The Gators struggled through a grinding regular season and win the Outback Bowl to finish 8-5, though outside of the Top 25. “I know it is time to put my focus on my family and life away from the field,” he said in a statement. He then returned to full-time duties in March. He would coach in Florida’s bowl game, a win against Cincinnati. The 2008 team is widely viewed as one of the best of the BCS era, driven by Tebow, a loaded roster of future NFL contributors and a mentality forged by an avoidable regular-season loss to Mississippi.Ĭiting a recent medical scare following a loss to Alabama in the SEC title game and a desire to spend more time with his family, Meyer resigns as Florida’s head coach. The 2007 season was highlighted by Tebow’s Heisman Trophy yet marked a disappointment, with just nine wins and a third-place finish in the SEC East. With Tebow part of a two-quarterback rotation, the Gators lost just once, to Auburn in October, and swamped Ohio State, 41-14, in the BCS national championship game.Īnd then there was a second title. The first of Meyer’s three national championships. 16 in the final poll, but Meyer’s biggest win came on the recruiting trail: Florida won the battle for Tim Tebow. “At the University of Florida, you have everything in place to make a run at the whole thing, and that was a factor,” he said. Meyer’s rise into the hottest coaching name in college football was complete: Notre Dame was fast after his services, with a consensus that Meyer would sign on as Tyrone Willingham’s replacement, but he instead chose Florida. 1 overall pick in quarterback Alex Smith - went 11-0 in the regular season and earned a spot in the Bowl Championship Series, where it defeated Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
After going 10-2 and securing a spot in the Top 25 in 2003, Meyer’s second team - led by an eventual No. Meyer took another step up the coaching ladder by moving to Utah, then a member of the Mountain West Conference, and as at Bowling Green was quickly able to turn the Utes into a conference and national contender. Bowling Green won eight games in Meyer’s first season and nine games a year later, making his 73.9% winning percentage the second-best in program history. He quickly turned the Falcons into a Mid-American Conference contender. Now 36, Meyer is hired by a Bowling Green program coming off a two-win season in 2000. Meyer would remain on the Fighting Irish staff when Holtz was replaced in 1997 by Bob Davie, and would continue in the position through 2000. Meyer got the job through Holtz’s son, Skip, who knew Meyer from his stint at Colorado State.
Meyer is hired at Notre Dame, again to coach the wide receivers, under Lou Holtz. Meyer spends six seasons in that position with the Rams. Meyer’s first break comes as the wide receivers coach at Colorado State, reuniting with Bruce, who was fired at Ohio State following the 1987 season. Meyer believes he will not coach again Meyer retirement shocks college football Meyer's retirement comes four months late Meyer to retire as Ohio State coach Timeline of Urban Meyer's coaching career