Report: Urban Meyer makes next career move amid pushback following controversial Jaguars run
Urban Meyer may be on the television screens for the national college football audience to hear the former coach this fall, according to a Tuesday report from Front Office Sports.
“Despite some internal opposition, Fox Sports management is pushing to bring back disgraced football coach Urban Meyer as a studio analyst for its “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show,” according to sources of Michael McArthy, who was first to link Meyer to a legitimate return to FOX.
Meyer’s last coaching stint was worse than anyone could have imagined. The longtime successful college coach at Utah, Florida and Ohio State didn’t even last one full season due to multiple scandals, controversy and downright strange and degrading behavior reported by coaches and players within the organization.
Still, the 57-year-old Meyer won three national championships at Florida and Ohio State. Despite his fall from grace, Richard Deitsch of The Athletic reports Meyer is “deep in negotiations” to return to the network where he worked for two years before signing a five-year deal with the Jags worth an estimated $9 million per year.
According to the sources Front Office Sports cites in the latest Urban Meyer update, there are current employees, executives and talent that are opposed to his return to the network.
Bob Stoops, Meyer’s successor, recently left Fox to return to coaching in the XFL.
After Meyer’s sudden exit from Columbus where he handed the reigns to Ryan Day, the former college coach was regarded as a top analyst as the FOX college pregame show began to challenge ESPN’s College Gameday.
Urban Meyer has been hinting at a return to broadcast for the last month or so and while Tuesday’s report feels like a reunion could be imminent, nothing is certain until a deal is done.
Urban Meyer recent hints at return to TV
Last month, the former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach on the Tim May Podcast.
“It’s all still in conversation,” Meyer said to May. “I love Fox, I love their team and their guys. There’s nothing that’s been finalized yet but I plan on going back and doing that. I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed celebrating those who play, celebrating those who coach – it’s a great game. Not being the kind of ripping people to shreds but just celebrating this incredible game and most importantly, the players that do this game. I plan on being back in the fall doing something like that.”
Meyer’s 2-11 NFL coaching record is a far cry from the immense success he saw at schools like Florida and Ohio State. Throughout his collegiate coaching career, Meyer amassed an incredible 187-32 (.854) record and was a three-time national champion (2006, 2008, 2014). He was even named Sports Illustrated Coach of the Decade in 2009.