Urban Meyer Stepping Down?

[superman8456]

I'm surprised Charlie Strong left after hearing this. I'm sure he would have been the top candidate for the job if he had stayed. I wonder if Meyer told Strong of his intentions before he accepted the job at Louisville.

[Halsey]

Bring back Ron Zook!!!

[MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)]

Wow. I was really happy when I read the thread title. But a heart condition on top of that brain condition is terrible in a man so young. I hope he's able to live a long and healthy life.

[JRTPlaya21]

Originally Posted by BeerBaron

And they always seem to make a major **** up that keeps them from the title game or something.... In all of those 10 win seasons, not a one ended with a shot at the title. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Yeah that one step screw up seems to always get them. But 3 ACC Titles & an Orange Bowl aren't horrible either. Closest they got was that year LSU beat them out in the human polls & head to head.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Could there be something going on behind the scenes that fans know nothing about, at the alumni/booster level?

This thing all around sounds fishy to me. Unless Meyer has a congenital heart problem or something similar, what 45 year old resigns from 'stress'??

If the job is so stressful, why not take a sabbatical, get meds to alleviate your stress level,( blood pressure meds), and delegate more responsibility to your assistant coaches??

I think Meyer will be coaching again in 2 years, announcing that he's miraculously 'recovered'!!

Just smells like a Larry Brown/Nick Saban move, IMHO.

[Crickett]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

Could there be something going on behind the scenes that fans know nothing about, at the alumni/booster level?

This thing all around sounds fishy to me. Unless Meyer has a congenital heart problem or something similar, what 45 year old resigns from 'stress'??

If the job is so stressful, why not take a sabbatical, get meds to alleviate your stress level,( blood pressure meds), and delegate more responsibility to your assistant coaches??

I think Meyer will be coaching again in 2 years, announcing that he's miraculously 'recovered'!!

Just smells like a Larry Brown/Nick Saban move, IMHO.

My guess is he'll be back to coach the New York Jets next year and the Minnesota Vikings the year after. ;)

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Brent

Ron Prince for Florida!

I'm going to keep pushing this one.

[LizardState]

All I can say is just WOW! Stunner!! I hadn't heard of it yet, busy with Holiday stuff yesterday, picked up the morning sports section & was flabbergasted.

Seems to me like it was simply Do the Right Thing decision time for Meyer -- This makes the dehydration story that was released after his hospitalization seem bogus, the anarchnoid brain cyst condition mentioned in the ESPN story was real, but the cardiac problems are very real & an immediate danger, they are right there on his EKGs they took -- they had to do those if he had chest pains of the kind the wire svcs. story confirmed. Hell yeah, it's a great deal more than post-SECCG loss stress, the man has a life-threatening condition & a high-stress job in the most highly pressured conference in college FB, he had to let one of them go, even if it's a $4M/yr. job.

As much as I & other SEC rival team fans here ragged on him I hope he makes a full recovery, you have to respect the way he popularized the spread offense from his Ute HC days with Alex Smith & all those innovations he created for his offense with Tebow that won Tebow the Heisman 2 yrs. ago, the guy was nothing short of an offensive genius. I really hope he stays in coaching, hey the 9ers could use a QB coach to help Alex Smith who really knows him in SF, maybe next yr. as a Singletary asst, who knows....

As for the coaching vacancy in Gatorland:

• Is Kelly kicking himself in South Bend for jumping too soon? Uhhh, maybe not, his incentive clauses in his brand new ND contract could boost him up to the $4M/a yr. range. Card laid is a card played, but he will kick himself knowing that as the hottest Div. 1 HC prospect this yr. he would have a lot better personnel to work with in Gainesville in 2010 with their #3-ranked recruiting class than South Bend.
  
• From the ESPN story:
  Potential successors to Meyer could include Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Boise State's Chris Petersen, Arkansas' Bobby Petrino, who was the other top candidate in 2004 when Meyer got the job, former Florida Gator and Super Bowl-winning NFL coach Mike Shanahan and former Meyer assistants Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong. Former Florida offensive coordinator Mullen just finished his first season as head coach at Mississippi State. Defensive coordinator Strong was named the head coach at Louisville earlier this month.
  
  Louisville media relations director Rocco Gasparro said Saturday night that Strong had signed a term sheet with the school, but not a formal contract. It is unclear whether the term sheet would be a sticking point should the Gators turn to Strong to replace Meyer.
  
• The term sheet vs. contract with strong is intriguing, Strong to Gainesville could happen.
  
• Petrino? The Disloyalty Poster Boy himself? Ask Atlanta Falcons fans about him..... he should stay at Arkansas but if his past is any indicator he will move on this job in a big hurry. If he took it there would be much gnashing of teeth in the SEC especially at Arkansas, but after he bolted from the Falcons in Wk. 15 of the NFL season after the Michael Vick scandal broke I don't think he cares a lot about the ripples he creates
  
• Stoops is a nonfactor IMO -- he was rumored to have gone to the NFL a couple of yrs. back & wanted to be a HC AND a GM + $5M a yr, not surprising there were no takers at the pro level, but I think that's where he has targeted his next job. And he's making almostas much at Oklahoma, despite their pisspoor bowl rcd. the last 6 or so yrs, I believe they're 1-5.
  
• Petersen from Boise St. could be a possibility but not a probability, as could Mullen or several NFL assts. $4M/a yr. is a big cash alarm clock ringing.
  
• Best choices s/b Tuberville or Muschamp, both are more than ready & willing. Either of them would be the best thing to happen for Florida. I think there's a lingering bad smell associated with Butch Davis in the Sunshine State from his Miami days, & he has a good gig at UNC, which doesnt mean his agent isn't on the phone right now to the Gators AD, as are others like Petrino who has history with the Florida AD, this is is the very lucrative plum job that many will want for its high profile & prestige much like when the Tennessee job opened with the Fulmer firing in mid-season in 08.
  
• Worst worry for Gator fans s/b the recruiting decommits who will be poached by other HCs even as we post here.

[Brent]

I would be shocked to see Muschamp leave UT. They have told him 100s of times that he's the HC as soon as Mack leaves. And they're paying him a ******** of cash.

[CashmoneyDrew]

Butch Davis would be my top choice if I was the Florida AD.

[sbh15]

Now there's news that Meyer will remain coach, but take a leave of absence, and someone will become interim head coach until Meyer returns.

[CashmoneyDrew]

This is strange. Why come out last night saying you're retiring forever for health reasons and a half-day later come back and say, "wait a second, I might just be gone a year."

[Nalej]

Originally Posted by sbh15

Now there's news that Meyer will remain coach, but take a leave of absence, and someone will become interim head coach until Meyer returns.

That's what I figured would happen. It is kinda strange to take that back less then 24 hrs later though

[JRTPlaya21]

Meyer pulls a Donovan/Favre.

[ThePudge]

**** Urban Meyer. I can't remember Favre changing his mind that dramatically within 24 hours.

[FUNBUNCHER]

Yeah, Meyer and Billy Donovan are definitely hanging out WAY too much on campus!!LOL

I don't know all the details, but Meyer is coming across a little flakey if you ask me.
I think the thought of entering another college football season without Tebow under center was giving Urban night tremors.

Maybe someone at UF needs to give the ol' ball coach a pay raise so Meyer feels like he's getting more love than Mack Brown is from Texas.

[keylime_5]

not sure about the tactics of this move. Who would want to coach the Gators knowing that Meyer might come back and take their job? Will certainly effect their ability to hire a top name if Meyer says he's not leaving for good, and that the next HC will be only a glorified interim head coach might hurt recruiting due to uncertainty.

[murdamal86]

Originally Posted by keylime_5

not sure about the tactics of this move. Who would want to coach the Gators knowing that Meyer might come back and take their job? Will certainly effect their ability to hire a top name if Meyer says he's not leaving for good, and that the next HC will be only a glorified interim head coach might hurt recruiting due to uncertainty.

Steve Addazio, the "offensive coordinator" is being promoted to interim head coach per rumor mill. Football God help us if that's true

[Bengals78]

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

Maybe someone at UF needs to give the ol' ball coach a pay raise so Meyer feels like he's getting more love than Mack Brown is from Texas.

Maybe thats his goal. Keep threatening retirement for the pay raise. His ego might need stroking by Florida after Mack got his raise.

[Cigaro]

Originally Posted by VoodooMonkey

Butch Davis would be my top choice if I was the Florida AD.

North Carolina is a lot better than they were, but they look like they've plateaued as a 8-4ish team in the ACC. They only really positive attribute he has in terms of the Florida job is recruiting ability.

[CashmoneyDrew]

Originally Posted by Cigaro

North Carolina is a lot better than they were, but they look like they've plateaued as a 8-4ish team in the ACC. They only really positive attribute he has in terms of the Florida job is recruiting ability.

The point is moot for now since UM is probably coming back, but Butch Davis is a proven recruiter that helped bring Miami back and made North Carolina football respectable. He could get the job done at Florida.

[The Unseen]

This will only hurt the program. What will the players think? "Oh, this is just an off year"? And I don't trust Addazio at all.

[kwilk103]

did this b/c recruits were wavering

clark, elam, and christian all said it changes their committment

same with shaw/powell

a 2011 lb already decomitted

[kwilk103]

Originally Posted by Brent

I would be shocked to see Muschamp leave UT. They have told him 100s of times that he's the HC as soon as Mack leaves. And they're paying him a ******** of cash.

yea but mack just signed like a 4-year extension; is he willing to wait that long?

[The Unseen]

urban meyer - "gut feeling i will be coaching in the fall"