After evading for at least a week rumors he would become Ohio State’s next head coach, former Florida coach Urban Meyer did just that Monday.
Meyer signed a six-year contract worth $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million in “retention payments.”
He will replace interim coach Luke Fickell, who took over the program after Jim Tressel resigned in May.
Fickell will remain on Meyer’s staff and will also coach the Buckeyes in their bowl game.
Meyer was announced as Tressel’s successor at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio, where he said becoming the next head coach at Ohio State was never a thought when he resigned from his position at Florida on Dec. 8.
“In my mind, I was convinced I was done coaching,” he said. “I was concerned with health issues. Family: I just wanted to be around them.”
Meyer took the past year off from coaching, working as an analyst with ESPN. But the draw to return to coaching was too strong, and when the job opened at Ohio State, Meyer pounced.
The difference this time, Meyer says, is he has found the balance necessary to function at a high and healthy level.
“I don’t want to be one of those guys that’s sleeping in the office saying, ‘I missed this, I missed that,’” he said. “Believe it or not, there’s lot of quality coaches out there that are still able to have a little bit of balance.”
Meyer’s first coaching job was as a graduate assistant with Ohio State in 1987 under coach Earle Bruce. Meyer said his relationship with Bruce and his connection to the university were large factors in his decision.
“It’s great to be home,” he said. “I chose to pack up and move the most precious things in my life, and that’s my family, to back home.
“And it’s a decision I’m very proud of, a decision that was not thought of overnight; a decision that had a lot of prayer, a lot of research. At the end of the day, to tell you we’re excited to be back, once again, is not a strong enough statement.”
Still, he said Florida would also hold a place in his memory.
“My six years in Florida, Florida was my dream job,” he said. “Everybody says: Is Ohio State your dream job? That’s a term that’s thrown around really loosely.
“I will always be a Gator, will always be a part of that situation.”
Athletic Director Jeremy Foley released a statement wishing Meyer well and thanking him for what he did during his time at Florida.
“We will always be indebted to Urban Meyer and his contributions to the University of Florida,” Foley said. “He elevated our program, winning multiple national championships and made a strong impact in this community.
“Over the past 11 months, he has clearly had an opportunity to determine that now is the right time to return to coaching. He is good for college football and we knew he would return to the sidelines to coach again. We wish nothing but the best for him and his family as he embarks on a new chapter in his career.”
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
After resigning last December from Florida due to health and family concerns, former coach Urban Meyer accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State on Monday.
