Urban Meyer tells us how to be a champion in modern college football.
Urban Meyer lays the foundation for how to be a successful college football coach in the 2020s.
During Wednesday evening on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff webcast, Meyer was asked to come up with his five best coaches in college football today.
“In my mind, you are measured in championships,” said Meyer. Winning national titles is something Meyer put great value on previously, as he had these six coaches in his original top five.
"In my mind, you are measured in championships“@CoachUrbanMeyer breaks down what it takes to lead a team and explains why he emphasizes titles when evaluating a coach ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5Uj4Q3SSsZ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) July 8, 2020
Urban Meyer’s top 5 coaches based on historical standing
- Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers
- Mack Brown, North Carolina Tar Heels
- Ed Orgeron, LSU Tigers
- Les Miles/Jimbo Fisher, Kansas Jayhawks/Texas A&M Aggies
All six have won national titles. Nick Saban has won five with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Dabo Swinney has won two with the Clemson Tigers. Mack Brown won a title with the 2005 Texas Longhorns. Ed Orgeron won his last year with the LSU Tigers. Les Miles and Jimbo Fisher won championships with LSU in 2007 and the 2013 Florida State Seminoles, respectively.
However, Meyer understands he may need to make an adjustment to this list because he clearly valued championships over everything. Some of the best coaches in college football today haven’t won a national title yet, but are certainly trending in that direction. He revealed his five keys to coaching success in the modern era and the five program leaders who are doing the best job of it.
What are Urban Meyer’s 5 keys to modern college football coaching success?
Urban Meyer’s top 5 coaches criteria
- Culture
- Recruiting
- Leadership
- Ability to Inspire
- Strategy
No doubt, culture is important, as it is absolutely everything. What is interesting is how highly Meyer values recruiting in his updated coaching criteria. He has this No. 2 behind only culture. So yes, it is that important as well. Leadership, the ability to inspire and overall strategy round out his top five. So who does Meyer have as his new top-five in having them lead a college program?
Urban Meyer’s top 5 coaches to lead a program today
- Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers
- Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs
- Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma Sooners
- Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes
Keeping Saban and Swinney one-two comes as no surprise. Though we expected Miles, Fisher and probably Brown to not make this new five, it is interesting to see Orgeron plummet out of the top five altogether. His LSU program’s culture is phenomenal, he’s an incredible leader, recruiter and has always inspired young men. Perhaps Meyer doesn’t think strategy is Orgeron’s strong suit?
As for including Kirby Smart of Georgia, Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma and Ryan Day or Ohio State, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Smart, Riley and Day have all led their teams to the College Football Playoff in the last three years. At some point, we can expect Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio State to win a national title under these three program leaders before too long.
Meyer’s keys to coaching success highlights what are the five best programs in the country.
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