In a move that many saw coming weeks ago, Monday it was announced that former Florida head coach and current ESPN analyst Urban Meyer would accept the Ohio State football head coaching position. The announcement came via Meyers agent and was confirmed by the Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio State announced that a news conference will be held at 5:15PM ET Monday from Columbus, however no mention of Meyer was made.
Meyer replaces interim head coach Luke Fickell who in turn replaced longtime head coach Jim Tressel amid the merchandise for tattoo scandal that rocked the university for most of 2011.
Speaking of Fickell, reports are indicating that Meyer will retain Fickell on his staff as a coach. Although it’s not known what the exact role of Fickell will be going forward there’s a chance that Fickell could take over as defensive coordinator.
Here is what some have to say on Meyers’ impact on the Buckeyes…
“Urban Meyer built some monster recruiting classes at Florida. But he won’t be some recruiting mercenary in the Midwest. His ties to the region, and name value that extends both out West and into SEC country make him a great recruiting fit in Columbus.” -ESPN’s Tom Luginbill
“So what does this mean for Ohio State in the next few years? As is the case with any regime change, Ohio State will likely hit some bumps in the road during Year 1 of the Meyer regime. However, based on Meyer’s track record as a coach and recruiter, I think the Buckeyes have enough current and incoming talent to legitimately challenge for the Big Ten title in 2012 — and it won’t shock me if Meyer has the Buckeyes in the national title hunt as early as Year 2. While it could take a few seasons for Meyer to get ideal personnel in place at key positions, there is enough talent currently on the Buckeyes’ roster for OSU to be successful early on in Meyer’s tenure. This is an excellent hire for Ohio State.” -ESPN’s Todd McShay
Meyer resigned from his post with Florida after the 2009 season citing he needed to get away from the game and spend time with his family.
I guess he needs time away from his family now.
Ref: SportingNews, ESPN, thebullgator.com (image)