Here I was, sleeping through the Meineke Car Care Bowl when all of a sudden Big Brother said, "Lank, GET UP!" I was worried either somebody was breaking into his apartment, a relative had died, or something else serious happened. It turns out that something serious did happen.
Urban Meyer resigned as head coach of the Florida Gators.
Sure, to most normal families, this wouldn't qualify as "something serious". However, my family isn't quite normal when it comes to our passion for sport. I immediately picked up the computer and began looking for answers. Why? What spurred this? When did he decide? But no one had any answers. Outside of the TV report on ESPN, there were no further details.
Now that the smoke has somewhat settled, a few more things are becoming clear (heck, that article will probably be updated between the time I post it and the time you read it). Meyer has had health problems and they are interfering with his coaching ability. The high-stress occupation of coaching triggers headaches for Meyer, as documented in a story in Sports Illustrated before the SEC Championship Game earlier this month. A cyst on his brain has made him keel over in pain when his stress levels get too high, causing him to feel as if a knife is being stuck into his head repeatedly.
As you can probably imagine, that doesn't sound very fun.
The reward of coaching players and winning titles just isn't worth the pain and effort anymore, so Meyer is hanging up his whistle...for the time being. It should be noted that none of the (early) information mentions this being permanent, so maybe Meyer is looking for a few years of tranquility to get his health problems under control before putting on the headset again. Regardless, we all hope for the best for Urban Meyer and his family. Health problems are nothing to mess around with, so hopefully he can get things back to normal and will no longer have to deal with his aches and pains.
Not to be overly callous, but another question that must be answered is, Now who will take over as Florida head coach? Because I get paid the big bucks at STML, I'll attempt to answer that question for you. Here are my five best guesses, in order, in terms of feasibility. Obviously, Bill Cowher would be a great move for the Gators, but I just don't see him coaching college football...ever. Keep in mind that these guesses are coming a half hour after the story first broke, so if I turn out to be wrong, I'll use that as my excuse. But if I turn out to be right...well, you'll never hear the end of it. Ok, let's get started.
1.) Dan Mullen, Mississippi State head coach - I know that Mullen has only been with the Bulldogs for a season, and hasn't really proven himself as a head coach yet. However, he was Meyer's offensive coordinator at Florida from 2005-2008 and proved to be a quite capable assistant. After to moving to Starkville this season, he took the Bulldogs to a better-than-expected 5-7 record, and gave them a spark on offense that wasn't seen under former coach Sylvester Croom. He knows what it takes to win at Florida and, from all accounts, had a great relationship with his players. If Florida wants to make the best of this unfortunate situation, hiring Mullen is the way to go. Will he leave MSU after only one season? Eh, I'm not sure. Nobody likes to look like a snake, but getting a job like Florida's is the reason that you take a job like Mississippi State's. I'm just sayin', it'd be a hard opportunity to pass up.
2.) Bob Stoops, Oklahoma head coach - It seems like Stoops' name gets thrown around for every big opening, but there's a reason for that. He's done great work in his days in Norman, but you get the feeling that he and the Sooner faithful are growing tired of one another. He's been there since 1999 and sometimes a change of scenery is the best thing for someone. Having been the defensive coordinator at Florida under Steve Spurrier, Stoops is aware of the pressures of coaching at Florida (similar to the pressures at Oklahoma, obviously) and would not be daunted by the task. If the pitch and price are right, I could see Stoops making the move to the Sunshine State.
3.) Mike Shanahan, former NFL head coach - I'm obligated to throw out Shanahan's name simply because he has ties to Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley. Shanahan was mentioned during the 2001 offseason when Steve Spurrier resigned as the Gators' head coach and the search was on for a replacement. At that time, it just didn't make sense because Shanahan was firmly ensconced at Denver and had his eye on another Super Bowl ring. Now? Shanahan is unemployed and looking for the right opportunity to get back into coaching. He's been bandied about with regards to the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, among others, but I'm not sure if those situations would be right for him (read: meddling owners). At Florida, he would be THE MAN, and could do whatever he wanted with the program. That may be a more attractive option to Shanahan than having a power struggle with an NFL owner.
4.) Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach - Currently an analyst for ESPN's Monday Night Football, Gruden seems to be relaxed in the booth calling the action on the field, but you can tell he misses the action on the field as a coach, too. An x's and o's master, Gruden would be a solid fit in college due to his personality and offensive schemes. However, he's always struck me as a pro coach, so that, combined with his contract renewal at ESPN, make him a longshot. Sure, the contract was signed while Florida still had a head coach (Gruden lives in Tampa), but I don't know if the allure of coaching the Gators will be enough to pull him out of the booth right now.
5.) Charlie Strong, Louisville head coach - The least likely of the five names mentioned here, Strong was Meyer's defensive coordinator at Florida. However, he recently took the head coaching job at Louisville, so it's unlikely that he'd do an about-face after taking over as the Cardinals' head man. Sure, the Florida job is a much better job than the Louisville job, but the PR nightmare that would ensue for both Strong and Florida (for taking someone else's newly-minted coach) might be too much of a risk. I do think that Strong will be a good head coach someday, but you can't take that risk on a guy who has never been a head coach before.
Obviously, these names are all guesses as no information about a successor has been made public. I'm sure AD Jeremy Foley is already working the phones and getting a list in order, but for the time being, your guesses are as good as mine. If Florida follows a logical decision-making process, and I think they will, then these five guys are about the best they can hope for. My opinion? Get Mullen, apologize to Mississippi State, send them a few tickets to Disney World and the Final Four, keep the rest of the staff intact, and get ready for a few more SEC titles.
~~ Lank
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