There are rumors all over the Internet about Urban Meyer already owning a house in or near Columbus. Of course, there were rumors about him buying real estate just four miles from Penn State’s campus, according to WKPS-FM in State College. He didn’t go to Penn State, but he has accepted the head coaching positing at Ohio State University. Whether the stories about his living arrangements are true or not, I can’t say. But I do know this: he and his staff might want to look for luxury apartments in Columbus instead of homes for the length of time they’ll be staying there. For if history repeats itself, it won’t be long.

Meyer began his coaching career as an intern for St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio back in 1985. While working there he met several members of the Ohio State coaching staff. The next year he joined the staff at OSU under Earle Bruce as a graduate assistant, working with tight ends and wide receivers. He worked there for two years.

The next thirteen years were spent working as an assistant coach for various universities. He spent two years at Illinois State, six years at Colorado State, and then five years at Notre Dame. It’s often said that coaching at Notre Dame is Meyer’s dream job. He is a devout Catholic. But later in his career he told the Gainesville Sun that, “I’m not going to Notre Dame. Ever. I’m going to be the coach at Florida for a long time, as long as they want me.”

Bowling Green State University in Ohio hired Meyer for his first full-time coaching gig. BGSU plays in the MAC conference, made up of smaller-sized schools in the Midwest. He brought an exciting style of play to the Falcons, turning around a losing team to an 8-3 record. Trick plays were his specialty, often catching the opposing team off-guard. Fans ate it up, one part of the crowd chanting “Urban!” while the other answered with “Meyer!” His work during his rookie year earned him Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year accolades. His second year he finished with a 9-3 record.

After telling Bowling Green fans he wasn’t leaving, he took a job in Utah, coaching for the University of Utah. His winning ways prevailed there as well, finishing with a 10-2 record and winning the Mountain West Conference’s Coach of the Year.

That brought him to Florida, and even more acclaim, winning two national championships. After several years he quit with an impassioned speech, only to come back the next day. Following that season, he left coaching to become an announcer for ESPN.

Orlando Sentinel sports columnist Mike Bianchi asks a question of his readers, starting off with an excerpt from Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson after Meyer announced he was leaving Utah for Florida: “Go back and check his quotes in past months about his full intention of staying at Utah as long as the stadium is full and the student-athletes are getting their opportunity to be a Top 25 team, about how much his family loves Salt Lake City, about blah, and blah and blah.”

Bianchi then asks: “One question for Gator fans: Sound familiar?”

One wonders if the same question will sound familiar to Ohio State fans in a few years.

Tagged with: •

Filed under: Michael Oher

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!