Urban Meyer reveals how he violated a 'Gentleman's Agreement' between Big Ten coaches upon arriving at Ohio State

The college football world today has a lot more regulation and room for public information compared to the lawless style that dominated decades ago. Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer constantly flirted with bending the rules and pushing boundaries, and oddly, he might've been better fit for today's open-air environment.

However, his initial start at Ohio State required a bit of an adjustment. Coming from Florida and the SEC, where everything was hyper-competitive and cutthroat, Meyer had never experienced an honor-based system. 

He detailed how an unspoken rule created a mini feud with then-Wisconsin head coach Brett Bielema. 

“I leave the SEC, and I come to Ohio State, and there was something called a ‘gentleman’s agreement.'” And Coach Bielema got really pissed off at me when we turned a couple of players. And, you know, I didn’t know about a gentleman’s agreement. I’m not sure what that means. In recruiting, you’ve got to go get players. We had two kids from Ohio committed to Wisconsin, and we got them. We flipped them. And people were saying, Well, in this conference you don’t do that. And I was like, I had not seen that anywhere in my contract,” Meyer said.

Bielema and Wisconsin eventually alleged that Meyer and the Buckeyes got too involved and committed serious infractions. Former NFL players contacted high school recruits, even during a dead period, but the program wasn't necessarily linked.

Meyer was never found guilty on a bigger level, and at least with this issue, only broke this baseball-like rule. Bielema never went too in depth on the manner, but did at least confirm he wasn't thrilled with Meyer's approach. 

"I wasn’t upset with Urban because of a gentleman’s agreement. It was something else that I don’t want to get into. I told him what I knew, and he said he would take care of it, and he did,” Bielema said.

Meyer is a highly successful yet controversial figure in the history of college football coaching. Renowned for his intense leadership and innovative offensive tactics, he has built a legacy that includes three national championships and numerous conference titles, rapidly transforming each program he led into a contender.

Meyer began his coaching career in the 1980s as an assistant at various institutions, including Ohio State, Illinois State, Colorado State, and Notre Dame. His first head coaching role was at Bowling Green State University in 2001, where he quickly revitalized a struggling program, achieving a 17-6 record in just two seasons.

In 2003, Meyer took the helm at the University of Utah, where he gained national acclaim. By implementing his signature spread offense, he guided the Utes to an undefeated 12-0 season in 2004, culminating in a victory at the Fiesta Bowl. This success earned him numerous accolades, solidifying his status as one of college football’s top coaching talents.

Meyer’s most notable tenure came at the University of Florida from 2005 to 2010. During his time in Gainesville, he secured two national championships (in 2006 and 2008) and coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow. His teams were characterized by their dynamic offenses and tenacious defenses, often dominating the SEC.

However, Meyer's time at Florida was marred by controversy, with off-field issues related to player behavior and his own health concerns leading to his resignation in 2010.

After a brief break from coaching, he returned in 2012 to Ohio State University, where he further solidified his legacy. Under his guidance, the Buckeyes enjoyed an undefeated season in 2012 and won a national championship in 2014 as part of the newly implemented College Football Playoff system.

During his seven years at Ohio State from 2012 to 2018, Meyer posted an impressive record of 83-9, never losing more than two games in a single season and maintaining an undefeated streak against Michigan. Although his 2012 team was undefeated, it was ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA violations committed during Jim Tressel's tenure.

Meyer’s overall winning percentage across his time at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State stands at .854, ranking him third all-time behind Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy at the time of retirement.

He retired from coaching in 2018, citing health issues, but made a surprising return to the sidelines in 2021 when he became the head coach of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, this period was short-lived and fraught with challenges, concluding after only 13 games, marked by poor performance and off-field controversies.