Meyer Backtracks; Just Takes Leave
December 27th, 2009 ║ Posted By: John Pennington ║ Permalink ║ Tags: Florida
Urban Meyer — fair or not — is going to lose some good will over this one.
Just one day after hundreds of media folks had to come into their offices on the day after Christmas to cover his surprise departure, Meyer has reversed course and decided to stay on at Florida.
The Gators’ coach will take an indefinite leave of absence from UF after Friday’s Sugar Bowl and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will assume command of the ship in the interim.
A source says that Meyer got around his players during an on-campus practice this morning and changed his mind.
The source told the AP: “There’s no guarantees here. He could still walk away. He’s got some significant concerns about his health and his tank and his family. But instead of cutting the cord, he’s going to take a step back an see how he feels.”
He has a press conference scheduled for sometime after 5pm ET. It was initially scheduled for 4:30 but it has been pushed back.
When/if Meyer decide/undecides to speak/not speak, we’ll be sure to bring you the details.
Until then, here are some thoughts on this remarkable flip-flop:
1. What about his family? After saying (through sources and releases) that his decision to step down was based on the fear that his kids might lose a father, Meyer has apparently decided that football means more than his kids. Sorry, but that’s the way it reads. You can’t say “I’m leaving for my kids” and then change your mind. And if a cyst on his brain causes him to have migraine headaches when he feels stress, no leave of absence is going to be of much help. When he returns to the Florida sidelines in six months or six years, the stress will still be there and so will the cyst. And so might the chest pains.
2. This flip-flop is worse than the one Billy Donovan put UF through a few years ago when he accepted — and then backed out of — the Orlando Magic job. Donovan took a job and then decided that he loved Florida so much that he couldn’t leave. Donovan didn’t leave for health issues, he left for a better job then realized he made a mistake. The two situations are similar, but Meyer’s move makes less sense. If your health is bad, you leave the game with millions of dollars, a terrific legacy and a world of respect.
3. Regardless of what prompted his recent decision(s), we at MrSEC hope that Meyer’s health holds up. And Florida officials had better pray that it does as well. It was reported last night that athletic director Jeremy Foley and the UF administration had tried to change Meyer’s mind about quitting. If Meyer — God forbid — now has a serious health episode when he returns to the Gators, Foley and the rest of the Florida leadership will look pretty darn cold-hearted. If a man came to me complaining of health issues, I can assure you that I wouldn’t try to talk him into ignoring what his body has been telling him.
4. Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel pointed out yesterday that the Gators have had two of the most successful coaches in America burn out on them in the last decade. Steve Spurrier said that when 10 wins isn’t enough to satisfy fans, it’s time to leave. Now Meyer is at a personal crossroads due to stress… and the man has won two national titles in five years. He spent much of the year defending his then-undefeated team’s play against complaints from within the UF fanbase. At some point, Gator backers might want to look at just where their expectations are set and learn to appreciate a 12-1 season and a trip to the Sugar Bowl. For example.
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