Urban Meyer issues public apology to Jacksonville following his firing
Early Thursday morning, the Jacksonville Jaguars fired Urban Meyer. On Saturday, he made his first public comments to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Meyer had a tumultuous first season in the NFL with multiple off-field issues. But on the field, the Jaguars are 2-11 through 13 games, and Meyer didn’t even last a full calendar year in his five-year contract.
“I just apologize to Jacksonville,” Meyer told Rapoport. “I love Jacksonville. It’s one of the reasons I took the job. I still think Shad’s a great owner. It’s heart-breaking. I just had a dream of it becoming a destination place with a new facility he agreed to build and some day to walk into that stadium where it’s standing room only. Because I know how bad the people of Jacksonville want it.
“So, I’m just heartbroken that we weren’t able to do that. I still believe it’s going to be done. It’s too good of a place.”
Things didn’t go well for Meyer in Jacksonville. He hired former Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle, who was accused of racism while with the Hawkeyes. Then, he stayed back one night and was seen on video at a bar dancing with a young woman. Most recently, a report surfaced that he kicked Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo while he was stretching.
Darrell Bevelle is taking over as Jacksonville’s interim coach for the rest of the season. The Jaguars take on the Houston Texans Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Details emerge on Urban Meyer’s departure from Jacksonville Jaguars
Urban Meyer ghosted his staff on the way out of the Jacksonville Jaguars facility on Wednesday, according to interim head coach Darrell Bevell. After practice, the head coach left his staff behind in the dark, unaware of the situation playing out between their boss and employer.
It’s no real surprise that the former Ohio State football coach left without a heads up to his assistants. Urban Meyer reportedly called them losers in meetings last week – which he denied.
Everything boiled over on Wednesday after a report broke of a conflict between Meyer and former Jags kicker Josh Lambo. Lambo revealed details about an incident in practice where the head coach kicked him. While stretching on the field, Lambo claims Meyer kicked him and told him to “make his f–ing kicks.”
The Urban Meyer era with the Jacksonville Jaguars was a short-lived one. Jacksonville hired Meyer in the offseason, bringing him out of his previous retirement to become the Jaguars’ new head coach. He was paired with a young roster in need of a major rebuild, but he was also gifted with the No. 1 overall pick in his first NFL Draft, which the Jaguars used on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He went 2-11 before his firing.