Is Urban Meyer a phony?
Many who cover college football call the newly-named Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer a gentleman and a class act. And since I don’t know him, I can’t debate that, so I won’t. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt there. Why wouldn’t I? But over the last couple years, if there has been a prominent sports figure who has spoken out of both sides of his mouth more, who has been more wishy washy that isn’t named Brett Favre, please inform me.
We go back to December 26, 2009 when Meyer was the head coach of the Florida Gators. It was revealed that he was admitted to a Florida hospital with chest pains and dehydration on December 6. He says that he will resign from his position following the Gators Sugar Bowl appearance on New Year’s Day. The very next day, December 27th, Meyer changed his tone and announced that he would take a leave of absence instead of resigning. We were critical of him then and not much has changed now. Were his health concerns thrown out the window? Did he have some massive revelation the previous night? Was it a conversation with his agent concerning the validity of his recently-signed $24 million extension depending on whether he resigned or took a leave of absence? We’ll never know.
Florida, coached by Meyer, won that Sugar Bowl. Meyer took some time off after that, but after a whole three and a half months later (March 17), Meyer was back coaching the Gators full time. Nine months later, December 8, 2010 to be exact, Meyer, citing the same health reasons as before and a desire to spend time with his family, declared that he would actually retire this time. I won’t rip the guy for wanting to spend more time with his wife and two college-aged daughters whom he hadn’t seen a whole lot after coaching college football for decades.
But as expected, Meyer couldn’t keep his word. On January 31, 2011 – 54 days after “retiring” – Meyer was named as a member of ESPN’s college football coverage team, covering one game per week and working as a studio analyst. Yes, covering football is a lot less stressful and a lot less time consuming than coaching, but it also means a lot less family time.
Yesterday Urban Meyer accepted the head coaching position at Ohio State University. So the same guy who claimed that he needed family time is leaving the South where he has a daughters playing volleyball at Florida Gulf Coast University and Georgia Tech. The Georgia Tech daughter, Niki, said back in April that her father would not be accepting the OSU job. My how times have changed.
During yesterday’s presser in Columbus, if you go over his transcript, Meyer gave more examples of his wishy-washyness (google it). He said that part of the reason he left his Florida job is because he didn’t like what was going on in college football. So less than two years later, he joins the most-publicly corrupted program (save Jerry Sandusky and Penn State) of 2011. OSU only had ten-plus players suspended for either selling memorabilia for tattoos or accepting improper benefits. So if you don’t like the nature of the corruption that litters college football, why would you go to the 2011 epicenter? Meyer said that he thought about coaching in the Ivy League or for one of the service academies because of the lack of politics and corruption. So why didn’t he do that? The Buckeyes gave him 24 million reasons not to. They don’t put a dollar in O$U for nothing.
Meyer also reportedly signed a contract with his family that he would take better care of himself and be more involved at home. This after saying that the coaching profession is a 24 hour/7 days a week job after stepping down at Florida.
The guy may be classy, but he’s a walking contradiction. Meyer said a lot of things that Buckeyes wanted to hear yesterday. He’s in-tune to the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. He was excited to meet freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. Current head coach Luke Fickell will remain on staff as the defensive coordinator.
But in the midst of all the fluff was just more nonsense. I’m not exactly sure why all of it is so glaring to me. He’ll go into high schoolers’ living rooms and talk the talk (as if OSU couldn’t recruit itself) and he’ll probably win a Big Ten title or two. Meyer is a good coach. But as obvious as it is that he is a good coach, he’s also a liar.
And you know what might be the weirdest thing about this rant. I’m not even a Michigan fan.
Category: College Football
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Great post, as ive thought almost the exact same thing since talks of him being hired on at Ohio State started. Although, he has also said Ohio State is his dream job, but another though of mine is, since he knew of the "corruption" of college football, did he also know Ohio State was going to have their falling out before we did? And thats the real reason he left Florida? Just food for thought
Obviously relocating in a northerly direction and the further north ones salary goes allows for more family time and is conducive to a person's quality of health….so much is better in college football of late to boot too!!!
a person has the right to change their mind,sooo GET OVER IT !!!!!!!
The real reason Urban left FL. Was for what he did to Cam Newton. Boy everyone forgets about that.
"For what he did to Cam Newton"? What? For what HE did TO Cam Newton? You mean suspending him after Newton was arrested for purchasing a stolen laptop computer? Charges were eventually dropped but only as part of a pretrial diversion program.
Or perhaps you are referring to Newton's departure from the University of Florida and subsequent signing with a junior college? A decision Newton made himself after being accused of cheating on academic work for the THIRD time while at UF. In this particular case he was said to have stolen a classmate's paper, attached his own name to it and turned it in. Offered an unbelievable (read: star athlete exception) second chance to write his own paper he instead purchased one off the internet and again attached his own name to a paper he didn't write.
Is that what you were referring to ?
This article is a pure excuse for journalism
poor, not pure. I am no better than the anomymous author of this tabloid trash
"most publicly corrupted program", Ohio State, compared to what other top 35 ncaa teams. doesn't journalism require some investigation.
corrupt is the ncaa, who pays them, take away the top 20 teams in this nation and the major networks loose billions, the colleges multimillions, the teams who's sweat shirts, mugs etc. are franchised for countless millions more, not to mention the thousands of jobs division one college football creates, and you have the balls to condemn 20 year old young men for trading a couple personal items for tatoos that amounts to several hundred dollars.
is it morally correct and alright to make total billions of dollars on young gifted college athelets, 98% of which will never earn a dime playing football and end up half crippled the rest of their lives-and don't give me that horse crap that it is an honor to play at the division one level. of course it is, but for free…most colleges don't give a realistic damn if those players graduate, some yes others no…
let me tell you what, if those same boys did not show up for the first game of the 2012 football season, do you know fast collges and network television would change policy in favor of those same football players-they will get dicked forever, capitalism is good for one and all or none.
not to mention the ncaa employees would have jobs very long..that is the worst governing body of nobodies i ever heard of..who the hell are the anyway, nothing without the colleges, more over absolutely nothing without the student athelete.
signed,
jack j. sweitzer
Spoken like a true Wolverine.
Did you not read the last sentence, 10:57 Anonymous?
Urban Meyer is a fine person…and can do whatever he likes with his career and do what is best for his family. He wants to be at Ohio State…and he is. Florida fans should still respect him and embrace his decisiuon and wish him continued success. WHen OSU plays Florida…Gator fans can then hope to beat him on the footballl field. In life Urban Myers is as good…or better..than they come.
Bama Fan
Pointless article.. except for flip flopping between retiring and taking a leave of absence, the same can be said for any coach in the FBS. Next time write an article with an original idea.
Most corrupt? Your lack of research in this literary piece tells me you are unaware of the circumstances surrounding Miami University.
University of Miami.
He quit Florioda, because the SEC is too tough for him. Let's go to am easier conference, which of course is any other. Hey who wouldn't want more money for an easier job? Wuss.
I haven’t heard of Florioda before, but I’m assuming it’s in the SEC. I’ve never heard of someone who had a .750 winning % over 6 years in a league quitting because it was “too tough”. Sorry that the facts got in the way of what you were saying.
He isn't wishy washy – he is a human being that desires the competition and grew his name by being an innovator – plus isnt this his alma mata? Just human, man, and we all would probably do the same. Now the Bama coach, that man is a shark and a car salesman. Nick $aban is it? I dont like college football much at all, and am a Texan, but really…..
“I made this clear to Jeremy Foley (Florida Athletic Director), if I am able to go coach, I want to coach at one place, the University of Florida. It would be a travesty, it would be ridiculous to all of a sudden come back and get the feeling back, get the health back, feel good again and then all of a sudden go throw some other colors on my shirt and go coach? I don’t want to do that. I have too much love for this University and these players and for what we’ve built.” — Urban Meyer, after resigning at UF (the first time) and then coming back to coach a day later.
Do what you want – at least be man enough to be straight up about it. In less than a year with ESPN he discovered ways to balance his work and life he couldn't find in twenty-five years of coaching. I'm afraid the author is right.