Barring something unexpected, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be hiring Urban Meyer as their next head coach. The speculation started weeks ago. However, it is now a reality. Meyer will become the team’s sixth head coach in franchise history. The three-time national champion coach will now test his skills at the next level.
The #Jaguars identified Urban Meyer as their top target from the start. He did have some talks with the #Chargers, but the focus was always on the Jags. No. 1 pick, plenty of cap space, endless draft picks… https://t.co/xfxCr9O7Ls
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2021
Jacksonville Jaguars Hire Urban Meyer as Next Head Coach
The Jaguars were the front runners to land Meyer as their new coach even before officially firing Doug Marrone. The team interviewed other candidates such as Eric Bieniemy, Robert Saleh, and Raheem Morris. But the initial reports rang true. Meyer has been assembling a staff and appears ready to re-enter the coaching game, despite retiring a few years ago.
Urban Meyer’s head coaching record is 187-32. He’s 12-3 in bowl games, and 2-1 in the College Football Playoff (CFP). Meyer’s most notable coaching stops were with the University of Florida and Ohio State University. Meyer won two national championships with Florida (2006 and 2008) and one with Ohio State (2014).
Meyer retired from coaching after the 2018 season at Ohio State, citing health reasons. He spent 2012-2018 with the team. Meyer was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season due to an investigation tied to an assistant that was charged with spousal abuse. He reportedly knew about the abuse some time before firing the coach. In all, Meyer’s record with Ohio State was 83-9.
Meyer spent 2005 to 2010 as the Florida Gators head coach. In his tenure, he led the team to two BCS National Chamionships. He coached Heisman winner Tim Tebow among other future NFL players. Meyer took a leave of absence following the 2009 season after a hospital stay due to chest pains and dehydration. Though he came back for the 2010 season, he ultimately retired after that year, citing family and health reasons.
Meyer was born in 1964 in Toledo, Ohio. His coaching career began in 1985. While he had various assistant coaching positions, he’s had head coaching roles since 2001. He was the head coach for Bowling Green and Utah before moving on to more prominent roles.
