This wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
Urban Meyer was in line to become the greatest Florida football coach of all time and possibly one of the greatest coaches ever.
Now just six seasons into his dream run with the Gators that earned him a spot next to the premier coaches in college football and lifted him to stardom, Meyer is gone.
But his abrupt exit shouldn’t change anything.
Meyer has already created his legacy and it’s as impressive as any other coach college football has ever seen.
If you scan down the list of accomplishments during his six-year tenure in Gainesville, you’ll find a 64-15 record, two national championships, two SEC championships, three BCS bowl wins, another non-BCS bowl win and a Heisman Trophy winner.
Again, that list was compiled in just six seasons.
What Meyer did in his short stint in Gainesville will be hard to replicate — even UF president Bernie Machen realizes that.
“He took us to another level,” Machen said at Wednesday’s press conference. “A level that will maybe be reached again, but never exceeded.”
Meyer’s legacy at Florida shouldn’t be tarnished because of his desire to spend more time with his family.
But one thing that could be questioned is Meyer’s decision-making skills.
At about this time last season, Meyer decided he wanted to step down because of health and family reasons. That decision was probably the best one. The choice he made just days later to make it a temporary leave of absence wasn’t smart.
Still, Meyer’s faults shouldn’t ruin the way Gators fans see him.
In Steve Spurrier’s 12 seasons at Florida (if you are bad at math, that’s twice the length of Meyer’s stay), he won just one national championship. And despite Spurrier’s choice to leave for the NFL and then coach South Carolina, another SEC school, he is still loved and respected in Gainesville.
Meyer deserves the same treatment. I understand that fans are surprised by his resignation, but let’s all take a step back and realize what Meyer accomplished.
I know UF is planning to build bronze statues of Spurrier, Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel soon. One should be built for Meyer, too.
After all, he accomplished more than any of those men.