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Urban Meyer Floated As Potential Candidate For Major SEC Coaching Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 7:07 PM ET

Most known for stints at Florida (2005-10) and Ohio State (2012-18) that saw him win a combined three championships, Urban Meyer has since joined the media space as an analyst for Fox Sports. He is among the star-studded analysts for Fox's pregame show "Big Noon Kickoff," but that doesn't prevent his name from surfacing in coaching carousel chatter.

Up until recently, the Penn State and Florida jobs were the biggest on the market, but following LSU's decision to fire Brian Kelly on Sunday, the consensus around college football has since shifted toward that being the top job available. Kelly was fired four seasons into his tenure, posting a 34-14 record. His greatest flaw has been widely discussed following his firing, with many pointing the finger at the fact that he simply didn't fit what LSU's program needed.

As candidates continue to be tossed around as a replacement for Kelly, one name that Fox's Joel Klatt has thrown out is Meyer. With the name recognition he brings and the fact that LSU has been close, but not exactly close enough to contend, the rebuild may not be too difficult for Meyer.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer salutes the fans chanting his name.© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Klatt expressed that due to the amount of jobs open, there may not be the perfect candidate for everyone, which may lead to some programs going in a different direction.

"I said three of the top ten jobs in college football are now open," Klatt said. "I can't remember a cycle in which we had this high profile of jobs open and ready and willing to spend money and ready to swing big, and yet I can't remember as thin of a talent pool in the coaching search. Lane's gonna be at the top, and Dan Lanning is gonna be at the top of everybody's list. Nick Saban's getting the call, Urban Meyer’s getting the call. Bob Stoops might get a call because the list is thin."

Now, in terms of whether or not Meyer is interested in coaching, he seemed vehemently against it in 2023 when his name surfaced in coaching searches. Meyer told Knox News that it took a toll on his health, and that he has no desire to deal with it again.

"I am good," Meyer said. "I never really took a day off. People, when I say that, they scratch their head. I am like I never took a day off. I had some health stuff go on. I became addicted to sleeping pills. I was just a maniac worker. ... So no. No desire.”

Until a few of these huge jobs are filled with someone else, expect for Meyer and Saban to hear plenty of people suggest that they could be a fit.

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

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