Urban Meyer describes the situation he'd need to come out of retirement and return to coaching
Will 3-time national champion Urban Meyer ever coach again? It’s possible not even Meyer knows that answer right now.
One thing seems certain though — he won’t be the next head coach at Texas.
The Longhorns had discussions with Meyer recently about its head coaching job — it hasn’t even fired Tom Herman yet, and it was reported by 247Sports’ Chip Brown this week that Meyer told Texas no. Brown reported that Meyer told Texas that he’s leaning towards not coaching again, citing health reasons.
Meyer joined FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd Thursday to discuss a variety of topics, including his future. Cowherd asked Meyer if he ever wakes up and gets the itch to coach again.
“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.”
Meyer’s answer is very calculated obviously, and it’s likely possible that not even Meyer knows if he’ll coach again.
What’s the “perfect situation” for Meyer? He might not ever have a better situation than Texas, where he could definitely win big.
He has previously stated that Notre Dame would be his dream job, as it’s where his coaching career started under Lou Holtz. Others have speculated that should the USC job come open, Meyer would take a look at that, too. Meyer has a formula for taking over a program, and it includes existing roster talent and an existing starting quarterback. Alex Smith at Utah; Chris Leak at Florida; Braxton Miller at Ohio State. All 3 of those situations had really good starting quarterbacks that Meyer walked into.
You can watch Meyer’s full interview below:
With all the money guys interfering, I do not think Texas is that great of a job. Their egos out gain their place historically.
I didn’t read. F ub
In other words.. I’m lazy….I want it handed to me…..I don’t want to have to be leader…..I want big bucks to win and not be responsible.
After coaching and succeeding in football hotbeds like Florida and Ohio, I don’t think Urban would be keen to plant himself in the middle of the disaster that is L.A. to try and revive a program that even the school administration only passingly cares about in these woke days.
Brian Kelly, on the other hand, might want to hire a food-taster.
This guy is a total fraud who simply can not stay out of feeding his ego with an adoring media sycophant’s.
The “Meyer has a formula” statement is absolutely true. Meyer is on Saban’s level as a recruiter but he has never “rebuilt” a program. He took over very talented rosters at Florida and Ohio State.
Texas and USC may be blank check blue blood jobs but there is some question whether they can still recruit elite rosters to be competitive in the CFP on the line of scrimmage. I think it’s possible for a guy like Meyer, but he’s never taken on that kind of challenge.
USC is close to being back as a top program. Helton is recruiting very well. I think the patience shown with Helton is going to pay off.
Hard to tell which UT has the biggest ego – Texas or Tennessee.
I think the biggest problem with Texas is interference from rich boosters who want to do more than just fund the program but have a say in what gets done. The lack of control that the coach has lingers over the program like a dark fog. That’s why the last 3-4 coaches have been unable to sustain winning at Texas. Meyer isn’t about to walk into a program unless he has full day to day control without outside interference. He’s like Saban, it’s my way or the highway.
“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.”
Translation: “It has to be somewhere I can win a national title easily. Also, Saban has to retire first. If I face him again, my health will definitely decline and I’ll lose years off of my life.”