NCAA Football coaching legend Urban Meyer was on hand at the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday, and he answered questions as to whether he would be interested in returning to the sidelines eventually. The former Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes head man was asked – in particular – about his interest in the recently vacant job at Michigan State. However, Meyer was quick to dispel any thoughts that he would be making a comeback now. Or possibly even ever.
Urban Meyer, during his tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars | SCREENSHOT: Jacksonville Jaguars/YouTube
Urban Meyer last coached the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 but lasted just 13 games before being fired with a 2-11 record. It was a disaster of a year that shattered Meyer’s image as a coaching genius. His national titles at Florida (2006, 2008) and Ohio State (2014), notwithstanding, he was essentially run out of the game following a tumultuous tenure with the Jags
Meyer stated he has “no desire” to return to coaching, adding that it took a tremendous toll on him personally
“I am good. I never really took a day off. People, when I say that, they scratch their head. I am like… I never took a day off. I had some health stuff go on. I became addicted to sleeping pills. I was just a maniac worker. So, no.”
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Currently, Urban Meyer works as a college football analyst for Fox Sports Network, and that’s a role he’s likely to stay in for the long haul. His recent remarks are not the first time the former coach has talked about the parts of the job that he doesn’t miss.
In January 2022, Meyer spoke publicly for the first time about his tenure with the Jaguars on Dan Dakich‘s podcast, calling it “the worst experience I’ve had in my professional lifetime”. Meyer added, “I’d stare at the ceilings and [think] ‘Are we doing everything possible?’ because I really believed we had a roster that was good enough to win games. I just don’t think we did a great job.”
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