Urban Meyer still has one more game to coach at Florida, then he’s going to assume a new role in and around the Florida football team. At this point, no one seems to really know what Meyer will be doing, but Jeremy Foley has made it clear he wants Meyer to remain involved in the program.
Will he recruit? Will he coach in some capacity? Will his presence make Will Muschamp feel uncomfortable?
The answer to the first question is Meyer probably will help out in recruiting in some way. He’s too good a recruiter not to. From what I’m hearing, Meyer is still actively recruiting for Florida and the new head coach. According to Rivals.com, the recruits on campus this past weekend spent some time at Meyer’s house with Meyer and his family, and Muschamp.
The answer to the second question is, probably no. Some have suggested Meyer might become Muschamp’s special teams coordinator, but that would put Meyer right back in a high-stress job that would consume many long hours and keep him away from his family for extended periods of time, especially in the fall.
The answer to the third question is to be determined. Muschamp said at his introductory news conference that as long as he’s the head coach at the University of Florida, Meyer is welcome in the weight room and in the meeting rooms and on the practice field. That sounds good, but it might get a little tough having a coaching icon sort of looking over your shoulder all the time.
I have a feeling that what’s going to happen is Meyer is going to become a mentor to the players. He’s going to have an office and an open-door policy and the players are going to lean on Meyer for support and advice. This is one of Meyer’s strengths — his ability to have a positive influence on young men.
The mentor role for Meyer came to me when I was talking to former safety Jarvis Herring last week. Herring recently earned his UF degree, but when Meyer first arrived here in 2005, Herring said his life was a wreck and he was close to being thrown out of school. Herring said Meyer turned his life around. He became productive on the field and in the class room and emerged as a team leader that Meyer could count on. Herring said Meyer and his staff helped him mature into a man.
Maybe this is the role Meyer will have at Florida — mentor to the players.
Mentor, Bail Bondsmen, legal counsel etc.
Mentor??? It’s great that Herring was able to turn his life around and if he gives credit to Meyer for that, then so be it. Let’s not forget that Meyer also had 30 player arrests on his watch. That equates to about 25% of each recruiting class getting arrested. I kept waiting for Meyer to lay the law down with the players, but no such luck. It became embarrassing to say the least!
I am grateful to Meyer for his on-the-field accomplishments at UF…very impressive 6-year resume. However, he resigned and should MOVE ON…as should UF! As a booster, I do not support his continued involvement in the program. This is Will Muschamp’s team now and he does not need a former coach looking over his shoulder. I do wish Coach Meyer luck, I just hope it is someplace other than Gainesville!
Why do you always sound like a fifth grader when you write your columns? they never ever give any in depth detail that you can not find anywhere else. they also never make a clear point as you seem to make ten points then contradict your points??
Gatorjam, do not be surprised that if Muschamp fails on this run, that Urb’s is not the HC again.
Hey, lets give WM credit for wanting Urban around for moral and friendly support. Meyer is not Pat Riley in any shape or form. And WM will not fail at Florida. He is too good of a coach that know what he is doing. Look a Gene over at Auburn (he was booed as soon as he exited the plane) and look at him now. What he done at Auburn was extrordinary we all know the SEC is the toughest conferance top to bottom. and they had hired a coach who allowed his OC to run the offense the way he saw fit unlike his first job at Arkansas under H Nutt who would not let him throw the rock. Will will allow his OC to run his offense the way he sees fit .We will be fine and WM will accell. ITS GREAT (AND A PLEASURE) TO BE A GATOR
I would love for UM to have a role in mentoring the players. in fact, I think Mr. Herring would make for an excellent staff assistant to Coach Meyer in this capacity. As a formal role for UM, this would also aid our recruiting efforts.
I hope this is Will Muschamp’s call and not something forced on him by Foley …….. If the decision to retain Meyer’s help is Will’s call and it’s the way he wants it done then who are we to question it????
Simple coach will be working with the athletic department in total, rather than just the football team. Might be the next AD if that is what he wants to do. I think after the bowl game and recruiting for this cycle is done Urban will be on vacation and work for Foley in general.
This is REALLY good news. Like an early Christmas present. Go Noles!
That’s a terrible position to put a new hire in, having your predecessor not really gone and hanging in the wings, waiting for you to fail so that he can step back in and save the day. It looks like Meyer does very much want to coach the Gators again and he’s just going on R&R for a few years until he’s healthy enough to step back in. Why would Muschamp accept such a position? It splits player loyalty and second-guesses everything that Muschamp does. Terrible.
His recruiting didn’t help much with Waisome….
Jack
I think he will be the recruiting coordinator and AD in training. When JF is ready to call it quits UM will be announced as the next AD at UF.
Urban Meyer: Leave now. Get out of town. You needed to quit, so quit! We do not need another Vince Dooley type, handing around looking over Muskrat’s shoulder and undermining his authority.
Robbie, shame on you for not condemning this situation, it is time to quit being a cheerleader. Put on the journalist big-boy pants and call this for what it is: a disaster in the making.
Journalist?, ha! You are simply a publicist, you and Dooley!
Wow you guys are harsh on Andreu. I’m pretty sure most of you are wrong about the AD in waiting. That is more work then the FOOTBALL coach it’s ALL the SPORTS why would he go to that postion???? Most of u are lightin’ up Pat and Rob and then talkin bout Urban takin’ on more duties. Then Alligator says don’t be suprised on Urban comin back…. after CRACKIN’ on Robbie (in depth) comment). You guys need to be more smart with your comments if your gonna crack on another person. FACE!
If Muschamp is down I’m down. Go Gators!
For Urban to still be involved in helping Florida Football,,,,,and the Gator Nation….how could you not want that? Urban is now truly a Gator and we should be proud to have him involved in any role that works for everyone.
GATORJAM, that’s pure hoopla. Meyer had a lot of bad luck with player arrests, but most of the arrests were piecemeal offenses, and most of the most serious offenders were sent packing. No more were given second chances than at any other top program when you look at the record. Ease up with the “Meyer didn’t believe in discipline” garbage, because it just makes you look like a rival troll posting under a Gator alias.
JACK, Meyer’s recruiting seemed to work just fine with Elam. Hey buddy, if you’re going to smack, don’t set yourself up for a beat-down. 😉
It could create division amongst players (Meyers versus Muschamp) if Urban is too closely involved with the program. You don’t want players to go to former coaches for counsel when they should be developing relationships with new coaching staff. Fine line to walk. Much like Zook players (or Grossman in last year at UF after Spurrier left), it will probably take two years to get total buy-in to Muschamp program.
[…] was upset last night in overtime by Jacksonville.2. Folks in Florida are trying to figure out what Urban Meyer’s new role inside the football program will be. (We would offer a word of warning here, but instead, we’ll let Dean Martin handle it in a […]
The Gator arrests comment, yeah, that’s been blown WAY out of proportion. People love to say “30 arrests” but have they bothered to see what the majority of those arrests were for? Have they bothered to look at how quickly Meyer threw players off the team (*ahem* Cam Newton) for forgivable offenses like being caught with less than a gram of weed, or being “caught” entering a tow yard when the owner of the tow yard does not think it was an issue, or driving under a suspended license.
Yeah, anything to win, THAT’S the Meyer WE know. / sarcasm off.
That man has sacrificed a LOT of on field success for nothing more than his own will to run a tight ship. But angry belittled jealous Cane/Nole/Bulldogs abound. Please Florida would have to run loose and be proud thugs for two decades before they reached the low-level class of any of those three programs.
If we were thug u, we would be playing Oregon in the NC game this year, with Cam as our QB.
I agree with ” Jack ” and his remarks about Coach Meyer was not able to assist w/the latest loss of a recruit that had previously given his ” word ” ( what ever that seems to mean in today’s world ) – after visiting on campus this past Sunday and then commits to the FSU school ( my neighbor ). Move on Coach, head to the mid-american conference, less sweat and tears. As a ” Gator ” for over 65 years and counting ( class of ’51 ), I personally thank you and God speed.
Did anybody ever stop and think that these guy’s that are De-committing could have been helped out of their commitment.It was interesting to me both guy’s who “changed their minds” met with CWM personally. Maybe our new coach Didn’t agree about our need of some of these early commits and simply “helped” them with their decision’s (if you get my drift).My guess is that they know exactly what they need NOW,and they are strategically and tactfully going about filling those needs!
This is like getting divorced and having your ex-wife still living on the far end of the house. If wife # 2 likes that situation, then something is just wrong. Come on Urban. You were great. The game passed you by. Take the high road and ease away from the program. Your personality is certainly not right for the AD position. Ducking Gator Clubs left & right is not an option as AD. Please please please…for the good of Gator Nation, give it a lot of thought.
Todd:
Elam was never coming to FSU. He just wanted some attention in the media. Waisome will be on campus in a few days. He decommitted at a time when coaches from other schools can no longer bother him. Meyer was an amazing recruiter, but he’s no longer relevant.
You can laugh at Jimbo Fisher all you want–yes, the Jimbo Fisher who, in his first year, completely destroyed your team–but he is going to be an excellent coach when the leftovers from Bowden are flushed out. I read everyone’s posts on here knocking Fisher, when Fisher was out-recruiting UF when Meyer was still around. Ya’ll can keep chuckling all you want, but there is a new sheriff in town and his name is John James Fisher.
Jack
That is John James Fisher Sir to all the beat down gators.
I’m not laughing at Fisher, I’m just saying that he has a long way to go to get FSU back to new heights, at least the ones you’re expecting. They’re working on a great class this year, but FSU seems to get good players here or there every year and have a solid recruiting top 5 class every few years, and we’ve still seen the same under-performing results on the field. I think Fisher has some good coaches around him, but one good game against a UF team in disarray that couldn;t even score against it’s own scout team isn;t the time to celebrate. Fisher needs to win the big games and haul in top 5 classes EVERY year, and that remains to be seen. I’ve seen all this before, and I myself will wait a few years to pass judgement.
Oh, and Fisher “outrecruiting Meyer”? When? Just because he’s had some success this year because of a poor UF effort? If he’s out-recruiting Meyer so badly, then why does he feel the need to raid Meyer’s class for players? Shouldn;t the ones he get be more than enough proof od outrecruiting Meyer? Good classes happy for everyone, it’s the consistency of those classes that matter. Fisher has done well this year, no doubt, but he’s benefitting greatly from a poor UF season and btw, when Fisher hauls in two #1 classes, a #2 class, and another top 5 class in the next four years, then I’ll agree he can outrecruit Meyer. He has a LONG way to go before doing that.