Urban Resigns Then Returns Then Takes Sabbatical

This Urban Meyer situation has become quite confusing and actually pretty shady. If you’ve been eating too much turkey and lost in the Holiday spirit, let me give you a quick rundown…

University of Florida head football coach, Urban Meyer, resigned the day after Christmas, citing “health reasons” as well as “wanting to spend more time with family.” Meyer was admitted to a hospital after the SEC Championship game, suffering from chest pains, but was released with the diagnosis of “dehydration,” which most people thought was fishy. Now, it comes out that Meyer has a faulty heart valve. It’s completely non-life threatening and is more of a scary annoyance than anything else. After some research and talking to a few health professionals, I’m under the assumption that the symptoms are almost exactly the same as anxiety attacks.

In a world surrounded by tabloid, trash media and rumors that spread like wildfire, why has this never come out before? Meyer says he has had this condition for a long time, yet this is the first any of us are hearing of it. Maybe Meyer had a massive panic attack after the SEC Title game and it terrified him. Perhaps he didn’t want the media to know that he suffers from anxiety, so he kindly asks the doctors to say it’s dehydration. I’m not trying to instigate garbage. I’d like to know the honest truth and we’re clearly not receiving that information.

So, Urban resigns after talking it over with his family. This is obviously something that takes weeks to consider and no one wants to come to a resolution without careful thought and peace of mind. There has to be plenty of soul-searching and discussion for Meyer to consider the conclusion he decided on, which, at the time, was to step down as the Florida head coach. What made him change his mind and why was it done so hastily?

Apparently, Meyer had an epiphany when he stepped out onto the practice field Sunday morning and weeks of consideration and chatting with his family, whom he wanted to spend more time with, is now vaporized. Urban has decided he needs a break from the coaching gig because it’s too “stressful” on his life, which furthers my speculation that he suffers from anxiety, but he will eventually return to head coaching duties on a later date. This leads me to my, “Why he changed his mind…again” theory: Recruiting.

This is the time of year where schools are running mad getting their commitments locked up and in order. According to my sources, multiple UF commitments, including the State of Florida’s top athlete, and arguably the top recruit in the nation, Matt Elam, opened their recruitment process back up after hearing the Urban Meyer news. This has to make UF athletic director, Jeremy Foley, unhappy, and I bet a conversation between the two went something like this:


Foley: Urban? Hey, is Jeremy. How’re you feeling?

Meyer: Pretty good. I’m really sorry to have to do this to the university, but I really do need to get my health in order.

Foley: Yeah, about that…it’s not life threatening, correct?

Meyer: Well, no, but…

Foley: See, I hear that some of our solid commitments are looking elsewhere because of this debacle, uh, announcement and we just can’t have top talent looking at rival schools. Understand?

Meyer: Jeremy…

Foley: Call me, “Mr. Foley.”

Meyer: Um, Mr. Foley, I’ve already discussed this with my family and I need time away to get my health in order.

Foley: Yeah, I’m going to need you to come in on Sunday…that’ll be great.


Hopefully some of you get the joke, but it is odd that Meyer seemed pretty content with his decision to resign, but had a quick change of heart, even after one of his daughters was quoted as, “Happy to have her father back.” Has to be pretty tough to turn your back on that. Now that Meyer has announced he’ll be back, the commitments appear to be firm again.

Whatever his situation and condition is, I truly hope it’s resolved and cared for. I wish Urban Meyer and his family the best. He and Pete Carroll are definitely this decade’s best coaches and have put out the most dominating teams, by far. There’s no doubt in my mind that Meyer will return to the game and pick up his Hall of Fame career where it left off, but I hope he does it on his terms and not someone else’s.