Urban Meyer Resigns For Health Reasons

[stjr]

Just in. Wow.  Bobby Bowden and Urban Meyer ending on the same day.  The dawn of a new era in Florida college football.

Florida's Urban Meyer resigns
Cites health as the reason for his decision.

   * By Michael DiRocco
   * Story updated at 7:30 PM on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009

Florida football coach Urban Meyer has resigned because of health reasons, the school announced Saturday evening.

Meyer, who is 56-10 in five seasons at UF, was hospitalized briefly after the Southeastern Conference Championship Game because of chest pains but said last week that his health was fine and he was suffering no lingering affects.

"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. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.

"After consulting with my family, [UF President] Dr. [Bernie] Machen, [athletic director] Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family."

Meyer, 44, will coach the Gators in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati and then step down.

Meyer was hired in December 2004 to replace Ron Zook and guided Florida to the 2006 and 2008 SEC and national championships.

http://jacksonville.com/sports/college/florida_gators/2009-12-26/story/floridas_urban_meyer_resigns

[heights unknown]

This is certainly a stunner; no telling how much more successful he would have been had he hung on another 10 years or more, but, I can certainly understand...his health, family, and faith come first, and not in that order.  Wonder who Florida will choose to fill his shoes?  Maybe the College world will get another stunner and Steve Spurrier will come back to Florida (LOL).  When he (Urban Meyer) comes back, he'll probably start in the NFL ranks.

Sometimes the stress of leadership just wears you out and/or burns you out...and if you are successful, it can do those things much more quickly if you're not careful; he's doing the right thing.

"HU"

[DavidWilliams]

Wow, that came out of left field. Did a lot for the Gators. Hope the health issues are not as serious as presented.

Godspeed Urban.

[stjr]

Here is the most definitive article, appearing in the NY Times, on Meyer's resignation with most other press reports quoting from this one:

December 27, 2009
Meyer Says He’s Quitting as Coach of Florida
By PETE THAMEL

The night that Florida lost to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game, Florida Coach Urban Meyer awoke in the middle of the night with severe chest pains.

He had suffered from severe chest pains the past two years, but this time was different. He lost consciousness, went to a hospital in an ambulance and underwent more than nine hours of testing.

That night was the tipping point for Meyer, 45, who stunned the college football world Saturday by announcing that he was stepping down from coaching.

“There was no heart damage,” Meyer said. “But I didn’t want there to be a bad day where there were three kids sitting around wondering what to do next. It was the pattern of what I was doing and how I was doing it. It was self-destructive.”

Meyer said in a telephone interview late Saturday night that that the hospital trip prompted weeks of soul searching that ended on Christmas night. He told his family he would be leaving his job at Florida. He said that his 18-year-old daughter Nicki hugged him and said, “I get my daddy back.”

“I saw it as a sign from God that this was the right thing to do,” Meyer said of his daughter’s reaction. “I was worried about letting people down. I was feeling so awful and concerned about my health. That was among several other signs that said it’s time to back away.”

Meyer led Florida to two of the past three national titles and has a career record of 95-18, including a 56-10 mark at Florida.

If there was a hallmark to Meyer’s coaching style, both on and off the field, it was his relentlessness. He said he found himself e-mailing recruits in church. He said that his 16-year-old daughter had told him that she had not felt like she talked to him in the past two years. In a 10-day period around the SEC title game Meyer said that he had lost 20 pounds.

“When your health flashes before your eyes, what’s before you means more than anything,” he said. “I have a strong faith that there’s a reason for everything, and God has a plan for us. I just don’t know what it is.”

Asked if he would return to coaching in the future, Meyer said he had not thought about it. But it appeared clear that he would not return anytime soon. He said his main concern was winning the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati on Jan. 1 and making sure he took care of his coaches and his players.

“I just want to win this game for these players and make sure that the University of Florida is in good shape,” Meyer said. “I haven’t even thought about anything after that, other than I’m a Gator and I’ll always be a Gator.”

The decision came as a surprise to many of those close to Meyer. He said he broke down in tears multiple times when addressing his team Saturday. He said they took the news well, understanding that he was putting his health first.

“I was very concerned about that,” he said. “They were awesome. They stayed 45 minutes afterward.”

Even his father, Bud, did not know until a phone call on Saturday night. Bud Meyer said his son had to choose his family.

“He just doesn’t take losing very well,” Bud Meyer said. “He feels he has an obligation to raise his family. He takes it extremely hard. That’s what happens.”

Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen said he was stunned by the news, which he heard when he was on an elliptical machine while watching bowls games at his house Saturday. Mullen said that building a successful program consumed Meyer.

“When he commits to doing something, it consumed him,” Mullen said. “I think that takes a toll on you after a while. Putting that much in. It burns you out pretty quick.”

The news sent shockwaves through the college football world and raised a fascinating question: Who will replace Meyer in what some consider the best job in college football? The two top candidates will be Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops and Mullen. Both are former Florida assistant coaches: Stoops was defensive coordinator during Steve Spurrier’s reign and Mullen left after last season to take over at Mississippi State. It is unlikely that the Gators will look to the N.F.L. after Ron Zook’s miserable tenure. Other names to be considered would be Boise State’s Chris Petersen, Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, Louisville’s Charlie Strong and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.

A Florida spokesman, Steve McClain, said that Meyer will be involved in the choice for his successor.

In the high-stakes coaching world, Meyer’s decision was met with shock and understanding. Many coaches respected his decision.

“Being a college football coach, especially at the level of Florida, is like being on Wall Street,” T.C.U. Coach Gary Patterson said. “It’s a pressure that multiplies when you consider all the different things that go along with it. You’re talking about millions of dollars, the pressure to win, the fan base. It’s a seven-day evaluation.”

In SEC circles, the news was met with disbelief.

“Who would have ever thought waking up this morning that Urban Meyer would step down?” Mississippi Coach Houston Nutt said. “It’s a shame. It really is.”

For Meyer, it was the only decision.

“I made the decision that had to be made at this time,” he said. “There were all the warning signs. I felt like God was telling me I have to slow down and stop it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/sports/ncaafootball/27florida.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1261890327-shBTyYO8nTBokp/5ZU2O2A&pagewanted=print

[thelakelander]

So the clock has struck midnight for UF.  Welcome back to the world of mediocracy.

[reednavy]

That sucks and all, and I hope he gets better, HOWEVER.

That being said, I find it sort of ironic that he is stepping down the year when his golden egg, Tebow, is leaving, he got crushed by Bama and leaving them out of the BCS Champ. game, and most of his other great players are leaving as well. Not sayin, just sayin.

Go ahead and call me an ass or whatever, I just find it very coincidental.

[buckethead]

I'm witchoo on this one Reed.

[stjr]

He had suffered from severe chest pains the past two years, but this time was different. He lost consciousness, went to a hospital in an ambulance and underwent more than nine hours of testing.

I think the connection to Tebow is just a coincidence.

If you had no need for money, having made millions already, reached the pinnacle of your profession, had the above health issues leading doctors to tell you to avoid further stress in your life, and cared about being there for your loved ones, what conclusion would you reach?  It seems pretty obvious.  What job is worth literally killing yourself over?  Certainly, not a football related one.  It's just a game played for entertainment value, not for determining the future of civilization.  Over zealous die hards need to put this in perspective.

[I-10east]

As the Gators come back down to reality, maybe some of those so called "Gator/Jags fans" would actually consider going to a Jag game here in the city, instead of travelling US-301 South on Saturday to a game that will be televised anyway. I can't see how any real Jag fan lose any sleep over this. In my book this is a blessing in disguise for the city of Jax. 

[BridgeTroll]

So the clock has struck midnight for UF.  Welcome back to the world of mediocracy.

Maybe... depends who the next coach is... but I think they said the same when Spurrier left.

[thelakelander]

They took their lumps after Spurrier left during the Zook era.  These things run in cycles, no team can stay on top forever.

[reednavy]

These things run in cycles, no team can stay on top forever.

I.E. SoCal, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Notre Dame to name a few.

[NotNow]

Thanks for a great five years Coach Meyer! 

He has been good for UF Football and I applaud his decision to choose his health and family over glory and riches.  Many would not make that choice.  There is a lesson here for all of us.

UF Football will be fine.  It is a major college program.  There will be good seasons and bad seasons.  Fans will be there for both. 

[tufsu1]

So the clock has struck midnight for UF.  Welcome back to the world of mediocracy.

Maybe... depends who the next coach is... but I think they said the same when Spurrier left.

As Lake pointed out, things weren't exactly stellar under Zook...but I doubt the next coach will have much bearing on how UF does next year....with Tim "the savior" and just about the entire defense leaving, it might be somewhat ugly.

Interesting side note though...apparently tickets for the Sugar Bowl weren't hard to come by this year (just ask UM and FSU fans about getting spoiled by titles)...so will this make for a tougher ticket (like the Gator Bowl) or will Gator fans be more dicouraged about the game?

[If_I_Loved_you]

HA Urban Meyer has been checking out Billy Donovan's Play Book on how not to Quit your Job? Here we go again the Univ Of Florida has two Coaches that are Very Good. But when it comes to making better changes in there lives, they come out looking like little boys.