Urban Meyer facts for kids
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Meyer in 2017
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| Personal information | |
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| Born: | July 10, 1964 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Saint John School (Ashtabula, Ohio) |
| College: | Cincinnati |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
College:
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| Head coaching record | |
| Career: | NFL: 2–11 (.154) NCAA: 187–32 (.854) Bowls: 12–3 (.800) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
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), the Utah Utes (2003–2004), the Florida Gators (2005–2010), and the Ohio State Buckeyes (2012–2018).
Meyer retired from college coaching in 2019. He then worked as an assistant athletic director at Ohio State. He also became an analyst for Fox Sports on their Big Noon Kickoff show. In 2021, Meyer took his first National Football League (NFL) job as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He coached for 13 games before returning to Fox Sports as a broadcaster.
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 at the University of Florida, he led the Gators to two BCS National Championship Game wins in 2006 and 2008. By 2009, Meyer had one of the highest winning percentages among active college 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
- Understanding the Spread Offense
- Coaching Tree
- Head Coaching Records
- Personal Life
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and Education
Urban Meyer was born on July 10, 1964, in Toledo, Ohio. He spent his childhood in Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated from Saint John High School in 1982.
Meyer was also drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft. He played minor league baseball as a shortstop for two seasons. At the same time, he played defensive back for the University of Cincinnati. 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 sportswriters and TV commentators. By the end of the 2009 season, he had 20 years of college coaching experience. Nine of those years were as a head coach. His overall record as a head coach was 96 wins and 18 losses. His winning percentage of .842 was the best among active college football head coaches at the time.
Meyer is Catholic and has often called the head coaching job at the University of Notre Dame his "dream job." However, he stated in 2009 that he would not leave Florida for Notre Dame. He held a press conference to stop rumors linking him to the Notre Dame job. He said he would stay at Florida "as long as they'll have me."
On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign after the team's bowl game. He mentioned health concerns. The next day, he said he would take an indefinite leave of absence instead. He returned to coaching before the Gators' spring practice on March 17, 2010.
Florida's athletic director, Jeremy Foley, announced Meyer's resignation on December 8, 2010. Meyer remained head coach through the Gators' Outback Bowl appearance 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 interned as a defensive back coach. This was at Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1985. He then became a graduate assistant coaching tight ends at Ohio State for two years. This was under head coach Earle Bruce.
For the next 13 years, he worked as an assistant coach. He spent two years at Illinois State, six at Colorado State, and five at Notre Dame.
At Colorado State, he coached wide receiver Greg Primus. Primus gained over 1,000 receiving yards from 1990 to 1992. At Notre Dame, he coached wide receiver Bobby Brown. Brown finished his career with 1,521 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2000, he coached David Givens, who later played for the New England Patriots.
In 1990, while at Illinois State, Meyer tried to get a job with Nick Saban at the Toledo. Saban later said not calling Meyer back was a "huge mistake" because Meyer is a "fantastic coach."
Leading Bowling Green
In 2001, Meyer became a head coach for the first time at Bowling Green. In his first year, he led one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA football history. The team went from 2–9 in 2000 to 8–3. They ended the season with a big 56–21 win over rival University of Toledo. He also won the Mid-American Conference coach of the year award.
The next year, Bowling Green finished with a 9–3 record. After a total record of 17 wins and 6 losses, Meyer left for the University of Utah. He used quarterbacks like Josh Harris in a special way. Harris passed for over 1,000 yards and ran for 600 yards in 2001. Meyer later used quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in a similar style.
Success at Utah
After two seasons at Bowling Green, Meyer took the head coach job at Utah in 2003. In his first year, he was named the Mountain West Conference's Coach of the Year. The team had a 10–2 record, which was the best start for a coach at Utah. He also won The Sporting News National Coach of the Year. This was a first 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 Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense. Meyer's offense used three receivers and put the quarterback in a shotgun formation. Then, he added motion and turned it into an option attack. This included parts of the traditional run-focused option offense.
In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series bid. This was a big deal because no team from a non-major conference had done this before. He coached the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh. This completed Utah's first perfect season (12–0) since 1930.
In 2003, Utah quarterback Alex Smith threw for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also ran for 452 yards and five touchdowns. In 2004, he threw for 2,952 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also ran for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns. Smith's great performance under Meyer's offense made him a top pick in the 2005 NFL draft.
Leading the Florida Gators
After his achievements at Utah, both the University of Florida and the University of Notre Dame wanted Meyer as their coach. Meyer chose to become Florida's head coach for the 2005 season. He signed a seven-year contract worth $14 million. He later signed extensions, making him one of the highest-paid college football coaches.
2005 Season at Florida
In 2005, his first season at Florida, Meyer's Gators finished 9–3. They had a perfect record at home. They also won a bowl game against Iowa in the Outback Bowl.
2006 National Championship Season
In 2006, Meyer coached the Gators to a 13–1 record. Their only loss was to the Auburn Tigers. The Gators won the SEC Championship Game against Arkansas 38–28.
The Gators then defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 41–14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. This win secured the national championship for Florida. It was Florida's first national championship since 1997. Meyer is known for winning big games. He had a 16–2 record against Florida's main rivals: Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State.
2007 Season
The Gators had a 9–3 regular season record in 2007. They had big wins over rivals Tennessee and FSU. However, they lost to Auburn again. Meyer never beat Auburn during his time at Florida.
Quarterback Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy under Coach Meyer. The team scored a lot of points, but defensive struggles made it hard to reach a BCS bowl game. The Gators lost the Capital One Bowl to Michigan 41–35.
2008 National Championship Season
In 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 13–1 record. They won the BCS National Championship against Oklahoma. They beat six ranked teams that season. Their only loss was to Ole Miss.
On December 6, 2008, Meyer led the Gators to a 31–20 win over top-ranked Alabama. This was in the SEC title game. The Gators came back from being behind to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. This win moved Florida to No. 1 in the polls. They then faced Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game. The Gators won 24–14, earning their second national championship under Meyer.
2009 Season
In 2009, Meyer's Gators started the season ranked No. 1. The team sometimes struggled on offense. Quarterback Tim Tebow had a scary concussion in a win over Kentucky. Florida finished the regular season 12–0 and was still ranked No. 1.
Their winning streak ended in the SEC Championship Game. They lost 32–13 to Alabama. Florida then 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
On December 6, 2009, Meyer was admitted to a hospital with chest pains and dehydration. He was released later that day. On December 26, he announced he would resign as Florida's head coach. He cited health and family concerns. Meyer said he had ignored his health for years. He had frequent chest pains from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and headaches from an arachnoid cyst. These were related to stress.
On December 27, Meyer announced he would take an indefinite leave of absence instead of resigning. He was unsure if he would return for the 2010 season. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio served as the interim coach. On January 1, 2010, Meyer coached the Gators to their 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory. He suggested he would return to coach the Gators.
Meyer took time off to improve his health. He still kept in touch with potential new players during the recruiting season. The Gators still signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in February. On March 17, 2010, Meyer returned full-time to his position.
2010 Season and Final Departure
On September 25, 2010, Meyer earned his 100th career win as a coach. His record was 100 wins and 18 losses. He was the sixth fastest NCAA coach to reach this milestone.
Despite this, the season was tough for the Gators. Their 7–5 regular-season record was the worst during Meyer's time at Florida. On December 8, 2010, Meyer announced his retirement from coaching again. He cited 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.
Coaching the Ohio State Buckeyes
On November 28, 2011, Urban Meyer was introduced as the new head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. He signed a six-year contract worth $4 million annually. He also received retention payments. In 2015, Meyer signed a contract extension with the Buckeyes through 2020.
2012 Undefeated Season
In Meyer's first year at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated 12–0 record. They were ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll. The team could not play in the postseason due to NCAA rules.
2013 Season
Meyer's next year was still strong. Ohio State finished #12 in the BCS rankings with a 12–2 record. Some talented players left for the 2014 NFL Draft. These included linebacker Ryan Shazier, cornerback Bradley Roby, and running back Carlos Hyde.
2014 National Championship Season
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Before the 2014 season, Ohio State lost its star quarterback, Braxton Miller, to an injury. Redshirt freshman J. T. Barrett stepped in and led Ohio State to an 11–1 record. However, Barrett also got injured in the last regular season game.
Cardale Jones became the quarterback. He led Ohio State to a 59–0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. This win helped Ohio State move to #4 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They qualified for the first four-team playoff tournament.
They played #1 Alabama in the semifinal Sugar Bowl. Ohio State was not expected to win, but they came back to win 42–35. The Buckeyes then faced Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks in the National Championship. Ohio State won 42–20. This victory was the eighth national championship for Ohio State. It was Meyer's third career national title.
2018 Season and Retirement
On August 1, 2018, Meyer was placed on paid administrative leave by Ohio State. This was due to reports about his knowledge of issues with an assistant coach. After an investigation, the Ohio State Board of Trustees found that Meyer did not fully uphold university values. On August 22, the board suspended Meyer for the first three games of the season.
Ohio State finished the year with a 12–1 record. They won the Big Ten conference. However, they were not chosen for the College Football Playoff. Instead, they played in the 2019 Rose Bowl.
On December 4, 2018, Meyer announced he would retire from coaching after the Rose Bowl game. He cited health reasons. Ryan Day took over as head coach after the Rose Bowl.
Coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars
On January 14, 2021, Meyer was hired as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. On July 1, 2021, the NFL fined Meyer $100,000 for breaking practice rules.
The Jaguars won their first regular season game on October 17 against the Miami Dolphins 23–20. They won their second game on November 7, defeating the Buffalo Bills 9–6.
On December 16, 2021, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan decided to fire Meyer from his position. Meyer had a record of 2 wins and 11 losses during his short time with the team. His 13-game tenure is one of the shortest for an NFL head coach.
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 five-game losing streak and differences in practice time compared to college football.
Understanding the Spread Offense
When Meyer first became a head coach at Bowling Green, he visited many other coaches. These coaches, like John L. Smith and Scott Linehan, used different versions of the spread offense.
Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State all used the spread offense. He often used a version that focused on running the ball first. This was similar to Rich Rodriguez's style at West Virginia. However, Meyer would change it to fit his players. For example, his first two years at Florida used more passing with quarterback Chris Leak. Later, with Tim Tebow at Florida and Alex Smith at Utah, he used a run-based option spread.
Using this offense, Meyer won two BCS titles. He also won the first College Football Playoff National Championship. He was the first coach to lead a non-major conference team (Utah) to a BCS bowl. He coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Tebow). He also coached a player who became a number one overall pick in the NFL draft (Alex Smith).
Coaching Tree
Many assistant coaches who worked under Urban Meyer later became head coaches in college or the NFL. Here are some of them:
- Steve Addazio: Temple (2011–2012), Boston College (2013–2019), Colorado State (2020–2021)
- Gary Andersen: Utah State (2009–2012; 2019–2020), Wisconsin (2013–2014), Oregon State (2015–2017)
- Chris Ash: Rutgers (2016–2019)
- Tim Beck: Coastal Carolina (2023–present)
- Tim Beckman: Toledo (2009–2011), Illinois (2012–2014)
- Gregg Brandon: Bowling Green (2003–2008), Colorado Mines (2015–2021)
- Ryan Day: Ohio State (2018–present)
- Stan Drayton: Temple (2022–2024)
- D. J. Durkin: Maryland (2016–2018)
- Luke Fickell: Cincinnati (2017–2022), Wisconsin (2023-present)
- Cody Hawkins: Idaho State (2023–present)
- Tom Herman: Houston (2015–2016), Texas (2017–2020), Florida Atlantic (2023-2024)
- Jay Hill: Weber State (2014–2022)
- Doc Holliday: Marshall (2010–2020)
- Scot Loeffler: Bowling Green (2019–present)
- Dan McCarney: North Texas (2011–2015)
- Dan Mullen: Mississippi State (2009–2017), Florida (2018–2021), UNLV (2025-present)
- Mike Sanford Sr.: UNLV (2005–2009), Indiana State (2013–2016)
- Greg Schiano: Rutgers (2020–present)
- Brian Schottenheimer: Dallas Cowboys (2025–present)
- Charlie Strong: Louisville (2010–2013), Texas (2014–2016), South Florida (2017–2019)
- Mike Vrabel: Tennessee Titans (2018–2023), New England Patriots (2025-present)
- Kyle Whittingham: Utah (2005–present)
- Kevin Wilson: Tulsa (2023–2024)
- Everett Withers: James Madison (2014–2015), Texas State (2016–2018)
Head Coaching Records
College Football Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green Falcons (Mid-American Conference) (2001–2002) | |||||||||
| 2001 | Bowling Green | 8–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd (East) | |||||
| 2002 | Bowling Green | 9–3 | 6–2 | 3rd (East) | |||||
| Bowling Green: | 17–6 | 11–5 | |||||||
| Utah Utes (Mountain West Conference) (2003–2004) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Utah | 10–2 | 6–1 | 1st | W Liberty | 21 | 21 | ||
| 2004 | Utah | 12–0 | 7–0 | 1st | W Fiesta† | 5 | 4 | ||
| Utah: | 22–2 | 13–1 | |||||||
| Florida Gators (Southeastern Conference) (2005–2010) | |||||||||
| 2005 | Florida | 9–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd (Eastern) | W Outback | 16 | 12 | ||
| 2006 | Florida | 13–1 | 7–1 | 1st (Eastern) | W BCS NCG† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2007 | Florida | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd (Eastern) | L Capital One | 16 | 13 | ||
| 2008 | Florida | 13–1 | 7–1 | 1st (Eastern) | W BCS NCG† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | Florida | 13–1 | 8–0 | 1st (Eastern) | W Sugar† | 3 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | Florida | 8–5 | 4–4 | 2nd (Eastern) | W Outback | ||||
| Florida: | 65–15 | 36–12 | |||||||
| Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten Conference) (2012–2018) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Ohio State | 12–0 | 8–0 | 1st (Leaders) | 3 | ||||
| 2013 | Ohio State | 12–2 | 8–0 | 1st (Leaders) | L Orange† | 10 | 12 | ||
| 2014 | Ohio State | 14–1 | 8–0 | 1st (East) | W Sugar†, W CFP NCG† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | Ohio State | 12–1 | 7–1 | T–1st (East) | W Fiesta† | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2016 | Ohio State | 11–2 | 8–1 | T–1st (East) | L Fiesta† | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2017 | Ohio State | 12–2 | 8–1 | 1st (East) | W Cotton† | 5 | 5 | ||
| 2018 | Ohio State | 10–1 | 7–1 | T–1st (East) | W Rose† | 3 | 3 | ||
| Ohio State: | 83–9 | 54–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 187–32 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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NFL Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| JAX | 2021 | 2 | 11 | 0 | .154 | Fired | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 2 | 11 | 0 | .154 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
Personal Life
While studying at the University of Cincinnati, Meyer met Shelley Mather. She was a freshman nursing student. They got married in 1986. The Meyers have three children: Nicole ("Nicki"), Gisela ("Gigi"), and Nathan ("Nate"). His daughters, Nicki and Gigi, both played Division I volleyball in college. Nicki played for Georgia Tech, and Gigi played for Florida Gulf Coast. Urban Meyer is a practicing Roman Catholic.
Images for kids
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Meyer in 2017
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Meyer and quarterback Tim Tebow after a victory in 2008.
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Dublin, Ohio, renamed a street in honor of Urban Meyer's accomplishments in 2014.
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Meyer posing with two cadets after coaching a game against Army in 2017
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Meyer with the Jaguars in 2021
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Meyer on the set of Big Noon Kickoff in 2024
See also
- List of Ohio State University people
- List of Sigma Chi members
- List of University of Cincinnati people
