In 2001

[SWC75]

...when we were going 10-3 with Dwight Freeney, 37 year old Urban Meyer got the job at Bowling Green. he went 17-6 in two years there and then got the job at Utah. He went 10-2 and then 12-0 there. Then he got the Florida job and went 65-15 and won his first two national titles. Then he took a year off and took the Ohio State job. He's gone 38-3 there and won a third national title. That's a total of 142-26 and three national titles in 14 years.

He'd been a defensive back at Cincinnati and started his coaching career as an assistant at St. Xavier High School there in 1985. He became a grad assistant at Ohio State and then an assistant at Illinois State, Colorado State and Notre Dame. After 13 years as an assistant, he got the Bowling Green job.

There may not be too many Urban Meyers out there but the next one will have a resume like that.

 

[Scooch]

Bowling Green's record the 4 years before he got there: 15-29

Four years at Utah before he got there: 26-20

Four years at Florida before he got there: 31-17. 23-15 in the the 3 w/o Spurrier.

Went undefeated in year 2 at Utah, won national titles in years 2 and 4 at Florida.

We debate a lot here about whether certain coaches are "great". But I think it's easy to tell when a coach is great. And I think we throw the term around too loosely. Some are good, some are very good. Meyer is unquestionably great.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Bowling Green's record the 4 years before he got there: 15-29 Four years at Utah before he got there: 26-20 Four years at Florida before he got there: 31-17. 23-15 in the the w/o Spurrier. Went undefeated in year 2 at Utah, won national titles in years 2 and 4 at Florida. We debate a lot here about whether certain coaches are "great". But I think it's easy to tell when a coach is great. And I think we throw the term around too loosely. Some are good, some are very good. Meyer is unquestionably great.

Yeah, sure. But he's no saint!!!

/sarcasm off

 

[SWC75]

My point was that we keep talking about bringing a "famous" coach here. But there are a lot of good and even great coaches who aren't famous yet. Some of them may be better than the "famous" guys. They might have a resume like Meyer when Bowling Green hired him. We need a coach who will become famous here.

 

[Scooch]

My point was that we keep talking about bringing a "famous" coach here. But there are a lot of good and even great coaches who aren't famous yet. Some of them may be better than the "famous" guys. They might have a resume like Meyer when Bowling Green hired him. We need a coach who will become famous here.

I agree.

I just wanted to add that I tend to think that if you're arguing about whether a coach is "great" or not, he's most likely not.

 

[SWC75]

I agree.

I just wanted to add that I tend to think that if you're arguing about whether a coach is "great" or not, he's most likely not.

Or is?

 

[cmr27]

In addition to the three national titles, he coached two undefeated teams that didn't win the national title. In other words, there have been five times when he took a team as far as any human could possibly take it.

If I owned an NFL team, Meyer is the only guy I'd hire to coach it. I wouldn't interview anyone else. We can't put him ahead of Belichick until he coaches in the NFL but he's the most promising candidate to assume Belichick's position as Reigning Football Genius. Meyer is only 50.

 

[longtimefan]

My point was that we keep talking about bringing a "famous" coach here. But there are a lot of good and even great coaches who aren't famous yet. Some of them may be better than the "famous" guys. They might have a resume like Meyer when Bowling Green hired him. We need a coach who will become famous here.

Remember, his resumé also includes a lot of police blotter activity at Florida--including Aaron Hernandez.

 

[cmr27]

Remember, his resumé also includes a lot of police blotter activity at Florida--including Aaron Hernandez.

Aaron Hernandez = The common thread of greatness.

 

[OrangeAggieArmy]

If I had to bet on who the "next" Urban is, I'd put my money on Chad Morris.

 

[elimunelson]

If I had to bet on who the "next" Urban is, I'd put my money on Chad Morris.

Based on what? I'm curious what makes him stand out? Didn't he just take over at SMU?

 

[SoBristol]

So, the lesson is follow Utah's example and hire a young hot shot out of the MAC, and lose him to the SEC after two years?

 

[OrangeAggieArmy]

Based on what? I'm curious what makes him stand out? Didn't he just take over at SMU?

Just using the formula from the OP of a guy who started his coaching career at the high school level and then as an assistant in college for awhile before ever getting his first HC gig. I'd say SMU is on par with Bowling Green as a first job (maybe a little better due to the fertile recruiting landscape in the Metroplex) and Morris has been on people's radar as an up and comer for a few years.

 

[OrangeAggieArmy]

So, the lesson is follow Utah's example and hire a young hot shot out of the MAC, and lose him to the SEC after two years?

If he can go 10-2 and 12-0 in those 2 years, YES!

 

[SWC75]

Remember, his resumé also includes a lot of police blotter activity at Florida--including Aaron Hernandez.

I was just trying to point out that all coaches at some point are not yet 'famous' coaches and we shouldn't dismiss them just because they aren't. Meyer's off the field problems at quarterback are another discussion.

 

[SWC75]

If he can go 10-2 and 12-0 in those 2 years, YES!

Any highly successful coach Syracuse comes up with is probably going to move on to better job. if we can have some good years and he leaves the program in good shape, we're still better off for it.