Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer looks at the crowd as they rush the field after the game against Michigan on Nov. 24. Ohio State won 62-39. Credit: Amal Saeed | Lantern File Photo
Urban Meyer is returning to the coaching ranks, but it won’t be at the college level.
The former Ohio State head coach has signed a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to be the organization’s next head coach. The Jaguars went 1-15 in the 2020-21 season and possess the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
“Urban Meyer is who we want and need, a leader, winner and champion who demands excellence and produces results,” Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. “While Urban already enjoys a legacy in the game of football that few will ever match, his passion for the opportunity in front of him here in Jacksonville is powerful and unmistakable.”
The former Ohio State coach currently serves as Ohio State’s assistant athletic director and makes $102,000.12 each year. He has held the position since 2019.
Meyer coached at Ohio State for seven seasons and accumulated an 83-9 record. He led the Buckeyes to three Big Ten titles and a national championship in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes went 7-0 against Michigan with Meyer at the helm.
Meyer retired following the 2018 season — a year in which he revealed he had a cyst in his brain that caused severe headaches and was suspended for three games following an investigation into his knowledge of domestic violence allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith.
Ryan Day, the offensive coordinator under Meyer from 2017-18, served as interim head coach during Meyer’s three-game suspension in 2018. Day was named Ohio State’s next head coach when Meyer announced his retirement Dec. 4.
This story was updated Thursday at 6:50 p.m. with news that Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars completed the deal.
