Former Florida Gators HC Urban Meyer Hired by Jacksonville Jaguars

Urban Meyer has officially made the jump to the NFL, as the former Florida Gators head coach will take the same position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired former Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer to the same position, the team announced on Thursday.

Official 🖋@CSICompanies | @CoachUrbanMeyer pic.twitter.com/O5bEO5hM6i

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 15, 2021

Meyer's candidacy for the Jaguars' vacant head coaching position, previously filled by Doug Marrone from 2017-20, became public before Marrone was even relieved of his duties on Jan. 4. Meyer has reportedly been assembling an assistant coaching staff for some time in preparation for landing the Jacksonville opening.

Jacksonville owns the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, and is widely expected to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Meyer, paired with now-Florida head coach Dan Mullen, is known for modernizing college football with the spread offense, making him an intriguing pair with whoever ultimately ends up being the Jaguars' next quarterback - presumably Lawrence.

“What’s evaded the history of the Jags, really, has been a franchise quarterback," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said shortly after Marrone was fired. "I think what’s unique, certainly, is that we have the ability now to make a choice and it’s going to define the franchise moving forward.”

Meyer has had a hand in grooming Alex Smith (Utah), Tebow (Florida), and Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State), among other notable quarterbacks. All three were selected in the first round of their respective NFL Drafts.

The 56-year-old has never coached in the NFL before, leaving the Jaguars hoping that Meyer's success in stints with the Gators (2005-10) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (2012-18) will translate to the professional level. Meyer boasts a 187-32 record as a head coach in his college football career with Florida (65-15), Ohio State (83-9), Utah (22-2), and Bowling Green (17-6). He has 34 years of coaching experience in total.

With the Gators, Meyer won two BCS National Championships (2006, 08) and helped develop quarterback Tim Tebow into the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. Citing his family and personal health, Meyer would retire from coaching for two years following the 2010 season at Florida. In 2012, Meyer returned to coaching, bringing a national title to Ohio State in 2014.

Meyer, and athletic director Gene Smith, were suspended by Ohio State for the first three games of his final season with the Buckeyes for not upholding the values of the university. Meyer reportedly mishandled and misrepresented what he knew regarding domestic assault allegations made against former Buckeyes wide receiver coach Zach Smith in 2018.

For health reasons, Meyer would once again retire from coaching in 2018, leading to the team's current coach in Ryan Day taking over. Since his second departure from the sidelines, Meyer has worked with FOX Sports as an analyst.