You always heard the whispers. And ever since the events that occurred just 18 days shy of a year ago, we could never just pass them off as pure rumor. Somewhere lurking in the shadows of doubt there lingered the gut feeling that Urban Meyer might not have the stomach for this job anymore.
All week long there has been a buzz about a possible press conference that would be hastily called — some even speculated what it would be. In his last chat with the media, a conference call with fellow Outback Bowl coach Joe Paterno, there didn’t seem to be any hints, except that he dodged questions about staff changes, saying “there was too much else going on right now.”
We had no idea, however, that “too much” would include his sudden resignation.
Let the speculation begin as to who will be his successor. He’s not even out the door yet and already the names of Dan Mullen (doubt it woud be Mullen, because he just re-upped at Mississippi State), Charlie Strong, Bobby Petrino, Bob Stoops, Gary Patterson, Chris Petersen, Chip Kelly, etc. are being bandied about. Let me give you one more — an obvious once that might be quite controversial. (
Steve Spurrier.
I say that for two reasons: 1) It was a name brought to me by somebody close to the program; 2) After the South Carolina-Florida game, as I departed Spurrier’s press conference and stopped to interview somebody, I looked over in the corner and saw Spurrier leaning against the wall, talking with Jeremy Foley in what looked like hushed tones. Didn’t make too much of it the, don’t want to make too much out of it now –- but the scene stuck with me.
Do I think Spurrier will be offered or interviewed, or even want the job? Probably not. It makes for a romantic notion, however.
Let the speculation begin as to why Urban quite — health, disenchantment, disillusionment with the modern game, entitled athletes, lack of administrative support on some key issues, the negativity of the fans. Or maybe just the admission that he doesn’t have the heart to do this anymore. He said in his official statement that it was to spend more time with his family, especially his children.
I think it was clearly burnout. When I was writing his authorized biography, Urban’s Way, each of the family members with whom I spoke said that if Urban ever left Florida it would not be to coach a pro team or another college team. His own father, Bud, said it would be if he feared, or began to experienced burnout.
Some will speculate it was the 7-5 season that drove Urban to quit again.
Strangely, I don’t think the poor play in the last season factored in it, because if anything it issued him with a challenge. And he made a “mini-promise” to get if fixed that night in Tallahassee after getting whacked by Florida State.
For a moment, we thought we caught of that glimpse competitive fire. But it apparently was extinguished.
Try as he may, Urban could never get his arms around this 2010 football team that, well, just didn’t play like an Urban Meyer football team. The fundamentals lagged. The special teams – his baby – were below his standards. He even gave up on is “Plan to Win” — his holy grail – because this team wasn’t able to deliver on it. Especially the “Play Great Defense” part.
As we awaited the pending press conference to officially announce what had been posted on University of Florida’s website, Gatorzone.com –- that’s how they do it these days – everybody seemed to have a theory about why for the second time in less than a year the Gator football coach.
We should have seen this coming, but we really didn’t. I didn’t, nor did hardly any of my colleagues. We were fooled before, however, and we got blindsided again Wednesday Dec. 8 when the flurry of rumors around Urban’s retirement congealed into another one of those bombshells.
Knowing how he feels about giving full effort, I think he did the right thing for himself. It is a huge loss for Florida, however.
I talked to several people who said they got a hint several days ago of this possibly happening and I know at least one tried to talk him out of it — sort of the way Strength and Conditioning Coach Mickey Marotti did the day after he quite on Dec. 26.
I truly think Urban came back after realizing how many people’s lives would be impacted by his decision—his whole staff and their families—and would have to be disassembled. That is why he leaned so hard on his trusted aide Steve Addazio, later much maligned as offensive coordinator.
We saw it in the way he detached himself from his surroundings, suppressing the fire in his belly that once raged. The blank stares and almost aloofness at his press conferences, when he seemed to struggle for answers that should have been otherwise obvious.
One poignant moment, in particular, stands out. After the loss to FSU, I asked a question about the poor play of his team down the stretch — something just the opposite of his trademark of teams past. I noted that his teams lost five of their last eight games. He looked surprised, turning to aide Steve McClain and asking: “Did we lose five of our last eight?”
That just wasn’t the Urban Meyer I remembered at the top of his game, a coach who left no detail undone, and who at age 46 leaves an incredible legacy at Florida that will likely never be matched, let alone surpassed.