Urban Meyer squashes rumors linking him to open college football coaching jobs: 'I don't have a desire'

Amid an already-wild college football coaching carousel that’s seen eight in-season Power Four firings before November, at least one potential candidate has pulled himself from consideration. Seven years into his retirement from college football, former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer revealed he has no desire to return to the sidelines.

“I don’t have a desire,” Meyer told Cleveland-based TV reporter Kellyanne Stitts recently.

Then, the conversation turned to Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who was a star receiver at Ohio State under Meyer’s predecessor Jim Tressel in the mid-2000s. Meyer was much more supportive of Hartline becoming a head coach.

“I do,” Meyer said when asked if Hartline is ready to be a head coach. “I’m a big Brian Hartline fan, always have been, and he just needed the experience (as an OC). I’m glad he stayed (at OSU), he had a chance to leave, and he learned from us and (Buckeyes head) coach (Ryan) Day, and I think he’s ready.”

Despite eight Power 4 schools looking for head football coaches, including Penn State, LSU, and Florida, Urban Meyer is not interested in getting back into coaching.

I also asked if #Buckeyes OC Brian Hartline is ready to be a head coach and he said yes.

"big Brian Hartline… pic.twitter.com/mGSHKAubiq

— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) October 31, 2025

The 61-year-old Meyer retired from coaching in 2018 following a distinguished 18-year head coaching career that included three national championships — 2006 and 2008 at Florida and 2014 at Ohio State — and multiple conference titles in both the Big Ten and SEC. Meyer would return to the sideline in 2021 during a disastrous one-year stint as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach that lasted just 13 games.

But since then, Meyer has embraced life as a media member on FOX Sports‘ Big Noon Kickoff pregame show as well as The Triple Option podcast with fellow FOX analysts Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone. As far as Hartline becoming a potential head coaching candidate this cycle, Meyer isn’t the only person who sees it as a possibility.

Jordan Rodgers pitches Brian Hartline for LSU job after dismissing Lane Kiffin as a candidate

During Friday morning’s Get Up, ESPN analyst and former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers proposed an off-the-radar candidate that could be a great option as LSU’s next head coach: Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.

“Lane Kiffin is not leaving for that mess, and I think a lot of other established coaches that may be (normally) be on the radar for LSU aren’t either as of the events of the last couple of days. So I’m going to give you two names that I don’t think anybody’s talking about,” Rodgers said Friday morning. “Brian Hartline, the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, he has a track record of developing and recruiting elite wide receivers. And, as a play caller, look what he’s done with a young quarterback in Julian Sayin this year. I think he’d be a great hire, off-the-radar a little bit.”