Urban Meyer said he left Florida for health reasons and to spend more time with his family. Were these reasons legitimate?
He’s back.
Again.
Former Florida coach and current ESPN analyst Urban Meyer has taken the head coaching job at Ohio State University sources told ESPN today.
Ohio State is currently holding an official press conference to announce their new head coach. Meyer will receive $4 million per season up to the 2017 season.
Meyer was very successful at Florida, collecting two national championships during his tenure with the program. However, after a subpar 7-5 2010 season without Tim Tebow leading the way, Meyer announced his retirement from college coaching to focus on his health and spend time with his family. This came after an incident in 2009 when he reportedly went to the hospital because of chest pains and dehydration. He first said he was going to resign as head coach of Florida after he coached in the Sugar Bowl because it was Tim Tebow’s last collegiate game, then he said he was only going to take a leave of absence, and finally, he took back his position as full-time head coach once spring practices started up.
I have many thoughts and opinions about this situation, but I feel as though Pat Forde from Yahoo Sports explains the situation perfectly.
“What really made Meyer sick at Florida? I have some guesses.
Watching his top-ranked, undefeated team get crushed by Alabama in the 2009 SEC title game made him sick. Losing five games the next year and enduring the first disappointing season of his career made him sick. Looking at recruiting classes that didn’t stack up on the field the way they stacked up on paper, especially five-star quarterbacks and receivers, made him sick.
Like many other great coaches, losing kills Urban Meyer. The defeats are far more painful than the victories are enjoyable – which proves to be a powerful motivator to do everything possible to avoid defeat. When the bottom fell out at Florida after Tebow and coordinators Charlie Strong and Dan Mullen left, the thought of selling a spoiled fan base on a protracted rebuilding process might have been enough to make a man ill.
So he bailed on Gator Nation at the first sign of professional struggle.”
This whole ordeal makes me wonder: what happens if Ohio State has so many sanctions placed upon their program that they struggle? If the Buckeyes go through multiple subpar seasons, will Meyer decide to up and leave the program? There are a lot of high expectations for Meyer, and many people expect him to bring in recruits from all over the country. It is very possible he can start anew and provide stability to a program that has been tattooed as a current-day joke. However, for all you Buckeye fans out there, just be wary that if your team doesn’t suffice for what Meyer wants in a football team, he could possibly be moving on to the next school on his wish list.
Ignite the Site!
jay's jems 
It should be interesting to see Urban Meyer at Ohio State. I think that due to his success with recruiting and systems used at Florida, he will be able to change the philosophy of the Big 10 from size to speed. Check out rest of my thoughts here: http://foultalk.wordpress.com/
I don’t agree with this. I’ve always looked at Urban Meyer as the ultimate competitor and a good man. I don’t think he would just quit. I think he thought the his health was in more danger than it actually was. He took some time off and then his dream job opened up and he decided to take the opportunity.