Breaking News: Urban Meyer accepts Florida job

[therealworldschampion 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1937879

 

ESPN.com news services

The University of Florida has offered its coaching job to Urban Meyer, who accepted today, ESPN.com's Pat Forde has learned.

 

 

Florida papers reported the offer to Meyer, who has coached Utah to a 12-0 season and a BCS bowl bid, on their Web sites Friday morning.

 

 

"It could be any minute," UF president Dr. Bernie Machen told The Palm Beach Post earlier today. "I'm waiting for an e-mail."

 

 

When asked about the report, Utah athletic director Chris Hill, deferred.

 

 

"My position is to let the other parties in these things -- the schools and the coach -- speak for themselves," Hill said. "Any kind of confirmation would have to come from other sources."

 

 

When pressed, Hill offered no further comment.

 

 

Meyer met with his players Thursday and told them what schools are pursuing him, but he would not be specific when asked about the meeting.

 

 

"There's too many things involved right now to have any comments," Meyer said after a practice at Utah's new indoor practice field.

 

 

Florida officials were in Utah on Thursday, as were Notre Dame officials.

 

 

Meyer will replace Ron Zook, who was fired but coached the team through the end of the season.

 

 

The Utah coach has said he wants to coach the Utes in their bowl game. Zook has not yet decided whether he will coach the Gators in the Peach Bowl.

 

 

Utah is expected to consider members of its current staff to replace Meyer.

[Damaramu 0]

ND probably fired Willingham to get Meyer....now he's gone. Wonder if they feel dumb or if they had someone else in mind?

 

He says he wants to coach in the bowl game....but will they let him?

[nl5xsk1 0]

I thought that he could only - contractually - go to Michigan, THE Ohio State Uni or ND.

 

Am I wrong?

[therealworldschampion 0]

I think the buyout was $250,000. Florida will probably cover that.

 

ND probably will look at someone like Dan Hawkins of Boise State now.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA at Notre Dame.

[Guest Smues]

I was hoping ND wouldn't get him, so I'm glad on that front. However, I never support a coach announcing the taking of a new job before the season is over, and that includes bowl games. I didn't like when Mike Price did it a few years ago, and I don't like this.

[therealworldschampion 0]

If I was Notre Dame, I would seriously take a long look at Rick Neuheisel. He was cleared of any wrongdoing in that NCAA investigation with that whole basketball pool flap, and the man can recruit and flat out coach.

[iggymcfly 0]

That is FUNNY! I bet Notre Dame's AD is just sitting in his garage running the car with the garage door closed to see if he can end it all. Urban Meyer was the only real reason they fired Willingham and now he's not coming.

 

As for Florida, they should consider themselves lucky that Spurrier didn't come back. Meyer's gonna take them to the top of the SEC in no time. I say the Gators go maybe 10-2 losing in the SEC Championship next year, and in two years they win the SEC, and maybe even go to the national title. No one really knows quite how good of a recruiter Meyer is, but with that much talent around him, he'll get Florida into the elite right now.

 

By the way, as part of the endless archive of sports trivia that I know off the top of my head, the buyout for Urban Meyer's contract is actually $500,000. His contract actually said he could get out for free to go to Michigan, MSU, or Notre Dame, so really he was just looking for any big-time job he thought he had a chance at.

 

Finally, as for the bowl game, as long as he's staying around to do a good job coaching for the next few weeks, it's not that bad. Price just kind of ran out on the program, but Meyer will make sure they win the Fiesta Bowl before he leaves.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Notre Dame shouldn't give up on Meyer. Until he signs a contract with Florida, he's still available.

 

It's also possible that ND expected Meyer to wait until after the bowl game to decide, and Florida made their offer first.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Recruiting may also have played a role...

 

Rumblings that Meyer wanted "Holtz '88-'93" academic standards, and ND wouldn't bend.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Good for ND. Remember the academic standouts Holtz had. Micheal Stonebreaker, Chris Zorich, Demitrius Dubose. Remember Zorich was the player Holtz said he signed because of the look in his eyes.

[smh810 0]

Up your ass Notre Dame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

As much as I don't like Notre Dame I completely agree that they shouldn't change their academic standards for football players.

[CanadianChris 0]

ND probably fired Willingham to get Meyer....now he's gone. Wonder if they feel dumb or if they had someone else in mind?

If I was Notre Dame's AD, the first call I'd make would be to Bob Stoops. Sure, he could sit comfortable down in Norman and contend for national titles year after year, but turning around Notre Dame and leading them to a national title would make him a legend.

 

Meyer probably would've been fourth or so on my call list.

[2GOLD 0]

Well now that Meyer is gone....I hope ND goes down in flames.

[Damaramu 0]

ND probably fired Willingham to get Meyer....now he's gone. Wonder if they feel dumb or if they had someone else in mind?

If I was Notre Dame's AD, the first call I'd make would be to Bob Stoops. Sure, he could sit comfortable down in Norman and contend for national titles year after year, but turning around Notre Dame and leading them to a national title would make him a legend.

 

Meyer probably would've been fourth or so on my call list.

I think Stoops said the only job he'd ever leave OU for would be Penn State and on top of that they'd have to make a huge offer.

Not to mention it's in his contract that he gets a 100,000 dollar raise every year he's in Norman......AND he's never actually gotten that 100,000 dollar raise b/c it's always bigger than 100,000! Last year he got 250,000! The guy is getting filthy rich and winning 10 games a year and competing for National Titles every year in Norman. He's got a good deal and ND would have to make one hell of an offer.

[cabbageboy 0]

Well, being from Louisville it's only a matter of time before the rumors about Petrino leaving start. Thing is, why would Petrino leave a program on a serious uptick like U of L--that is going to the Big East next year, BCS land--to go to ND?

[Secret Agent 0]

ND probably fired Willingham to get Meyer....now he's gone. Wonder if they feel dumb or if they had someone else in mind?

If I was Notre Dame's AD, the first call I'd make would be to Bob Stoops. Sure, he could sit comfortable down in Norman and contend for national titles year after year, but turning around Notre Dame and leading them to a national title would make him a legend.

 

Meyer probably would've been fourth or so on my call list.

He's already a legend here for turning Oklahoma around and leading them to a National Title. I think it'd really take a lot to woo Stoops from Oklahoma, as the people here worship the ground he walks on, and treat him like a hollywood celebrity. Where else can you get that?

[Damaramu 0]

ND probably fired Willingham to get Meyer....now he's gone. Wonder if they feel dumb or if they had someone else in mind?

If I was Notre Dame's AD, the first call I'd make would be to Bob Stoops. Sure, he could sit comfortable down in Norman and contend for national titles year after year, but turning around Notre Dame and leading them to a national title would make him a legend.

 

Meyer probably would've been fourth or so on my call list.

He's already a legend here for turning Oklahoma around and leading them to a National Title. I think it'd really take a lot to woo Stoops from Oklahoma, as the people here worship the ground he walks on, and treat him like a hollywood celebrity. Where else can you get that?

But you know he's pretty down to earth. If you go to Campus Corner around lunch time he's down there eating. He goes out to eat in Norman at night on Campus corner. You can see the guy around town and he's supposed to be pretty nice.

[Secret Agent 0]

...

 

BOOMER~!

[Art Sandusky 0]

Well, being from Louisville it's only a matter of time before the rumors about Petrino leaving start. Thing is, why would Petrino leave a program on a serious uptick like U of L--that is going to the Big East next year, BCS land--to go to ND?

Notre Dame is part of the BCS as well. That's why they say "the six major conferences and Notre Dame" when they talk about it.

[Damaramu 0]

What are the rules for Notre Dame and the BCS? What do they have to do to get in? B/c the can't win a conference.

[sfaJack 0]

I think if Notre Dame finishes in the top 6, they get a guaranteed spot, just as any non-BCS conf. school does.

[CanadianChris 0]

What are the rules for Notre Dame and the BCS? What do they have to do to get in? B/c the can't win a conference.

Same as any other at-large team...except if a non-BCS school gets in, Notre Dame automatically gets in as long as they have nine wins or are ranked in the top 10.

 

So...if ND had won all those games they were supposed to win (BYU, Pitt, etc.), we wouldn't even be talking about whether Cal or Texas would get the second spot. It'd be Utah and Notre Dame as the at-large teams.

[Slayer 0]

In '00, Notre Dame went to the Fiesta Bowl while ranked #11 in the BCS poll (9-2 record)

[CanadianChris 0]

That's the at-large rule. Any team with 9 wins or ranked in the top 12 can be selected as an at-large if there are open spots available after applying the top 6 rule and the top 4 rule.

[Alro 0]

Well, being from Louisville it's only a matter of time before the rumors about Petrino leaving start. Thing is, why would Petrino leave a program on a serious uptick like U of L--that is going to the Big East next year, BCS land--to go to ND?

Petrino isn't going anywhere. He's sitting pretty for a big money bowl game next year in the Big East. Who is going to compete with them? Plus Jurich pretty much has a green light to throw all the money he wants at Petrino. He's staying put.

[iggymcfly 0]

That's the at-large rule. Any team with 9 wins or ranked in the top 12 can be selected as an at-large if there are open spots available after applying the top 6 rule and the top 4 rule.

No, it's not. Notre Dame actually has it's own rule written into the standings, which is separate from the at-large qualifications, and actually has equal precedence with the Top 6 from a mid-major conference rule.

 

From the BCS official site:

 

Any team from an independent institution, or Conference USA, the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, or Western Athletic Conferences, which is ranked third through sixth in the final BCS standings, shall qualify for a berth in one of the BCS games unless more than two teams meet this criterion. If one team other than Notre Dame qualifies for selection under this provision, Notre Dame shall also qualify for automatic at-large selection provided it is ranked in the top 10 in the final BCS standings or has won at least nine games, not including exempted games. If two or more teams other than Notre Dame meet this criterion, Notre Dame shall also qualify for the at-large pool provided it is ranked in the top 10 of the final BCS standings or has won at least nine games, not including exempt contests.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Apparently Notre Dame tried contacting Steve Mariucci, but he had reportedly rejected them.

[2GOLD 0]

Apparently Notre Dame tried contacting Steve Mariucci, but he had reportedly rejected them.

 

 

Maybe they should call George O'Leary again?

And no, I'm not kidding.