Urban Meyer facts for kids
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Meyer in 2017
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1964 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Cincinnati Ohio State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1986 | Cincinnati |
| Position(s) | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1985 | St. Xavier (OH) (DB) |
| 1986–1987 | Ohio State (GA) |
| 1988 | Illinois State (OLB) |
| 1989 | Illinois State (QB/WR) |
| 1990–1995 | Colorado State (WR) |
| 1996–2000 | Notre Dame (WR) |
| 2001–2002 | Bowling Green |
| 2003–2004 | Utah |
| 2005–2010 | Florida |
| 2012–2018 | Ohio State |
| 2021 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | NCAA: 187–32 NFL: 2–11 |
| Bowls | 12–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Awards | |
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| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2025 (profile) |
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Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career leading college teams. He was the head coach for the Bowling Green Falcons (2001–2002), Utah Utes (2003–2004), Florida Gators (2005–2010), and Ohio State Buckeyes (2012–2018).
Meyer retired from college coaching in 2019. He then worked as an assistant athletic director at Ohio State and as a football analyst for Fox Sports. In 2021, Meyer coached in the National Football League (NFL) for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was with the team for 13 games before returning to Fox Sports.
Meyer was born in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. He played football as a defensive back at the University of Cincinnati. While coaching the Florida Gators, he led them to two BCS National Championship Game wins in 2006 and 2008. Meyer's winning percentage was very high among active coaches.
After a short break in 2011, he worked as a college football analyst for ESPN. He then became the head coach at Ohio State. In 2014, he led the Buckeyes to their first Big Ten Conference title under his leadership. They also won the program's eighth national championship. Meyer is one of only four coaches to win a major college football national championship at two different universities. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Coaching Career Highlights
- Offensive Strategy: The Spread Offense
- Coaching Connections
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and Education
Urban Meyer was born on July 10, 1964, in Toledo, Ohio. He grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, and graduated from Saint John High School in 1982.
Meyer was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1982 to play minor league baseball. He played for two seasons as a shortstop. At the same time, he played defensive back for the University of Cincinnati football team. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1986. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
In 1988, Meyer earned his master's degree in sports administration from Ohio State University.
Coaching Career Highlights
In 2004, Meyer was named college football coach of the year by many groups. He had 20 years of coaching experience, with nine as a head coach. By the end of the 2009 season, his overall record was 96 wins and 18 losses. His winning percentage was the best among active college football head coaches at that time.
Meyer is Catholic and once called coaching at the University of Notre Dame his "dream job." However, he later said he would not leave Florida for Notre Dame. He held a press conference in 2009 to stop rumors linking him to the Notre Dame job, saying he would stay at Florida.
On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign after the team's bowl game due to health concerns. The next day, he said he would take a break instead. He returned to coaching the Gators in March 2010.
Florida's athletic director announced Meyer's resignation again on December 8, 2010. Meyer coached his last game for Florida in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.
On November 28, 2011, Meyer accepted the head coach position at Ohio State University.
Starting His Coaching Journey
After playing football at the University of Cincinnati, Meyer started coaching. His first college coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Ohio State for two years. He then spent 13 years as an assistant coach. He coached at Illinois State, Colorado State, and Notre Dame.
At Colorado State, he coached wide receiver Greg Primus, who gained over 1,000 yards receiving each year from 1990 to 1992. At Notre Dame, he coached wide receiver Bobby Brown and later David Givens, who went on to play for the New England Patriots.
Leading Bowling Green
In 2001, Meyer became a head coach for the first time at Bowling Green. In his first year, he helped the team improve greatly, going from 2 wins to 8 wins. They beat their rival, the University of Toledo Rockets, 56–21. He was named the Mid-American Conference coach of the year. The next year, Bowling Green finished with 9 wins and 3 losses. After two successful seasons, Meyer left for the University of Utah.
He helped turn the team around with players like quarterback Josh Harris. Harris was perfect for Meyer's offensive style. Meyer later used similar quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Tim Tebow.
Success at Utah
After Bowling Green, Meyer took the head coaching job at Utah in 2003. In his first year, he was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. The team had a 10–2 record, which was the best first season for a Utah coach. They also won their first conference championship since 1957.
Meyer's success came from his unique offensive system. It was based on the West Coast Offense but added elements of the option offense. This style used three receivers and put the quarterback in a shotgun formation.
In 2004, Meyer led the Utah Utes to an undefeated season (12–0). This earned them a spot in a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game, which was rare for a team outside the major conferences. He coached the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh, completing their perfect season.
Utah quarterback Alex Smith thrived in Meyer's offense. In 2003, he threw for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2004, he threw for 2,952 yards and 32 touchdowns. Smith's performance led him to be a top pick in the 2005 NFL draft.
Coaching the Florida Gators
After his success at Utah, Meyer chose to become Florida's head coach in 2005. He signed a seven-year contract. He later signed extensions, making him one of the highest-paid college football coaches.
Meyer's time at Florida saw many wins. However, there were also some challenges. He emphasized improving the team's overall behavior and academic success.
2005 Season
In 2005, his first year at Florida, Meyer's team finished with 9 wins and 3 losses. They had a perfect record at home and won the Outback Bowl.
2006 Season and National Championship
In 2006, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 record. They won the SEC Championship Game. The Gators then defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 41–14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. This win secured Florida's first national championship since 1997.
Meyer became known for winning important games. He had a strong record against Florida's biggest rivals.
2007 Season
The Gators had a 9–3 regular season in 2007. They had big wins over rivals like Tennessee and FSU. Quarterback Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy under Coach Meyer. The team's defense faced some challenges, preventing them from reaching a BCS bowl game. They lost the Capital One Bowl to Michigan.
2008 Season and Another National Title
In 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 record and another BCS National Championship. They beat six ranked teams. Their only loss was to Ole Miss. Most of their wins were by large margins. On December 6, 2008, the Gators beat top-ranked Alabama in the SEC title game. This win moved Florida to the top of the rankings. They then faced Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game on January 8, 2009. The Gators won 24–14, earning their second national championship with Meyer.
2009 Season
In 2009, Meyer's Gators started the season ranked No. 1. They finished the regular season undefeated at 12–0. However, their winning streak ended in the SEC Championship Game, where they lost to Alabama.
Florida played the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The Gators won 51–24, finishing the season with a 13–1 record.
Taking a Break
In December 2009, Meyer was briefly hospitalized for chest pains and dehydration. He later announced he would resign due to health and family reasons. He said he had ignored his health for years. He also mentioned suffering from chest pains and headaches related to stress.
The next day, Meyer announced he would take an indefinite break instead of resigning. He coached the Gators in their Sugar Bowl victory on January 1, 2010. He then took time off to focus on his health.
On March 17, 2010, Meyer returned to his full-time coaching role for the start of spring practice.
2010 Season and Final Departure
On September 25, 2010, Meyer earned his 100th career win as a coach. He reached this milestone faster than most other NCAA coaches.
However, the 2010 season was challenging for the Gators. They finished with a 7–5 regular-season record, which was Meyer's lowest at Florida. On December 8, 2010, Meyer announced his retirement from coaching again, citing family and health reasons.
Meyer's last game as Florida's coach was a 37–24 win in the 2011 Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011.
Working for ESPN
After leaving the Florida Gators, Meyer worked as a college football commentator and analyst for ESPN.
Coaching Ohio State
On November 28, 2011, Meyer accepted the head coach position at Ohio State University. He signed a six-year contract.
2012 Season
In Meyer's first year at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated 12–0 record. The team was not allowed to play in postseason games due to NCAA rules.
2013 Season
Ohio State finished the 2013 season with a 12–2 record. Several talented players from Meyer's team were drafted into the NFL.
2014 Season and National Championship
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Before the 2014 season, Ohio State's star quarterback, Braxton Miller, was injured. Redshirt freshman J. T. Barrett took over and led the team to an 11–1 record. However, Barrett also got injured in the last regular season game. Cardale Jones then became the quarterback.
Jones led Ohio State to a big 59–0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. This win helped Ohio State move up to #4 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They qualified for the first-ever four-team playoff tournament.
Ohio State played #1 Alabama in the semifinal Sugar Bowl. Even though they were not expected to win, Ohio State came back to win 42–35. The Buckeyes then faced the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Ohio State won 42–20, earning the eighth national championship in Ohio State's history. This was Meyer's third career national title.
2018 Season and Retirement from Ohio State
In August 2018, Meyer was placed on leave by Ohio State. After an investigation, the university suspended Meyer for the first three games of the season.
Ohio State finished the year with a 12–1 record and won the Big Ten conference. They were not chosen for the College Football Playoff but played in the 2019 Rose Bowl.
On December 4, 2018, Meyer announced he would retire from coaching after the Rose Bowl game due to health reasons. Ryan Day took over as head coach.
Coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars
On January 14, 2021, Meyer was hired as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In July 2021, the NFL fined Meyer for violating practice rules.
In early October, a video showed Meyer in a public setting. Meyer apologized to the team and staff. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan said Meyer's behavior was "inexcusable" and that Meyer "must regain our trust and respect."
The Jaguars won their first regular season game on October 17 against the Miami Dolphins. They won their second game on November 7 against the Buffalo Bills.
Toward the end of the 2021 season, some Jaguars players and coaches expressed concerns about Meyer's leadership.
On December 15, former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo publicly shared an incident involving Meyer. Lambo said Meyer kicked his leg during warmups before a preseason game. Lambo reported the incident to his agent, who then told the Jaguars team. Soon after, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan decided to fire Meyer. Meyer was informed on December 16, 2021.
Meyer's time with the Jaguars lasted 13 games, with a record of 2 wins and 11 losses. This was one of the shortest coaching tenures in NFL history.
On January 26, 2022, Meyer spoke about his time with the Jaguars. He called it "the worst experience I've had in my professional lifetime." He mentioned the team's losing streak and differences in practice time compared to college football. Meyer also said he experienced "depression" during this period.
Offensive Strategy: The Spread Offense
When Urban Meyer became a head coach, he studied different versions of the spread offense. He visited other coaches to learn about their strategies.
Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State all used the spread offense. His version often focused on running the ball first. However, he adjusted it based on his players. For example, at Florida, he used a passing game with Chris Leak. With Tim Tebow and Alex Smith, he used a run-focused option attack.
Using this offense, Meyer achieved great success:
- He won two BCS national championships.
- He won the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship.
- He was the first coach to lead a team from a non-major conference (Utah) to a BCS bowl game.
- He coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Tebow).
- He coached a player who became the number one overall pick in the NFL draft (Alex Smith).
Coaching Connections
Many assistant coaches who worked under Urban Meyer later became head coaches in college or the NFL. This shows how influential his coaching style and leadership were.
Some of these coaches include:
- Steve Addazio (Temple, Boston College, Colorado State)
- Gary Andersen (Utah State, Wisconsin, Oregon State)
- Ryan Day (Ohio State)
- Tom Herman (Houston, Texas, Florida Atlantic)
- Dan Mullen (Mississippi State, Florida, UNLV)
- Greg Schiano (Rutgers)
- Charlie Strong (Louisville, Texas, South Florida)
- Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots)
- Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
Personal Life
Urban Meyer met Shelley Mather while they were students at the University of Cincinnati. They married in 1986. They have three children: Nicole ("Nicki"), Gisela ("Gigi"), and Nathan ("Nate"). Both of his daughters played Division I volleyball in college. Meyer is a practicing Roman Catholic.
See also
- List of Ohio State University people
- List of Sigma Chi members
- List of University of Cincinnati people
