Ex-UF Coach Meyer: “I Went Off The Deep End”

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Former Florida coach Urban Meyer is a much-talked about man these days.  His name has popped up in connection with jobs at Ohio State, Penn State and Texas.  Most believe he’ll be back on a college sideline next year.

But if he does return, he says he won’t let the game consume him the next time around:

“If I ever went back, I’d have to get back a little bit of balance I used to have.  I don’t know if I’m there yet.  I went off the deep end.  When I first went to Florida, my first Tennessee game, first SEC game, my son was playing that (Friday) night (in a baseball game), was going to pitch.  I’m in a hotel.  I looked at the police officers: “I can’t take this.  Will you get in a car and drive me to go watch my son pitch?”  Everybody thought I was nuts.  I’m not going to let a job consume me.  I think it did.  I would have never done that (go to see his son’s game) at the end.  I was so consumed about perfection.  We created a monster.  If I ever did get back, I would not let that control my life.”

We continue to say what we’ve been saying for months — we believe Meyer will be in the ESPN broadcast booth for more than a year.  Super-intense Jon Gruden was expected to return to the pro game after a year of announcing games, but he found he could make good money and keep one foot in the game while not be owned by the game.

Meyer’s latest statements do nothing to change our take.

And he’s pretty good as a color analyst, too.