Meyer steps down at Florida

Urban Meyer is stepping down as coach of the Florida football team, athletic director Jeremy Foley announced Saturday afternoon in a release.

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer, 45, said in statement. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to reevaluate my priorities of faith and family.

"After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family."

Meyer will coach his last game for Florida against Cincinnati on Jan. 1 at the Sugar Bowl.

"Coach Meyer and I have talked this through and I realize how hard this was for him to reach this decision," Foley said in a statement. "But, the bottom line is that Coach Meyer needed to make a choice that is in the best interest of his well being and his family. I certainly appreciate what he has meant to the University of Florida, our football program and the Gator Nation. I have never seen anyone more committed to his players, his family and his program. Above all, I appreciate our friendship."

Meyer helped the Gators win two national titles in five years at Florida. He is the only coach to win two BCS titles.

A three-time national coach of the year, Meyer is 95-18 in nine seasons. Meyer's five-year record at Florida is 56-10, including a school-record stretch of 22 straight consecutive wins, the fourth longest streak by an SEC team and the longest in the conference in 15 years.

Meyer, 45, holds a 32-8 mark in SEC play at Florida, which is the top career SEC winning percentage among head coaches who spent five years or more in the conference.

Meyer came to Florida from Utah, where he closed out his stint with 16 consecutive wins. He began his head coaching career at Bowling Green in 2001, where he engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, showing a six-win improvement from the previous season. The Falcons rebounded from a 2-9 record with their first winning season (8-3) since 1994.

I might sound like a dick but I think he wants to move on to the pros and I wont say he is faking health problems but he may be over doing it alittle. Im probably way off here but that was my first reaction.

One report said he had a heart attack this year.

shit I didnt see that thanks Farmer now I really feel like a bigger dick lol.

Only one newspaper in Orlando is reporting it so far. The reports say he's staying at UF. That makes me think he's serious about retirement. But UF loses Tebow, a ton of SRs, Strong, and Bama is looking better & better. It very well could be something tricky.

Recent update I just read said he has changed his mind about resigning and is just taking an indefinite leave of absence.

Florida coach Urban Meyer, who announced Saturday night that he would step down after coaching the Gators in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day, is having second thoughts about retirement and will instead take an indefinite leave of absence following the bowl game, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN on Sunday.

A source told ESPN that Meyer will coach in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati, as previously announced, but that offensive coordinator Steve Adazzio will take over the Gators and will coach until Meyer is ready to return.

Adazzio confirmed his pending interim-coach duties in a telephone interview with The New York Times.

A person familiar with Meyer's decision told The Associated Press the coach woke up Sunday morning, got around his players at a short practice on campus and realized he wasn't ready to call it quits.

"There's no guarantees here," the person told the AP. "He could still walk away. He's got some significant concerns about his health and his tank and his family. But instead of cutting the cord, he's going to take a step back and see how he feels."

Meyer, who led the Gators to BCS national championships in 2006 and 2008, is scheduled to address media members in New Orleans at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Meyer is 56-10 with Florida, including 32-8 in the SEC and a school-record 22-game winning streak that was snapped by the Crimson Tide in the conference title game on Dec. 5.

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer said in a statement Saturday. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to reevaluate my priorities of faith and family."

After the Southeastern Conference championship game three weeks ago, Meyer spent several hours in a Gainesville, Fla., hospital because of chest pains.

Florida is one of the most desirable coaching jobs in the country and if athletic director Jeremy Foley had to go searching for a permanent replacement, he likely would have found numerous interested candidates.

Last month, Sports Illustrated chronicled Meyer's coaching career and reported that he suffered from persistent headaches caused by a cyst that becomes inflamed by stress, rage and excitement.

Meyer told the magazine that since the diagnosis in the early 2000s he has tried to stay composed during games.

A tireless recruiter and creative motivator, Meyer came to Florida from Utah in fall 2004 amid speculation he would end up at Notre Dame.

Meyer brought most of his staff with him -- some of whom worked with him at Bowling Green (2001-02) and Utah (2003-04). Together, they restored the program to national prominence two years later with the school's second national championship.

The Gators upset Ohio State 41-14 in Glendale, Ariz.; they won another one last January by beating Oklahoma 24-14 in Miami.

With just about his entire team returning this fall, Meyer spent all season coaching under intense pressure and sky-high expectations. He said he welcomed it all as the defending national champions tried to become just the second team in the last 14 years to repeat.

But the season was far from smooth. Florida dealt with distraction after distraction, prompting Meyer to call it "the year of stuff."

Meyer is married with three children -- the oldest recently started college at Georgia Tech -- and has said repeatedly he planned to leave coaching to spend more time with his family.

Information from ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach, ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and The Associated Press was used in this report.

So weird

Im already tired of this story.....

timthebim wrote:

Im already tired of this story.....

How did you feel about it the 2nd time around?

Im tired of it again unless he signs to coach Michigan LOL.