However, the following day Meyer announced that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence, and he resumed his coaching duties in time for the beginning of the Gators' spring practice on March 17, 2010. On December 26, 2009, Meyer announced he would resign following the team's bowl game against Cincinnati, citing health concerns.
And when the employment status of Irish coach Charlie Weis came into question in November 2009, Meyer held a press conference to dispel rumors linking him to the possible opening, stating that he would remain at Florida for "as long as they'll have me." The University of Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was eventually hired for the job. However, according to a July 2009 newspaper report, Meyer insisted he would never leave Florida for Notre Dame. Meyer is Catholic and on several occasions has referred to the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame as his "dream job," leading to speculation that he would someday wish to coach there. By winning the 2009 BCS Championship game on January 8, 2009, Meyer moved past Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops into second place on the list of active Division I coaches ranked by winning percentage. His winning percentage (.842) through the end of the 2009 season ranked first nationally among active college football head coaches. His overall record as a head coach through the end of the 2009 season was 96–18, and he was 49–14 in conference play. He then had twenty years of college coaching experience, including nine as a head coach. In 2004, Meyer was recognized as the college football coach of the year by both sportswriters ( Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year) and television commentators ( Home Depot Coach of the Year Award). Meyer went on to earn his master's degree in sports administration in 1988 from Ohio State University. During his undergraduate studies, Meyer was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity ( Zeta Psi Chapter). He concurrently played defensive back at the University of Cincinnati before earning his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1986.
Meyer was selected in the 13th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves as a shortstop, where he spent two seasons playing minor league baseball in the Braves organization. He graduated from Ashtabula's Saint John High School in 1982. Meyer was born on July 10, 1964, in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. Meyer is one of three coaches, along with Pop Warner and Nick Saban, to win a major college football national championship at two universities. In 2014, he led the Buckeyes to their first Big Ten Conference title under his tenure as well as the program's eighth national championship. įollowing his temporary retirement in 2011, he worked as a college football analyst for the television sports network ESPN before joining Ohio State to become their head coach.
Meyer's winning percentage through the conclusion of the 2009 season (.842) was the highest among all active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program. During his time at the University of Florida, he coached the Gators to two BCS National Championship Game victories, during the 20 seasons. Meyer was born in Toledo, Ohio, grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, and attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played football as a defensive back. In 2021, Meyer came out of retirement to take his first National Football League (NFL) job as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was fired thirteen games into his first and only season. He retired from coaching in 2019 at the end of the Rose Bowl, and stayed at Ohio State as an assistant athletic director and was also an analyst for Fox Sports, appearing weekly on their Big Noon Kickoff pre-game show. He served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons from 2001 to 2002, the Utah Utes from 2003 to 2004, the Florida Gators from 2005 to 2010, and the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018. Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American football coach. The Sporting News Coach of the Decade (2009).Sports Illustrated Coach of the Decade (2009).The Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2003).