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Urban Meyer Reveals Big Ten Job He Almost Landed Instead of Utah

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Harris | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 11:32 AM ET

Legendary college football head coach Urban Meyer has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest minds in the sport’s history.

His coaching career began at Bowling Green, where he orchestrated an impressive turnaround, achieving a combined 17-6 record over two seasons. This remarkable success made him a sought-after figure, and soon power conference programs came calling.

Meyer’s next stop was at Utah, where he continued his meteoric rise, leading the Utes to unprecedented heights, including an undefeated season capped by a Fiesta Bowl victory. However, what many may not know is that Meyer’s career path could have taken a very different turn.

In a recent podcast with Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, Meyer revealed that he had seriously considered a move to Michigan State—only to learn that the program’s headhunter was looking for a "tier one coach."

This immediately lit a fire under him, and pushed him to be great everywhere he went. At Utah, he led the Utes to a 10-2 record in his first season and an undefeated 12-0 campaign in year two, including a Fiesta Bowl victory over Pittsburgh.

Meyer’s legacy as one of college football's finest includes three national championships—two with the Florida Gators and one with Ohio State.

Urban Meyer certainly left his mark on Utah, even with just two years with the program. Mentoring current head coach Kyle Whittingham into being the best coach he can be, picked up right where Meyer left off.

When Meyer left after the 2004 season, Utah went on to win almost every bowl game they appeared in for the next 13 years, with a bowl record of 10-1.

The Utes are coming off an unfortunate 5-7 season, however it was their first season in the restructured Big 12 conference. They have a solid recruiting class coming in this year, ranking 38th in the country, and look to bounce back and get back to how things were a few years ago.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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