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Urban Meyer has been a highly successful head coach. Some think he could be a successful NFL coach. Some NFL teams asked if he was interested in an interview for an NFL coach position.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that at least two teams have contacted Meyer about a possible interview for coaching jobs. Meyer plans to decide next week if he is interested.
Meyer has not been a coach for two years, but he has become a respected college football analyst at FOX. Last year, a FOX report suggested that the Browns had a “strong interest” in Meyer. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam quickly took that down, saying the Browns are focused on a coach with NFL experience. (It is possible, frankly, that Haslam’s conclusion was reached after Meyer made it clear that he was not interested in the work, if at all.)
Schefter’s article links Meyer to work in Jacksonville, given Meyer’s connection to the University of Florida. Another team that may be doing due diligence with Meyer is Lions, as former Ohio state star Chris Spielman now works for the team and advises the owner. Spielman defended Meyer in 2018, when the state of Ohio put Meyer on administrative leave in connection with Zach Smith’s domestic violence investigation.
“Well, you know, everyone around here and everyone who will see this, understands the seriousness of domestic violence and there is no one who is an advocate for it,” said Spielman in 2018, coincidentally during a visit to the Lions training camp. “I know what you know. I don’t know what Urban knew and when he knew it. I have no idea. I think the state of Ohio didn’t have a choice to put him on paid administrative leave until they can fix it. . . . I know Urban and Shelley Meyer are great people and do a lot for the community. I think Urban needs and deserves to be heard when the time is right. “
Anyone doing their due diligence on Meyer will have to consider the situation of Zach Smith, along with the various and persistent reports of off-field incidents from players that may or may not have been properly explored or reported or investigated or prosecuted during the Meyer’s time in Gainesville.
Then there is the health angle. Meyer admitted that he has an arachnoid cyst in his brain, and his final season in Ohio included images of distress in the game, leading to speculation that he was enduring the symptoms of the cyst. Meyer left Florida 11 years ago, due in part to health problems caused by an outbreak of chest pain.
Addressing the problem during the Spielman & Hooley podcast in 2018, Spielman said he believes Meyer has “nothing to worry about in health,” and that any signs of distress or whatever stems from persistent frustration with being placed on administrative leave. Spielman also gave some excellent advice to Meyer at the time. (I took the time to hunt and check it all out because it’s really excellent advice.)
“The one thing I always liked and I think what makes you one of the best coaches in college football history is this: that you love to compete,” said Spielman. “You like the trip. And that if you start to live and die with each move, it will catch you and it will catch you, because it can reach anyone. . . . I will say that you control ‘that’ – ‘that’ being the consumption of your life – or eventually ‘that’ will control you. And it changes who you are. So you may need to press a reset button, nothing important, but just saying, ‘Wait a minute, I have a dream job here. I’m the head coach for the state of Ohio. My legacy is sealed. I want to enjoy this journey. I don’t want this journey to be miserable. ‘
“And the only reason why I go with this. . . it is from my own experience. When my late wife, one night after we lost and I was physically sick, throwing up, because we lost. And I left the room looking for some kind of sympathy, pity, ‘Okay’, ‘I understand your anger.’ She said: ‘Harden the buttercup. I’ve never seen anyone who is living such a miserable dream. Why don’t you just start living your dream instead of turning it into a terrible nightmare? Then she left the room.
“So, coach, I love you, man. Wait a little and say, ‘Wait a little. It will have no lasting effects on my life, unless I let it. It will not affect my health unless I allow it. I’m the head coach at Ohio State University. There will be ups and downs. And what I’m going to do from this point on is enjoy this journey. And I will compete like crazy and train a lot and love what I do, but I will enjoy it. Because in the long run, and this is true for everyone, “it” controls you, or you can control “it”. But ‘it’ is coming and you better figure out how to deal with ‘it’. And this is not just for Urban Meyer, it is for every coach, player and GM who plays this great game at a high level. “
Inspirational words, and if Meyer and Spielman were together in Detroit, Spielman would be in a position to give Meyer more than a reminder as often as he needed to hear.