Jacksonville Jaguars
Spread offense
Coaching tree
Head coaching record
College
NFL
Personal life
See also
Notes
Bibliography
External links
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