By Jordan Long
Black Monday is next week for NFL teams. This is when NFL franchises decide to fire coaches for their team’s poor play and record for the 2020 NFL season. Right now, the openings in the NFL are Atlanta, Houston, and Detroit. Other teams could end up on the list. There are rumors teams could be pursuing Urban Meyer for their job vacancies.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “Sources who have spoken to Meyer believe he wants to make sure that, if he decides to make the jump to the NFL, he is prepared to fully immerse himself in a new world.”
Meyer has never coached in the NFL. His strength is the college game. Meyer spent 17 years as a Head Coach in college football, lasting from 2001 to 2018. He coached Bowling Green State, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State. His teams were an impressive 187-32, a winning percentage of .854. His teams made 15 Bowl games and the record was 12-3.
Meyer took Florida to two BCS National Championship Games in 2006 and 2008. The Gators won both games. He added another National Championship in 2014 when Ohio State won the College Football Playoff.
Meyer’s record in the college game is impressive. In college, he was able to recruit athletes who he felt would fit the team. He ended up creating a powerhouse in Utah, Florida, and Ohio State. Meyer’s teams competed and they won a lot of games for it. The college game is where he was successful.
A jump to the NFL may not be the best for him. In the NFL, unless the coach is the General Manager of the team, they don’t get to draft the team or sign free agents. Most franchises have a general manager who makes personnel moves. Meyer’s job would be to coach the team. Unlike the college game, franchises want to win now. There is pressure to win games right off the bat. Teams might not want to wait 3 years to see if Meyer can turn around a team. Some franchises will fire a coach after 2 years of awful football.
The other problem with Meyer is he hasn’t coached since the end of the 2018 season. He had to step down from coaching due to dealing with a brain cyst. He has still been part of college football as a studio analyst for Fox’s pregame show. That seems like a less stressful job than the sidelines because all he has to do is interview players and coaches, analyze teams, show highlights of games, and pick winners of games.
Meyer will do what is best for him moving forward. A return to football as a Head Coach could be in the cards.
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