Report: Urban Meyer could be pursued by another Power 5 program
By SDS Staff
Published:
Urban Meyer is once again being linked to a Power 5 program that hasn’t yet parted with its head coach.
Scott Roussel of FootballScoop reported Thursday that Chip Kelly’s future is in doubt at UCLA. If Kelly is fired as the Bruins’ head coach, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond would likely gauge the interest of Urban Meyer another successful former college football head coach:
In the event UCLA does move on from Kelly, sources tell FootballScoop Jarmond would be expected to vet the interest of Urban Meyer and Chris Petersen.
While the idea of Meyer coming out of retirement for a job like UCLA might seem unbelievable, Roussel details that Meyer and Jarmond have a previous working relationship:
Jarmond and Meyer’s relationship dates back eight years, to when the future Hall of Fame coach came aboard at Ohio State. Jarmond was intimately involved with the program, serving as lead administrator for football at Ohio State. Sources said the pair’s relationship extends beyond football, that the two are genuine friends.
It was widely reported by FootballScoop and other outlets that Texas pursued Meyer while still employing Tom Herman. Meyer reportedly turned down the UT job, leading to Herman being retained in Austin. Meyer recently described to Colin Cowherd what it would take to get him to come out of retirement and return to the sidelines:
“There’s more than mornings, Colin,” Meyer said in response to Cowherd. “You can’t do something as long as I have done it that you just feel a bit empty. I have a great spot at FOX and I love Reggie, Matt, Brady and Rob Stone. We have a great group. I’ve really absorbed that and embraced that. To say I don’t think about it, it’s everyday. But it’d have to be the perfect, perfect situation and it’d have to be something that I was confident that the health issues I could overcome. Or at least prevent. So, I don’t know. At this point, I think I’m done, but I learned a long time ago … I left a job once where I planned on being there and then you get a call from a better opportunity. So, I think I’m done but I would never say, I’m never done.”
We’ll see if UCLA moves on from Chip Kelly and if Meyer views that job as the “perfect situation.”
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
