Since reports began to surface last week about former Florida coach Urban Meyer taking the job at Ohio State, I have heard a lot of different reactions from Gators fans.
Some feel betrayed. Some feel they were lied to. Others are disappointed or frustrated with the way everything played out.
However, there’s one reaction I have yet to see from the Florida faithful — empathy.
I understand all the negative reactions from Florida fans; it’s frustrating to see your coach retire, and then come back not even a year later to take his “dream job.”
But that’s exactly what Meyer did. He took his dream job. The opportunity of a lifetime approached him, and when it knocked Monday, he answered.
Fans should understand that when Meyer announced his retirement last Dec. 8, he didn’t know the Ohio State job would open up this year. While the tattoo scandal surfaced in late December, Meyer couldn’t predict Jim Tressel’s handling of the situation would cost the Ohio State coach his job months later.
When he stepped aside for health concerns and to spend more time with his family — watch his daughters play college volleyball and serve as a coach for his son’s Little League team — he had no idea what the future held. He walked away from Florida because the job consumed him, and he knew he couldn’t handle it at the time.
“Florida deserves the best, and I’m not sure we gave them our best this year,” Meyer said in December.
He didn’t lie to fans. He didn’t betray them, either. He was convinced he was done coaching a year ago, he said at his introductory Buckeyes press conference Monday night.
Meyer gave everything he had to Florida for six seasons. He brought two Southeastern Conference titles, two BCS championship trophies and 65 wins to Gainesville, not to mention the millions of dollars he helped bring in to the school as a result of those accomplishments.
After giving his all to Florida, his health included, Meyer made the best decision for himself last year when he retired. He did the same thing Monday, when he agreed to a six-year, $24 million contract to become the head coach at Ohio State, with millions more in bonuses and “retention payments.”
For as long as Meyer has been coaching, Ohio State has been his dream job. He’s from Ashtabula, Ohio, which is 195 miles from Ohio State’s campus. His first college coaching gig was as a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes in 1986 under coach Earle Bruce.
While at Utah, Meyer had a clause in his contract that would allow him to bolt for OSU without penalty if the opportunity ever presented itself.
If anyone should feel any sense of betrayal, it should be the players Meyer left after the Outback Bowl. But they don’t seem to feel that way. A couple, like offensive lineman James Wilson and linebacker Jon Bostic, didn’t have a comment Saturday on the situation.
Others, like linebacker Jelani Jenkins, took to Twitter on Monday and said that while it came as “a shock,” the Gators will “be fine.” Wide receiver Andre Debose even posted he’s “not mad at all.”
“Not a problem with me,” defensive tackle Omar Hunter said Saturday. “If he wants to be at Ohio State, good luck to him. I love coach Meyer. He brought me here to Florida. I can never say anything bad about coach Meyer. I respect him a lot; I love him as a coach. If he wants to go to Ohio State, good luck to him.”
If Meyer’s former players don’t feel angry and betrayed, why should the fans?
Instead, fans should empathize with Meyer, because he is human, and he’s bound to do what’s in his best interest.
You and I would do the same.
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
