Urban Meyer stepping down as Florida coach
Moderator: josh wickham
-
Double Y Chrome
- Stanton
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Jan 15 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Gainesville, FL http://www.doubleychrome.com/
- Contact:
-
Boyd Westerman
- Grand Master Dinosaur
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Feb 25 2003 04:07 am
- Location: Gainesville
- Contact:
You can crawl back under your bridge now.sblude wrote:I just have to say it was funny as hell to see Tebow crying after the loss to Alabama and now Meyer having all these problems. No, I don't wish any harm on Meyer and wish him the best for his health but the drama surrounding Tebow was SO over the top. Engraving his "Pledge" was absolutely ridiculous. And now the drama continues with Meyer in limbo...get over it Gator nation. You weren't the best this year and we'll see if Cincinatti hands it to you again. Just hope Meyer doesn't have a stroke if they lose. LOL
¡¡¡ǝpnp 43 ʎ1uo ɯ,ı
From your mouth to gods ears.Tim_jarrell wrote:This Is my take on the Urban Meyer situation.
I think Urban is going to be fine. He’s got a heart condition. That's what I've heard from some of UF boosters. It isn’t life threatening but if he let it go on, it could develop into something serious. Better to handle it now than later. I think he will use the time away to rest up and re-invent himself as a coach. Remember this --- the greatest coach of all time (Bear Bryant) re-invented himself at least five times during his career and with each re-invention, Bryant got better as a coach and in the way he handled his players without sacrificing winning. Urban Meyer is a very smart guy and I believe he knew before this situation happened that at some point in his career he would either have to change the way he does things or get out of the profession altogether. He’s decided to stay in coaching and the Florida Gators are going to be the beneficiary. Watch in the next few weeks as he helps solidify another incredible recruiting class --- it WILL happen, folks --- and then he’ll get his health in order. When he returns, I don’t think we’ll see a dip in the results but I do believe we’ll see a new and improved Urban Meyer.
didn't know that about Bryant, will have to go check wiki.
.....Boyd I heard it from a local sports talk radio host.....who is huge gator fan and always has the inside info on Florida and FSU way before it breaks to the public. This guy is not a sensationalist journalist either,he will not say it if it's not true.Boyd Westerman wrote:Where did you hear this about Stoops?
.....ESPN stated today Urban is still working full time until recruiting is over feb 8th. IMO Urban will be the same guy he was since he has been at UF. Like I stated previously it takes years to make the kinda of changes he has proposed.
-
Tim_jarrell
- newskool
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mar 26 2008 01:56 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
I'm an avid reader of Gatorbait.net and I heard something very similar about a week ago. Very interesting read....check It out.
"The Real Truth About Urban Meyer
I have been a member of Rivals / Gatorbait for about three years and, while I am an avid reader of both the Alley and the main board, I have never once posted so no one here knows me, including the Gators. I am not going to tell you how I know any of this nor will I post again here on this subject. Flame away if you must or take it for what it is worth…it is your prerogative.
With his health scare, Urban Meyer had a wake-up call. He realized he had been, for several years, giving everything he had to his team to the detriment of his health and his family. He felt it was a message from God that he had lost track of his priorities and, being emphatically decisive he felt he had to make a choice between his long-term health / family and his job. He chose his family.
Meanwhile, Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida, Jeremy Foley and Shelley Meyer wanted Meyer to take time off to get healthy, decompress, spend time with his family and recharge his batteries. Meyer has essentially earned “tenure” at UF and was encouraged to take a sabbatical. Despite their collective and repeated efforts over several days, Meyer remained committed to his own decision to step down because he is a type-A, all-in perfectionist. He felt that if he could not do the job right now, he should step away in the interests of his team and the university…and he had a plan.
Why the timing on the resignation?
Why couldn’t Meyer wait until after the Sugar Bowl---or for that matter NSD for all you conspiracy theorists---to make this announcement? Why all the urgency? Why create more distraction for his beloved team before their final game?
Because Meyer's plan was that Charlie Strong would get promoted to HC and after some time off, Meyer would come back to UF and help Strong out at arm's length, staying involved, though less directly, in the powerhouse program he built. For his plan to work, he had to resign immediately, before Strong signed a contract with Louisville. He could not wait until after the bowl game.
Why the sudden change of heart?
Practically the instant that the Meyer resignation hit the wires, Bob Stoops contacted Foley. He wanted the HC job at Florida. Though we (Gators) all LOVE Strong, Foley would not and could not promote Strong to HC with the likes of Stoops in the candidate pool. Meyer knew that if Stoops took the job, he would not be able to stay involved in the program in any capacity. Strong would go to Louisville and all of Meyer's assistants would be out of a job. His players, who he truly loves, would have to weather a complete change in coaching staff and philosophy. In one week, he would lose all connection to the program he has given everything to building for five years.
In short, Meyer felt he would be letting everyone down---his players, his assistant coaches, his wife (who never wanted him to resign) and himself. Meyer realized that if he didn't take the LOA option, he would lose his team and program altogether. Placing faith in God and in his wife’s, Machen’s and Foley’s assertions that all he really needs is some time off, he changed his mind.
Meyer said that he changed his mind when he saw the team and coaches practicing hard; when he looked at the championship signs around the stadium and reflected on the program he built at Florida. Those statements are true. He also said, in a later interview, "I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want anyone to come in here and change what we built…"
Bob Stoops, absolutely without intention, accomplished in mere moments what Machen, Foley and Shelley Meyer were unable to accomplish in several days---getting Urban Meyer to rethink his course of action and decide to take some well-earned time off after NSD and regroup.
While it is certainly possible that he could decide in the future not to return to coaching at Florida, (which incidentally would not make him a liar as we are all entitled to change our minds) I firmly believe---and this is my opinion---that he will be on the Florida sidelines next season and for many years to come. It will be hard work for him to learn to delegate sufficiently, but he will learn to strike a better balance in his life with the support of the Meyer family and his UF family. I think he is touched by the level of loyalty and support being shown him by the UF administration, his players, his recruits and Florida alumni and fans, and he will return to his job later this year refreshed, grateful and with a renewed outlook.
As any fair-minded person who has had major personal and/or professional decisions to make can attest, cross roads in life are very challenging. They are made even more difficult for people whose lives are publicly scrutinized. What we all witnessed was exactly this and nothing more. Meyer made a difficult personal decision and when the facts changed, he made a different decision. The only reason it seems strange to anyone is because you don’t know all of facts. You merely assume that you do and pass judgment rather than give someone who is highly accomplished the benefit of the doubt. If Urban Meyer, his family, the university and his team are all comfortable with his decisions, that is all that matters.
It would be nice if those of us who have faced somewhat similar challenges in balancing our family and work lives reflected on this ourselves. For those of you who are still too young to have experienced these types of challenges, your day will come. Here is hoping that you find yourself surrounded by people who care about you and are loyal to you like Urban Meyer has.
In parting, while I literally laugh out loud at some of the flame wars on this board, it would be really great if, for one day, we could all act like we are friends in a sports bar together drinking a beer and complimenting the positive attributes about each other’s teams and coaches instead of trying to tear each other down. While there is 0% chance that this will happen, I will nevertheless give a shout out to the FSU fans. Congratulations on a phenomenal career, Bobby Bowden! Well Done! I wish you luck, Noles, with your new coaching staff and recruiting class and look forward to many years of competitive games for our great rivalry! Cheers!"
Trust me on this, she is dead RIGHT!
This person is a relative of one of the principals involved and has intimate knowledge of the inside facts.
The only thing sge left out was that Stoopes had accepted the Gator HC job in principle on saturday night and would have announced that decision to the OU folks and the world on Sunday if Urban had not decided to reconsider and accept the LOA. Stoopes was NOT going to use the UF job to get a raise out of OU as he had done in the past. This time it would have been different.
While Strong was Urban's first choice, he actually submitted a list to Foley that included Mullen and Whittingham in addition to Strong. Meyer wanted a coach that would not feel threatened with him "looking over his shoulder" as a defacto CEO of the Gator program. He would have left the actual coaching to Strong or whoever.
Think of it, with Meyer recruiting andpulling the strings in that regard and a black head coach, UF would have been a recruiting monster. It was a good plan.
However, Foley made it clear that although he would seriously consider Meyer's choices, the final decision on the new coach was his. With the high level of interest expressed by Stoopes it would have been a no-brainer to hire him rather than one of Meyer's choices.
In addition, Stoopes would not have wanted Meyer to keep his fingers in the program and would likely have brought as many of his staff at OU as would have come.
She is right about the loyalty of Meyer towards his staff. It seems that some of that loyalty may have been misplaced as several have left the program on their own.
When this person says Urban will be back on the sidelines, she knows what she is talking about. After Urban comes back I will reveal who she is.
"The Real Truth About Urban Meyer
I have been a member of Rivals / Gatorbait for about three years and, while I am an avid reader of both the Alley and the main board, I have never once posted so no one here knows me, including the Gators. I am not going to tell you how I know any of this nor will I post again here on this subject. Flame away if you must or take it for what it is worth…it is your prerogative.
With his health scare, Urban Meyer had a wake-up call. He realized he had been, for several years, giving everything he had to his team to the detriment of his health and his family. He felt it was a message from God that he had lost track of his priorities and, being emphatically decisive he felt he had to make a choice between his long-term health / family and his job. He chose his family.
Meanwhile, Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida, Jeremy Foley and Shelley Meyer wanted Meyer to take time off to get healthy, decompress, spend time with his family and recharge his batteries. Meyer has essentially earned “tenure” at UF and was encouraged to take a sabbatical. Despite their collective and repeated efforts over several days, Meyer remained committed to his own decision to step down because he is a type-A, all-in perfectionist. He felt that if he could not do the job right now, he should step away in the interests of his team and the university…and he had a plan.
Why the timing on the resignation?
Why couldn’t Meyer wait until after the Sugar Bowl---or for that matter NSD for all you conspiracy theorists---to make this announcement? Why all the urgency? Why create more distraction for his beloved team before their final game?
Because Meyer's plan was that Charlie Strong would get promoted to HC and after some time off, Meyer would come back to UF and help Strong out at arm's length, staying involved, though less directly, in the powerhouse program he built. For his plan to work, he had to resign immediately, before Strong signed a contract with Louisville. He could not wait until after the bowl game.
Why the sudden change of heart?
Practically the instant that the Meyer resignation hit the wires, Bob Stoops contacted Foley. He wanted the HC job at Florida. Though we (Gators) all LOVE Strong, Foley would not and could not promote Strong to HC with the likes of Stoops in the candidate pool. Meyer knew that if Stoops took the job, he would not be able to stay involved in the program in any capacity. Strong would go to Louisville and all of Meyer's assistants would be out of a job. His players, who he truly loves, would have to weather a complete change in coaching staff and philosophy. In one week, he would lose all connection to the program he has given everything to building for five years.
In short, Meyer felt he would be letting everyone down---his players, his assistant coaches, his wife (who never wanted him to resign) and himself. Meyer realized that if he didn't take the LOA option, he would lose his team and program altogether. Placing faith in God and in his wife’s, Machen’s and Foley’s assertions that all he really needs is some time off, he changed his mind.
Meyer said that he changed his mind when he saw the team and coaches practicing hard; when he looked at the championship signs around the stadium and reflected on the program he built at Florida. Those statements are true. He also said, in a later interview, "I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want anyone to come in here and change what we built…"
Bob Stoops, absolutely without intention, accomplished in mere moments what Machen, Foley and Shelley Meyer were unable to accomplish in several days---getting Urban Meyer to rethink his course of action and decide to take some well-earned time off after NSD and regroup.
While it is certainly possible that he could decide in the future not to return to coaching at Florida, (which incidentally would not make him a liar as we are all entitled to change our minds) I firmly believe---and this is my opinion---that he will be on the Florida sidelines next season and for many years to come. It will be hard work for him to learn to delegate sufficiently, but he will learn to strike a better balance in his life with the support of the Meyer family and his UF family. I think he is touched by the level of loyalty and support being shown him by the UF administration, his players, his recruits and Florida alumni and fans, and he will return to his job later this year refreshed, grateful and with a renewed outlook.
As any fair-minded person who has had major personal and/or professional decisions to make can attest, cross roads in life are very challenging. They are made even more difficult for people whose lives are publicly scrutinized. What we all witnessed was exactly this and nothing more. Meyer made a difficult personal decision and when the facts changed, he made a different decision. The only reason it seems strange to anyone is because you don’t know all of facts. You merely assume that you do and pass judgment rather than give someone who is highly accomplished the benefit of the doubt. If Urban Meyer, his family, the university and his team are all comfortable with his decisions, that is all that matters.
It would be nice if those of us who have faced somewhat similar challenges in balancing our family and work lives reflected on this ourselves. For those of you who are still too young to have experienced these types of challenges, your day will come. Here is hoping that you find yourself surrounded by people who care about you and are loyal to you like Urban Meyer has.
In parting, while I literally laugh out loud at some of the flame wars on this board, it would be really great if, for one day, we could all act like we are friends in a sports bar together drinking a beer and complimenting the positive attributes about each other’s teams and coaches instead of trying to tear each other down. While there is 0% chance that this will happen, I will nevertheless give a shout out to the FSU fans. Congratulations on a phenomenal career, Bobby Bowden! Well Done! I wish you luck, Noles, with your new coaching staff and recruiting class and look forward to many years of competitive games for our great rivalry! Cheers!"
Trust me on this, she is dead RIGHT!
This person is a relative of one of the principals involved and has intimate knowledge of the inside facts.
The only thing sge left out was that Stoopes had accepted the Gator HC job in principle on saturday night and would have announced that decision to the OU folks and the world on Sunday if Urban had not decided to reconsider and accept the LOA. Stoopes was NOT going to use the UF job to get a raise out of OU as he had done in the past. This time it would have been different.
While Strong was Urban's first choice, he actually submitted a list to Foley that included Mullen and Whittingham in addition to Strong. Meyer wanted a coach that would not feel threatened with him "looking over his shoulder" as a defacto CEO of the Gator program. He would have left the actual coaching to Strong or whoever.
Think of it, with Meyer recruiting andpulling the strings in that regard and a black head coach, UF would have been a recruiting monster. It was a good plan.
However, Foley made it clear that although he would seriously consider Meyer's choices, the final decision on the new coach was his. With the high level of interest expressed by Stoopes it would have been a no-brainer to hire him rather than one of Meyer's choices.
In addition, Stoopes would not have wanted Meyer to keep his fingers in the program and would likely have brought as many of his staff at OU as would have come.
She is right about the loyalty of Meyer towards his staff. It seems that some of that loyalty may have been misplaced as several have left the program on their own.
When this person says Urban will be back on the sidelines, she knows what she is talking about. After Urban comes back I will reveal who she is.
God must be a Gator fan, cause he made the Sky Blue and the Sun Orange.
-
Tim_jarrell
- newskool
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mar 26 2008 01:56 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Florida hires George Edwards as our new Defensive Coordinator.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - George Edwards was added to the University of Florida Football staff as an assistant coach, head coach Urban Meyer announced Friday morning. Edwards will serve as Defensive Coordinator and work specifically with the inside linebackers. Chuck Heater will serve as co-defensive coordinator.
MiamiDolphins.com
George Edwards
"George is a tremendous teacher of the game of football," said Meyer. "He has proven himself at the highest level in the National Football League, but his roots started at the college level at Florida and in the SEC. He is a great addition to our staff and will be a great coach and mentor to our players.
Edwards possesses 19 years of coaching experience, including the past 12 in the NFL. Most recently, Edwards completed his fifth season working with linebackers for the Miami Dolphins, the past two focusing solely on inside linebackers.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the UF coaching staff," said Edwards. "I started my career at the college level at Florida and I enjoy teaching and molding young men. I am looking forward to working with a great group of people at Florida and a great group of players."
Edwards held various collegiate positions from 1991-97, including stints at Florida, Appalachian State, Duke and Georgia. During that time, Edwards tutored the Georgia defensive line that featured Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud in 1997. Both went on to become first-round selections in the 2001 NFL Draft.
"Coach Edwards is one of the best assistants in the NFL," said former Gator and current Miami Dolphin Channing Crowder. "He has had a huge impact on me and I looked up to him like a father."
Edwards began his NFL coaching career with a four-season stint with the Dallas Cowboys (1998-2001), where he tutored the team's linebackers. Under Edwards' guidance, Dexter Coakley, a third-round draft choice in 1997, was selected to the Pro Bowl twice over this four-year span (1999, 2001), as he was Dallas' second-leading tackler all four years.
In 2002, Edwards served as the Washington Redskins' assistant defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, as LaVar Arrington produced the most productive season of his NFL career with 107 tackles and 11 sacks and earned his second-straight Pro Bowl berth. In addition that year, each of the team's starting linebackers, which also included Jesse Armstead and Jeremiah Trotter, surpassed the 100-tackle plateau.
The following year, Edwards became Washington's defensive coordinator and helped Arrington and cornerback Champ Bailey earn Pro Bowl honors. Edwards then moved on to coach linebackers for the Cleveland Browns during the 2004 season.
In 2005, Edwards' first season tutoring the Dolphins' linebackers, Zach Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl for the sixth time, as he recorded 166 tackles despite only playing in 14 games. Crowder, a third-round draft choice, made a tremendous impact on the success of the defense as he started 13 games and registered 90 tackles, the highest total by a Dolphins rookie since 1996 (Thomas, 180).
In 2006, Thomas was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad once again, and Crowder recorded 104 tackles, the second-consecutive season in which the pair finished 1-2 on the team's tackle chart, respectively. Crowder was second on the club in 2008 with 114 tackles, marking a career best and also the second time that he attained the 100-tackle plateau. In addition, not only did Akin Ayodele add 74 stops, but he also intercepted two passes, the fourth-highest total on the team.
In 2009, the Miami defense rated second in the American Football Conference (fourth in the NFL) in third-down conversion rate, allowing opponents just a 34.8 percent success rate (69-of-198). In addition, the Dolphins paced the NFL by recording a sack every 7.4 opponent pass plays, on average (44 sacks on 325 pass plays).
A native of Siler City, N.C., Edwards is a Duke University alumnus, where he was a four-year letterman and playing for former UF head coach Steve Spurrier. He was a two-year special teams' captain and an All-ACC honorable mention selection at linebacker in 1989. Edwards and his wife, Jami, have a son, B.J.
George Edwards Timeline
1991 Florida (Graduate Assistant)
1992-95 Appalachian State (Linebackers Coach)
1996 Duke (Linebackers Coach)
1997 Georgia (Defensive Line Coach)
1998-2001 Dallas Cowboys (Linebackers Coach)
2002 Washington Redskins (Linebackers Coach)
2003 Washington Redskins (Defensive Coordinator)
2004 Cleveland Browns (Linebackers Coach)
2005-07 Miami Dolphins (Linebackers Coach)
2008-09 Miami Dolphins (Inside Linebackers Coach)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - George Edwards was added to the University of Florida Football staff as an assistant coach, head coach Urban Meyer announced Friday morning. Edwards will serve as Defensive Coordinator and work specifically with the inside linebackers. Chuck Heater will serve as co-defensive coordinator.
MiamiDolphins.com
George Edwards
"George is a tremendous teacher of the game of football," said Meyer. "He has proven himself at the highest level in the National Football League, but his roots started at the college level at Florida and in the SEC. He is a great addition to our staff and will be a great coach and mentor to our players.
Edwards possesses 19 years of coaching experience, including the past 12 in the NFL. Most recently, Edwards completed his fifth season working with linebackers for the Miami Dolphins, the past two focusing solely on inside linebackers.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the UF coaching staff," said Edwards. "I started my career at the college level at Florida and I enjoy teaching and molding young men. I am looking forward to working with a great group of people at Florida and a great group of players."
Edwards held various collegiate positions from 1991-97, including stints at Florida, Appalachian State, Duke and Georgia. During that time, Edwards tutored the Georgia defensive line that featured Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud in 1997. Both went on to become first-round selections in the 2001 NFL Draft.
"Coach Edwards is one of the best assistants in the NFL," said former Gator and current Miami Dolphin Channing Crowder. "He has had a huge impact on me and I looked up to him like a father."
Edwards began his NFL coaching career with a four-season stint with the Dallas Cowboys (1998-2001), where he tutored the team's linebackers. Under Edwards' guidance, Dexter Coakley, a third-round draft choice in 1997, was selected to the Pro Bowl twice over this four-year span (1999, 2001), as he was Dallas' second-leading tackler all four years.
In 2002, Edwards served as the Washington Redskins' assistant defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, as LaVar Arrington produced the most productive season of his NFL career with 107 tackles and 11 sacks and earned his second-straight Pro Bowl berth. In addition that year, each of the team's starting linebackers, which also included Jesse Armstead and Jeremiah Trotter, surpassed the 100-tackle plateau.
The following year, Edwards became Washington's defensive coordinator and helped Arrington and cornerback Champ Bailey earn Pro Bowl honors. Edwards then moved on to coach linebackers for the Cleveland Browns during the 2004 season.
In 2005, Edwards' first season tutoring the Dolphins' linebackers, Zach Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl for the sixth time, as he recorded 166 tackles despite only playing in 14 games. Crowder, a third-round draft choice, made a tremendous impact on the success of the defense as he started 13 games and registered 90 tackles, the highest total by a Dolphins rookie since 1996 (Thomas, 180).
In 2006, Thomas was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad once again, and Crowder recorded 104 tackles, the second-consecutive season in which the pair finished 1-2 on the team's tackle chart, respectively. Crowder was second on the club in 2008 with 114 tackles, marking a career best and also the second time that he attained the 100-tackle plateau. In addition, not only did Akin Ayodele add 74 stops, but he also intercepted two passes, the fourth-highest total on the team.
In 2009, the Miami defense rated second in the American Football Conference (fourth in the NFL) in third-down conversion rate, allowing opponents just a 34.8 percent success rate (69-of-198). In addition, the Dolphins paced the NFL by recording a sack every 7.4 opponent pass plays, on average (44 sacks on 325 pass plays).
A native of Siler City, N.C., Edwards is a Duke University alumnus, where he was a four-year letterman and playing for former UF head coach Steve Spurrier. He was a two-year special teams' captain and an All-ACC honorable mention selection at linebacker in 1989. Edwards and his wife, Jami, have a son, B.J.
George Edwards Timeline
1991 Florida (Graduate Assistant)
1992-95 Appalachian State (Linebackers Coach)
1996 Duke (Linebackers Coach)
1997 Georgia (Defensive Line Coach)
1998-2001 Dallas Cowboys (Linebackers Coach)
2002 Washington Redskins (Linebackers Coach)
2003 Washington Redskins (Defensive Coordinator)
2004 Cleveland Browns (Linebackers Coach)
2005-07 Miami Dolphins (Linebackers Coach)
2008-09 Miami Dolphins (Inside Linebackers Coach)
God must be a Gator fan, cause he made the Sky Blue and the Sun Orange.
-
Tim_jarrell
- newskool
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mar 26 2008 01:56 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
childers wrote:...damn he was at Georgia during the Jim Donnan era. Our d- line was sick back then. He coached Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud.
Yep...hes deff a great hire for Florida. I don't think our Defence will miss a step.
God must be a Gator fan, cause he made the Sky Blue and the Sun Orange.
-
Double Y Chrome
- Stanton
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Jan 15 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Gainesville, FL http://www.doubleychrome.com/
- Contact:
Yeah I know....hard to accept still. You crying like Tebow did?Boyd Westerman wrote:You can crawl back under your bridge now.sblude wrote:I just have to say it was funny as hell to see Tebow crying after the loss to Alabama and now Meyer having all these problems. No, I don't wish any harm on Meyer and wish him the best for his health but the drama surrounding Tebow was SO over the top. Engraving his "Pledge" was absolutely ridiculous. And now the drama continues with Meyer in limbo...get over it Gator nation. You weren't the best this year and we'll see if Cincinatti hands it to you again. Just hope Meyer doesn't have a stroke if they lose. LOL