AP Photo / Dave Martin
Florida coach Urban Meyer, center, arrives in New Orleans for a news conference Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009. Meyer announced that he would be taking a leave of absence as head coach. At right is quarterback Tim Tebow. Florida will face Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.
The news that Urban Meyer was leaving coaching Florida, but wait, he isn't, it's a just a leave came just in time to be one of the most bizarre sports stories of 2009. And with the Tiger Woods saga among others, that took some doing.
It certainly overshadowed all the other bowl hype of the holiday weekend. And the fallout from being even more indecisive than an 18-year-old could show up in early February on national signing day for college football.
Here's a look at what sports writers are writing as the eggnog wears off:
Stress goes with the Gators head coaching job. -- OrlandoSentinel.com: Has it become impossible to coach at UF? Its two greatest coaches, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, became so worn down they felt the need to step away. Spurrier cited the pressure of having to live up to exceptionally high expectations when he left for the Redskins in 2002. Meyer cited health reasons, exacerbated by constant stress, as the reason why he decided to take a leave of absence after initially resigning Saturday night.
Orlando Sentinel - Open Mike: Welcome to UF (the University of Flip-flop). First Billy Donovan changed his mind about leaving the University of Florida and now Urban Meyer has, too. Hey, guys, feel free to make a monumental career decision and stand by it.
Tim Tebow was shaken by Meyer's resigning news | Jacksonville.com: NEW ORLEANS — Tim Tebow took the news that Florida coach Urban Meyer was resigning pretty hard. The senior quarterback has grown very close to Meyer during the four years they have spent together, so learning Saturday that Meyer was quitting because of health issues was distressing.
Meyer announcement tests Florida fans| TBO.com: TAMPA - In 24 hours, the emotions of Gator Nation have been jerked from low to high to a sense of bewilderment and concern.
Meyer's toughest challenge: Changing | Wall Street Journal: Less than a day after stepping down as Florida football coach for health reasons, Urban Meyer changed his mind. He is now only taking an indefinite leave of absence. Gainesville is now officially the flip-flop coaching capital of the world. And, no, he isn't going to the Orlando Magic.
Gators' attitude helps sway Urban Meyer to stay on | Jacksonville.com: By the end of practice, Meyer was sure. He phoned athletic director Jeremy Foley and told him he was reconsidering resigning - a conversation Foley has had before (basketball coach Billy Donovan in 2007) - and wanted to talk. Meyer and Foley met in Foley's office after practice.
College football coaches react to Urban Meyer's situation | Jacksonville.com: The subject of Florida coach Urban Meyer's future was a hot topic Sunday at the practices of both teams in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.
Players' attitude helped change Meyer's mind | GatorSports.com | The Gainesville Sun: Florida seniors Tim Tebow and Ryan Stamper could sense during Saturday afternoon's practice that something was wrong, something was about to change.
Gator fans breathe sigh of relief after Meyer changes mind | Gainesville.com | The Gain: For a brief moment on Sunday, pro football fans around Gainesville put aside team allegiances and came together as Gator supporters to learn the fate of coach Urban Meyer. In contrast to the news of Meyer's resignation 24 hours earlier, the mood was definitely more celebratory.
Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer Says He Will Take a Leave of Absence - WSJ.com: So Urban Meyer isn't quitting football. Maybe he should just take what those romantic high-school kids call a "gap year" before college. He could relax, let his hair grow long, buy a one-way ticket to Vienna and a Eurorail pass, rent a flat in Prague, apprentice with a bookbinder and start an experimental jazz band.
Sports of The Times - A Seesaw Day in a Groping for Balance - NYTimes.com: In 24 hours, we went from the perfect holiday story to a tale about the relentless pull of the coaching profession. The king leaves his throne for his family and then decides — or is convinced — that the throne was not so bad after all and announces that for a time he will be the power behind the throne.
Uncertainty has Florida commits considering options | AJC College Sports Recruiting: Now that Urban Meyer’s resignation as Florida’s head football coach has been downgraded to an “indefinite leave of absence,” the question is how all the uncertainty is affecting recruiting?
Three-point stance: Meyer decision confusing - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN: Urban Meyer went to Florida’s Sugar Bowl practice Sunday and had a change of heart? What happened to his health? What happened to his daughter hugging him because she had her daddy back? I don’t mean to second-guess his decision to switch from a resignation to a leave of absence. But a “spirited practice” made all of those personal and family concerns secondary? I just don’t believe this story is over yet.
Meyer to lean on wife, treasure family time while on leave - USATODAY.com: Shelley Meyer just became the most valuable member of the Florida football family. With an extensive background in health and fitness, she can guide her husband on a better path to regaining physical fitness.
Chattanooga Times Free Press | Wiedmer: Meyer's moves puzzling: Florida football coach Urban Meyer made perfect sense about one issue on Sunday. Asked to explain what he has to do differently if he's to keep his impending temporary leave of absence from becoming a full-blown retirement, Meyer said: "I have to be smart. I'm not very smart." Duh.
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Comments » 112
VolFaninTriCities writes:
If his health is that bad, go home, take care of yourself and then come back. Let's just get some of those recruits looking at the NFL staff at TN. GO VOLS - SEE YOU IN ATL!
Ringside writes:
Hypochondriac, emotional, sensitive, liar.
vol88 writes:
Motivational stunt gone bad. Next time, Urbie, ram your fist through the locker room wall to fire up your team, lol.
Hrockytop writes:
Agreed! And I will add drama queen.
Ghost_of_Bear_Bryant writes:
This little drama will hurt their recruiting. UT will be the new East power. Between Saban and Kiffin he couldn't handle it anymore. Save yourself Meyer, go coach in the ACC or Pac 10. The SEC will ruin you.
tigervol77 writes:
If he truly is sick like Terminal or something. Then I feel bad for him. If this is a publicity stunt or he has an ingrown tow nail of he thinks he's coming down with the flu........then he's a bigger w@nker than I thought.
TommyJack writes:
All publicity is good publicity. Mwahahahahaha
ETNTigerFan writes:
Obsession...for media.
TommyJack writes:
Coach Urbie. Isn't he the one that voted FOR the gators, after first voting against the gators??
Yuck, yuck, yuck.
panties4tebow writes:
Flip Flop.....Is it a flip or a flop today?
32-13 flop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HE HE HE HE HAW HAW HAW HAW
Atuss writes:
95-18(84%), 4 conference titles in 9 seasons, 2 National Championships, 1 undefeated season, 5-0 vs. UT
FeelVol writes:
Anybody ever had a change of heart?
nocleats writes:
Here are the questions I have,
1. Who will hire the new D.C.? If Coach Meyer is going to step back for a while will he let some one else do it? That would be hard for a control freak and ALL head coaches are control freaks. So maybe he " pushes himself a little longer" Im sure his wife and doctors must be okay with that.
2. How about other asst. coaching hires. See #1
3. Recruiting ? Is he going to leave this up to others. No in house visits, No one on one meetings on official visit weekends? 6 Weeks of
pressurized hell on coaches coming up till N.S.D.
4. Revamping Floridas Offense and QB. He is just going to stay away and let someone else handle it? 11 Weeks till Spring Practice.
5. What if Coach Meyer truly stays away for lets say 8 to 10 months, and his interim has done a great job. When Coach Meyer wants the keys back how does that work? It didnt for
Majors and Fulmer.. Lines were drawn in the sand on the team. in the A.D. and among the big boo$ter$.
6. Meyer just toughs it out and goes right back to where he was, then what was the last 3 days about?
7. How much input does his wife have? Does he value her more than his career and the U of F ?
8 What else does he have to prove in college? Love him or hate him, the guy is a good coach.
TommyJack writes:
gator atheletic dept. in a state of tumult!!! Couldn't happen to a better bunch. Bad winners, bad losers. Bwhahahahaha
DC_Vol writes:
Another extremely poor handling of the media by Urban Meyer. Wow, had Meyer just waited 24 hours and considered taking a leave of abscense to begin with the damage he has casued Florida recruiting would have been salvaged to some degree. Meyer's flip flopping has recruits even more worried. There is no sense of stability at UF. Defensive Coordinator and Wide Receiver coach have left the program and now for all practical purposes the head coach.
This mishandling of the media by Meyer, once again has caused problems for Florida. From a recruiting standpoint, a recruit wants stability in their coaching staff. Meyers resignation and change of mind 24 hours, shows someone who is very unsure about his future. Recruits should be very concerned about there future and sign elsewhere.
Obviously recruits were going to Florida to play for Meyer, but his actions show he is currently unstable. If you are a recruit you had better be prepared to play for another coach because it considerably likely you will not see Meyer in the next four years.
bobbarbilly writes:
This "change of heart" is about cutting their recruitment losses and getting the band to play The William Tell Overture before each game as he walks onto the field.
UrbanCryer writes:
0 undefeated seasons at UF. UF hasnt had and WILL NOT have and undefeated season like UT. Ha Ha Ha!!
UrbanCryer writes:
cant wait to hear the REAL reason oscar meyer feels like he needed to step down
Atuss writes:
Weak comeback.
uttcut writes:
Agreed
My bet is we don't see him missing any time from organized practices and games
Maybe he needs some time to work on his golf game like another former UF Coach
Or maybe he needed to put in for some time off to help Timmy move into his new apartment in Jax...I hear Urbie's going to get his own room!
Vol86 writes:
Do not wish the guy bad health and he is a proven couch, but doing the math I do not have anything figured out. Same thing when Dunivan went through it. If this is the greatest place the money is good shut up and stay.
panties4tebow writes:
And I might add NO PERFECT SEASON and that those numbers are about to drop sharply!!!!!
Your username says it all....you are a tuss!!!!
HE HE HE HE HAW HAW HAW HAW
REMEMBER 32-13....and tearbow crying!!!!!!!!
HE HE HE HE HAW HAW HAW HAW
VOLume27 writes:
Does this UM melodrama (especially after yesterday's embarrassing press conference) sound strangely like the whole Coach K (Duke) "forget that my team has no players this year -- I must take a year off 'for health reasons'" fiasco from the 1990's? Remember that?
DC_Vol writes:
TJ,
Agree with your post 100%. UF posters/fans are worst most arrogant fan base and believe me they are worried about their future.
The question is how many recruits will Florida lose? Next, how far will Florida fall in the recruiting rankings? I am really going to enjoy this recruiting season! Can't wait until UT passes UF in recruiting this year. Go Vols!
Atuss writes:
Good reply. However if you put the programs side by side not even close is not accurate. UF has won 3 undisputed National Championships in the history of their program. I believe UT has exactly that amount(legitimate wire service undisputed,not some magazine that no one ever heard of). UF has played in 10 SEC championship games winning seven. Since 1940 UF has a better conference winning % than UT(that's 70 years). The programs over the long haul are very similar, it's just that UF made up ground on UT in a hurry.
volsoutwest writes:
good questions
lahvolman2 writes:
YOU WILL SEE NOTHING BUT DAMAGE CONTROL 24/7 FOR THE NEAR AND DISTANT FUTURE.... MEYER REALLY PI**** IN HIS OWN CORN FLAKES BY GETTING SO EMOTIONAL OVER HIS HEALTH CONCERNS AND PREMATURLY BLURTING THEM OUT FOR THE WORLD TO READ ABOUT... IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE FLA. LIVES THIS ONE DOWN.. TENNESSEE ISN'T THE ONLY VULTURE WAITING TO DESCEND ON THE RECRUITS...
Ayres_Hall writes:
Someone remind me... how did Donovan's "change of mind" work for him and the Florida program?
Once a guy checks out, in this case resigns, no matter how short the period, he'll never really return as the same person, going forward.
RJ_Vol writes:
Tough talk...someone at ESPN is getting tired of the uf talk. If it is old news disregard.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns...
panties4tebow writes:
The local walmart in gaysville is having a flip flop special to commend PEE WEE meyer!!!!!
FIRST PANTIES AND NOW FLIP FLOPS....WILL THEY COME OUT WITH TEARBOW FLIP FLOPS!!!!!!!
LOL
V0LUNT33R writes:
Urban Myer is a joke. I withheld my comment because who wants to kick a guy while he is down, but Urban is a coach who has a gimmick offense and 1 great player. Subtract the great player and you've got a guy who doesn't know if he can cut it in the SEC. We should all call him what he is... Gutless! There is no medical condition. He probably was just dehydrated, and even if he wasn't, his condition is reported to be non-life threatening. Hell, I'll probably be more dehydrated than he was after the SECCG, when I wake up on New Years day.
Don't cite health reason and family, and then turn around say I'm coming back. Basically, you're saying screw my family and there is nothing wrong with my health, when you do that. No one should give this man any sympathy. He is probably in negotiations with Notre Dame and is using this for more money. What a loser! He might win more football games than anyone in history, but he will still be a loser in life, because he is a liar.
Nuthinbutorange writes:
Wonderful. And how does this change the current situation at UF? I'm sure your recruits are really gonna care about your national championships and overlook the fact that your coach is a freaking loon.
Titan writes:
Interesting choice to start counting in 1940. Why not go back to 1933 with the beginning of the SEC? Your selection of 1940 leaves out some really good UT teams in the 30s. Like the 1939 team that was UNSCORED on during the regular season. Maybe if you throw in the seven years of the 30s you've still got a better conference % (I couldn't find info on UF website) - but at least pick a logical comparison point - not something arbitrary. Oh, and of course don't mention that the Vols are 25-22 lifetime in bowls and the Gators have a losing record of 16-19. Just saying.
Atuss writes:
UT has great tradition. I was talking winning % in SEC games. The SEC started in 1933. UT had a phenomenal run in the 30's. That run ended. Since that point the programs are very similar in SEC play, championships,national championships. UT had a decisive lead in the series in the leather helmet days. Since facemasks were introduced the roles have been reversed.
V0LUNT33R writes:
Read what I said a little closer. He can coach, but he isn't sure how good he is, obviously. Why else would he lie about his reasons for resigning? If you don't think he lied, then wtf is he doing coming back? Is he forsaking his health and his family? Both were important to him 24 hours earlier. Did he magically get well and have a heart to heart with his family that concluded with them telling him to comeback? Well, we know he didn't talk to his family. According to all reports, they were among the last to know. What conclusions are we left with other than Urban Myer is a liar who was looking for an excuse to get out. Either that, or he's just a jerk who doesn't care at all about his family. I don't know the ages of his children, but my guess would be he has plenty of fathering left to do. It will be hard to do that, after dying of a heart attack or brain cancer. The funniest part about this whole thing is that it only took 1 football practice for this lying jerk to remember that he doesn't care about his family and there is nothing wrong with his health.
TurboFan writes:
Who cares about being undefeated, it's icing on the cake. Gimme the cake first. I'll take two losses and a NC (see LSU) over an undefeated season and no NC (see Auburn, Utah, Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU, etc.).
What the gators have to fear is that if Meyer doesn't ease up he will end up in the hospital long term. If he does ease up and delegates to assts, fear that he becomes like Fulmer and loses that drive. I'm betting on the former.
gnm53108 writes:
How much this costs fl will depend on how long meyer drags this out.
Unless of course it turns out to be a big publicity stunt gone bad.Then all bets are off.
GerryOP writes:
Reasons for Lil' Urbie's success? Tim Tebow and Alex Smith. Next question?
Lil' Urbie lost his pony at Utah, left town. Lost his pony at UF (plus 15-20 starters to the NFL this spring), tried to leave town, Foley yanked him back with his contract buyout clause.
You will NEVER see Urban Meyer "prowl the sidelines" for UF again. Live with it.
secsecsec writes:
So, Urban has been taking notes and gleaning media tips from Kiffin. Meyer has to be loving all of the ink and film that has been spent on the Florida Gators the past few days.
Strap writes:
I reckon this means that Coach Meyer is a "soft verbal" for 2010!
GerryOP writes:
Lil' Urbie learned something from Kiffin. Any press is good press ... even if you have to go on national TV and act like a blubbering fool! Amazing! And lil' DCgataboy bought it! LOL!
GerryOP writes:
"So was UF outcoached in 2008 versus Bama minus Percy Harvin?"
Yup, totally outcoached. Timbow took over the game in the 4th quarter and won it for UF.
gnm53108 writes:
I think you left out Strong(dc).
He had as much,if not more,to do with fl's succes.
volfalcon writes:
Gatta trolls hangin on this board 24/7 just shows who is really in who's
head. Kiffin is so in Gatta's head their head coach don't know what to do and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. DC is a dumbazz.
chuckfromwoodbury writes:
You are the one who brought up CLK. I think it is Lane who is in Pee Wee's head. He is just trying to get off the track before he gets run over by The Lane Train!
RJ_Vol writes:
Weird, weird story. While I certainly hope that Coach Urban Meyer is healthy, this story is just out-of-this world weird. Donovan and Meyer, both, threatened to quit once the senior talent pool ran dry - then came back. Meyer had the most talented team in the country this year, and didn't even win his conference. It may be a case of, "It doesn't get any better than this, so it's time to hang'em up." This will not help recruiting, surely cannot help game preparation, and makes the Unversity of Florids seem like a strange place to coach. As ESPN mentioned in the column I posted earlier,"Why go through this?" Again, all my best to Coach Meyer - he's a great competitor. However, the story is still weird. But the Florida slogan, "We love us," is getting old.
DC_Vol writes:
Great questions No Cleats let me try to answer a few of them!
1. Addazio and Foley(remember this is Addazio team not Meyer's anymore).
2. Addazio and Foley(remember this is Addazio team not Meyer's anymore).
3. Addazio and Foley(remember this is Addazio team not Meyer's anymore).
4. Addazio (remember this is Addazio team not Meyer's anymore).
5. Actually the opposite will happen Addazio will ruin a once proud Florida team. Florida fans will wish Meyer had resigned and so Foley could hire a new coach with the proper qualifications to run an elite program. Sadly when Addazio is done with Florida they won't be an elite program anymore. Seriously Florida will be fighting for third place in the east.
6. Meyer doesn't coach in 2010 and maybe never again.
7. Meyer agreed to not resign for one purpose only, to save Florida's 2010 recruiting class, which will suffer losses. His flip flopping shows the recruits the lack of stability in the UF program. Florida will not have the number one recruiting class after the signing deadline period.
8. Meyer has acheived all he needs too, so no reason to ever return to the stress of college football.
Great questions NO Cleats, I really enjoyed answering them! I hope I have shed some light on the future of UF football. Would love to hear your thoughts. Believe me Florida's future is dark and cloudy.
I feel great knowing that UT will be back on top of the east next year. Go Vols!
GerryOP writes:
Yup, like you said. UF behind at the end of the 3rd quarter, Timbow took over and brought home the win. Standard Lil' Urbie coaching style "Take it Timbow ... GO!"
Now, no Timbow, gonna lose 15-20 other starters to the pros, and lil' Urbie wants to walk. LOL!
GerryOP writes:
I really hate it when schools are out on break in GA. Now we have to put up with lil' DCgataboy's silly drivel 24 hours a day rather than the usual early morning, lunch hour, and after he gets his homework done in the evening.
TommyJack writes:
The lopers can spin it anyway they want, but the fact is, gators stepped in a pile of it.
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