Urban Meyer and Jacksonville Jaguars are Closing In on a Contract

The former Ohio State coach appears to be on the verge of signing a deal to become the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It appears that Urban Meyer is zeroing in on becoming the next coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to multiple national reports on Thursday morning, Meyer and the Jaguars are finalizing a deal that would make him the new head man and ending a 2-year retirement from coaching.

The expectation is that the deal will be finalized as early as today.

Sources: Urban Meyer is finalizing a deal to become the next coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. All signs point to a deal being done today.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2021

Source: Urban Meyer's deal with Jacksonville is close, not yet done, but is "trending that way." The two sides are meeting again today. The agreement could be done as early as today, but as of now, there is not one and no press conference planned. Yet.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2021

Meyer has never coached in the NFL and said at the time of his retirement that he was done coaching, citing his health as the main concern for his stepping away from the game.

Since he left Ohio State after the 2019 Rose Bowl exactly two years ago, Meyer has  worked as a College Football Analyst for FOX Sports. He's also kept a role within the Buckeyes' athletic department as an assistant athletic director of athletic initiatives and relations.

There are several interesting pieces about taking over the Jaguars job right now, including the fact that he will have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, where Trevor Lawrence is the presumptive pick. Its being reported that Meyer wants control of the roster in a way similar to Bill Belichick in New England, where he would have the final say in who the team is drafting. Who he brings on his staff will be extremely important, and ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that his staff is expected to include some collegiate assistant coaches.

One name that is floating around as a potential offensive coordinator is Tony Elliott, who was Trevor Lawrence's OC at Clemson the last three seasons. Elliott is highly regarded and could be a natural fit with Lawrence at the next level.

Defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton and offensive lineman Andrew Norwell are the only two former Ohio State Buckeyes that currently play in Jacksonville.

The biggest question for Meyer is whether or not his Hall-of-Fame caliber resume at the college level can translate to the NFL. Meyer won three national championships at Ohio State and Florida before retiring, but he's never coached in the sport's highest professional league.

Meyer visited with us briefly on BuckeyesNow before Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Miami. The video of our conversation with him is at the top of the page, as he briefly previewed that game, spoke about the leadership at Ohio State, why Ryan Day has gotten off to such an incredible start to his coaching career and the promise that Justin Fields has shown.

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