Urban Meyer on coaching in the NFL: ‘Not right now’

When asked about his NFL coaching aspirations, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was quite dismissive of the matter.

On Monday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks 42-20 to win the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship, and their sixth title overall (eighth if you count claimed). It capped off a historic NCAA football season; one which will go down as one of the sport’s best. With rumors swirling regarding the futures of both starting quarterbacks (Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, and third-stringer Cardale Jones), the season seems to be lingering even in the wake of its climactic match up.

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One inevitable thought has finally been expressed, and questioned by the media. Will OSU head coach Urban Meyer bolt for the National Football League after winning his third national title? He had the following to say regarding the matter.

“Not right now. I’ve got a commitment to Ohio State and these players,” said Meyer.

Sounds like a pretty sound decision by Meyer. “Not right now?” Why ever? If we have learned anything from the past, it is that success on the professional level for college football coaching legends is spotty. Sure, you have your successes such as Jimmy Johnson (Dallas Cowboys) , Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks), and Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco 49ers). Barry Switzer inherited a Dallas team already built to win, however, some would count him as well.

But does anyone remember when Steve Spurrier (Washington Redskins) and Lou Holtz (New York Jets) tried their luck? How about Lane Kiffin with the Oakland Raiders?

On whether or not he’d consider coaching in the NFL, Meyer: “Not right now. I’ve got a commitment to Ohio State and these players.”
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) January 13, 2015

Plus, Meyer has the chance to win another title next season. The Buckeyes will likely be ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the country, and it would be utterly foolish to walk away from a team that could net him his fourth national championship overall, tying him with the aforementioned Saban (as well as many other coaching legends) for second-most in college football history. There is zero reason to consider the NFL at this stage for him. He is making $4 million a year to recruit from one of the most established schools in the nation; a location that is very close to where his family lives.

He is familiar with the Ohio State swing of things, dating back to his time as an unpaid graduate assistant on the team during the Earle Bruce era in Columbus. His offensive scheme translates perfectly to the college game, and as evidenced before, it may not necessarily translate to the NFL. Chip Kelly (Philadelphia Eagles) is an exception to the trend, not the standard. But if anyone could do it, it probably would be Urban Meyer. There are just not enough reasons to walk away from this good of a situation though.

(H/T Land-Grant Holy Land)

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