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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -
Urban Meyer is stepping down as head coach of the
University of Florida football team, Athletics Director Jeremy Foley
announced Saturday afternoon.
“I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and
mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most
of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football
program,” said Meyer. “I have ignored my health for years, but
recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith
and family.”
“After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my
doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on
my health and family.
“I’m proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator
Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the
University of Florida.
“I’m very appreciative for the opportunity I’ve had to be a part
of a tremendous institution - from Dr. Machen to Jeremy Foley and the
entire administrative staff at UF. I’m also very thankful for the
chance to work with some of the best assistants in college football and
coach some of the best college football players and watch them grow both
on and off the field as people. I will cherish the relationships with
them the most.”
Meyer will coach his last game for UF in the Gators’ Sugar Bowl
match-up vs. Cincinnati on January 1st in New Orleans, La.
“Coach Meyer and I have talked this through and I realize how hard
this was for him to reach this decision,” said Foley. “But, the
bottom line is that Coach Meyer needed to make a choice that is in the
best interest of his well being and his family. I certainly appreciate
what he has meant to the University of Florida, our football program and
the Gator Nation. I have never seen anyone more committed to his
players, his family and his program. Above all, I appreciate our
friendship.”
“Urban Meyer’s integrity, work ethic and commitment to his players
are some of the reasons we asked him to become head football coach at
the University of Florida,” said Machen, who hired Meyer at the
University of Utah in 2003, the year before he came to UF. “As a
Gator, Urban has done everything we asked of him and more. He leaves a
lasting legacy on the field, in the classroom and in the Gainesville
community. I am saddened that Urban is stepping down but I have deep
respect for his decision.”
Meyer captured two National Championships in his five years at Florida
(2006 and 2008), two Southeastern Conference Championships (2006 and
2008), three SEC Eastern Division crowns (2006, 2008 and 2009) and led
UF to five straight January bowl games, including three BCS bowl games.
He was recently named Sporting News and Sports Illustrated “Coach of
the Decade.”
He is the only coach in the nation to win two Bowl Championship Series
National Championships and the only coach in the history of the SEC to
win two outright National Championships.
The three-time National Coach of the Year, is currently the nation’s
most active winningest coach, posting 95 victories against just 18
losses for a .841 winning percentage in his nine seasons.
His .848 winning percentage at UF is the best in school history.
Meyer’s five-year record at Florida is 56-10, including a
school-record stretch of 22 straight consecutive wins, the fourth
longest ever streak by an SEC team and the longest in the conference in
15 years. His teams have currently won 14 straight SEC games, the second
longest streak in school history. Meyer was 15-1 against UF’s
traditional rivals (Tennessee, Georgia , Florida State and Miami).
Meyer, 45, holds a 32-8 (.800) mark in SEC play at Florida, which is
the top career SEC winning percentage among head coaches who spent five
years or more in the conference.
Since the SEC’s inception in 1933, no coach had begun his SEC career
faster than Meyer. With this year’s win vs. Arkansas, Meyer collected
his 50th win as an SEC head coach, reaching that mark in just 59 games.
That ties Frank Thomas of Alabama for the fastest to achieve 50 wins as
an SEC head coach.
In 2008, Meyer accomplished the unprecedented feat of knocking off the
BCS No. 1-ranked team in consecutive games, downing Alabama in the SEC
Championship Game before dispatching Oklahoma in the BCS National
Championship Game. Add in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game
victory over Ohio State, and Meyer is the only coach to have defeated
three BCS No. 1-ranked teams in his career.
Meyer owns a 54-4 (.931) record at home in his career, including a 32-2
(.941) in The Swamp. Meyer was 11-3 vs. top 10 teams at UF and his Gator
teams have been ranked in 82 consecutive polls, including 63 weeks in
the top 10 and 16 weeks at No. 1.
There have been 17 Gators selected in the NFL Draft under Meyer,
including four first round picks. No team in the nation had more players
selected than Florida’s nine in 2007. Overall, Meyer has coached 62
players who have signed NFL contracts.
Seventy four of his players have graduated at UF and two were named
among UF’s Outstanding Senior Leaders on campus (Chris Leak, 2006 and
Tim Tebow, 2009). One hundred and seven of his student athletes were
named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll at Florida, including a
league-record 37 in 2008. More than 37 percent of his scholarship
players earned above a 3.0 GPA in the Spring of 2009 and Tebow recently
won the William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman.
Meyer is one of two active coaches to win a pair of outright national
championships (2006 and 2008), coach a Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Tebow)
and coach a first-overall draft pick in the NFL Draft (Alex Smith).
Meyer also connected with the fans, student body and the Gator Nation.
He initiated the Gator Walk, a pre-game tradition that had the players
enter the stadium through a tunnel of enthusiastic and vibrant fans two
hours before kick off. He began the tradition of players signing the
school fight song to the student section at the conclusion of home
games. Meyer invited former players back with open arms and had
Captains’ Legacy Weekend - inviting all former UF captains back for
Homecoming weekend.
Meyer also spearheaded the plans for a $28 million expansion of the
football facility which features an expanded weight room, new football
offices and the Bill Heavener Football Complex. The state-of-the art
building pays tribute to Florida’s proud tradition, championships and
all-time great players.
In addition to his on the field accomplishments, Meyer has also
championed efforts in community service in Gainesville.
A new initiative beginning in 2009, UF football players performed more
than 400 hours of community service each year, as each student-athlete
attended at least two Goodwill Gator events per semester.
In the spring of 2009, the “Swamp Field Trip” was available to
local middle schools as a reward for their students who achieved good
grades, were involved in community service, had major improvements, etc.
The students had the opportunity to speak with a group of players and
had a special tour of the football facility given by the players.
The UF football team held the inaugural Gator Charity Challenge in
August of 2008 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in front of approximately
1,800 people. The fundraiser featured the 2008 Gators challenging each
other in a series of strength competitions to raise funds and awareness
for six charities that were selected by the football program and are
affiliated with Shands, a University partner. The charities were the
American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart
Association, Children’s Miracle Network, March of Dimes and the Susan
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Gator Charity Challenge was held
in association with Uplifting Athletes.
In the spring of 2008, Florida Coach Urban Meyer initiated a mentor
program for young at-risk males. Working with the African-American
Accountability Alliance of Alachua County task force, the program BLAQUE
(Bold Leaders, Achieving Quality, Unity and Excellence) was developed.
The program partnered 15 area middle school children with a Gator
football player and a community leader. The goal is to affect change in
the lives of at-risk black youth.
In the spring of 2005 and 2006, Meyer worked closely with student-body
leaders on campus on a community service initiative surrounding the
annual Orange and Blue Spring Game. Student leaders sold Orange and Blue
spirit bands prior to the Spring Game with proceeds benefiting the
Children’s Miracle Network. Fans that purchased the bands were then
asked to assist members of the UF coaching staff and football team in
the planning of more than 400 crape myrtle trees on Radio Road on
campus.
Meyer’s goodwill efforts have extended beyond his football family.
Inspired by Tim Tebow’s missionary work, Meyer and his family spent
time in the Dominican Republic on a missionary trip in June of 2008.
Meyer has mentored seven coaches who have gone on to become Division I
head coaches. Six of the seven served as coordinators under Meyer.
Former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong was hired as the
head coach at the University of Louisville on December 9th. In 2003,
Gregg Brandon succeeded Meyer as head coach at Bowling Green, while 2005
saw Kyle Whittingham take over for Meyer at Utah. Also in 2005, Mike
Sanford took the reins at UNLV. Tim Beckman was named head coach at
Toledo in December of 2008. This season was Dan Mullen’s first as head
coach at Mississippi State following his time as offensive coordinator
at UF. Most recently, John “Doc” Holliday, an assistant for UF in
2005 and 2006 was named Head Coach at Marshall December 17th.
Meyer came to UF from Utah, where Meyer closed out his stint in Salt
Lake City with 16 consecutive wins. He began his UF career with four
straight wins to extend his head coaching winning streak to 20 games.
With its post-season bid to the Fiesta Bowl, Utah made history by
becoming the first school from a non-Bowl Championship Series conference
to earn a berth in a BCS Bowl. Utah finished as the outright 2004
Mountain West Conference champion to become the only back-to-back
outright winners in the league’s history.
Meyer began his head coaching career at Bowling Green in 2001, where he
engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, showing a
six-win improvement from the previous season. The Falcons rebounded from
a 2-9 record to post their first winning season since 1994 with an 8-3
finish.
Meyer's 17-6 record at Bowling Green included a 5-0 mark against BCS
teams and two wins over ranked opponents.
Meyer apprenticed at Ohio State (1986-87), Illinois State (1988-89),
Colorado State (1990-95) and Notre Dame (1996-2000) before getting the
head job at Bowling Green. The Ashtabula, Ohio, native learned the
coaching trade from the likes of Sonny Lubick, Lou Holtz, Earle Bruce
and Bob Davie
URBAN MEYER FACT SHEET
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Year School , Title
1986 Ohio State, Tight Ends (Grad. Asst.)
1987 Ohio State, Receivers (Grad. Asst.)
1988 Illinois State, Outside Linebackers
1989 Illinois State, Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
1990-95 Colorado State, Wide Receivers
1996-2000 Notre Dame, Wide Receivers
2001-02 Bowling Green, Head Coach
2003-04 Utah, Head Coach
2005-present Florida, Head Coach
HEAD COACHING RECORD
Year School Record Conference Record
(Finish) Final Poll*
2001 Bowling Green 8-3 5-3
NR
2002 Bowling Green 9-3 6-2
NR
2003 Utah 10-2 6-1
(First) 21/21
2004 Utah 12-0 7-0
(First) 4/5/
2005 Florida 9-3 5-3
12/16
2006 Florida 13-1 7-1
(First) 1/1
2007 Florida 9-4 5-3
13/16
2008 Florida 13-1 7-1
(First) 1/1
2009 Florida 12-1 8-0 (First
East) n/a
Totals: 9 Years 95-18 (.841) 56-14
(.848) |
