A healthy Urban Meyer addressed the media for the first time since Florida lost the Southeastern Conference Championship Game to Alabama on Dec. 5.
Meyer was checked into the hospital the next day after becoming dehydrated, but UF's coach said all is well as far as his health goes.
“I'm doing fine,” he said. “I don't eat. God makes your body, I guess you're supposed to eat and I didn't, but I'm fine.”
The brief hospital visit was just one of many off-the-field distractions for the Gators since their national championship hopes were dashed by the Crimson Tide.
Meyer said junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who was arrested for DUI days before the SEC Championship Game, will play in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day assuming there are no further incidents.
Florida's administration and athletic director Jeremy Foley have signed off on the decision, which was made Friday.
“It was his first mistake — a real serious one, but he paid a real serious price as well,” Meyer said. “But he's also — since he's been here — been a good student, good person, presented well.”
Meyer said the arrest and subsequent suspension “devastated” Dunlap, who has recently rejoined the team to begin preparing for Cincinnati.
In the time that Dunlap was away from the Gators, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong took a head coaching job with Louisville and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales took a similar position with LSU.
“I've been blessed with some great coaches,” Meyer said. “Eventually, coach (Steve) Addazio will be a head coach and Charlie, that was just a matter of time.”
The departure of long time assistants may be done for a while, however, as Meyer said that he has not been contacted by anyone requesting permission to talk to his other assistants about a job.
Meyer is still in the early phases of hiring a replacement for Strong, though he said he has been “bombarded” with phone calls about the position.
He wasted little time bringing in a replacement for Gonzales, as former Central Michigan wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni became a Gator last Friday. Azzanni previously worked under Meyer at Bowling Green.
“This was the chance of a lifetime to come coach at the defending national champs, and I'm going to take it,” said Azzanni, who arrived in Gainesville on Thursday and is living with a graduate assistant until he can find a permanent place.
As if there weren't enough ties between Cincinnati and Meyer, Azzanni will coach in the Superdome across from former Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones, who was recently hired to be the head coach of the Bearcats.
“The way it worked out was certainly bizarre — the life of college football,” Azzanni said.
