I can agree it is a tough position, but I don't agree with it being tough to get respect. The players either respect you or they don't. If they don't, it is more a reflection of you or them as people, not as a circumstance.

I tend to think the example provided above (Gaudet) is an example of a guy who definitely wasn't cut out for a head coaching job and thus, he had trouble earning respect in that position. The other disadvantage there was that he started halfway through a season.

Addazio gets to take over now and set his course, do things his way, etc. He may or may not be cut out for the job and we'll see, but you have to do the job to know for sure.

enigmaax wrote: Addazio gets to take over now and set his course, do things his way, etc. He may or may not be cut out for the job and we'll see, but you have to do the job to know for sure.

That's the rub... he doesn't get to do things his way. He has to do them Urban Meyer's way because Urban Meyer is the still the head coach at Florida and can come back whenever he wants.

Probably a moot point either way. I'm guessing Urban comes back in the fall and doesn't miss a game after hearing his press conference today. The break from recruiting and spring football will probably be enough for him.

Addazio get to show America he can run a division one program. If he never gets a chance to coach a game he will get a chance to show he can get a team prepared for the season.

RiverRat13 wrote: I'm guessing Urban comes back in the fall and doesn't miss a game after hearing his press conference today. The break from recruiting and spring football will probably be enough for him.

Would not surprise me and would make me very happy. A lot of it probably depends on what he actually does with his time. If he takes a real break and gets away, he's probably going to miss it. If he lingers around and is kind of in-between, it will probably get to be frustrating.

He seems to need the attention. I'm sure he has health issues but I agree with the comment about this being "fishy".

He's a waffler. Urban Favre someone said.

It wouldn't surprise me to see him and the school use the leave of absence to protect recruiting, but have him "decide" in a year that his health won't allow his return.

The man is one of the great coaches, but he's definitely had an ethical bypass along the way.

Urban Meyer is a great coach and I wish him well, just watched his interview on espn.

I would love for him to coach Ohio State someday.

Greatest Publicity Stunt I've ever seen. This will keep FL in the national spotlight for the rest of the bowl season. Every single halftime report will have some mention of it you can bet on it. I'm surprised the SOB didn't start sobbing in his press conference yesterday and get Teblow crying too.

I don't understand how some think Meyer is letting an interim coach take the lumps next season. The year after the 2006 national title season Meyer had a 4 loss Florida team. I don't think he is afraid to take some lumps, I think he has a genuine health problem.

Look, I hope he takes care of his "health problems"...but the dramma that he puts out is pathetic. One day he is stepping down, the next day after practice he is just taking a leave of absence. What a Joke. I would love to see Cincy take care of them in the bowl game. Tebow and Urban can go out together with an L.

Well... I did have a lot of respect for Meyer. His health isn't the greatest and like many D-1 coaches he had neglected his family. There were a few quotes out there where his family expressed happiness that he was going to spend more time with them.

Now.... he says he had a practice that was "spirited" and now he isn't going to leave at all? Pretty low of him to put the players above his family/health IMO

I also empathized with Meyer and his family when I first heard the news,even though I felt he should have waited until after the bowl game to make this announcement public...now,I'm back to feeling that he's yet another narcissistic,arrogant,needs to be the center of attention guy I always thought he was--thanks for validating,Urban!!!

ps I do sincerely hope that you get your health back--for your family's sake

jordo212000 wrote: Well... I did have a lot of respect for Meyer. His health isn't the greatest and like many D-1 coaches he had neglected his family. There were a few quotes out there where his family expressed happiness that he was going to spend more time with them.

Now.... he says he had a practice that was "spirited" and now he isn't going to leave at all? Pretty low of him to put the players above his family/health IMO

I would guess that when he originally announced what he was doing, it lifted a lot of stress off of him in general (or in his own mind). Then, going into practice without the same mindset (or obsession about preparing, winning, etc.), it may have seemed fun again. It may have been a realization that his job is his livelihood.

I don't envy him, whatever the case, because it seems as though he is never really going to be happy. He apparently puts more pressure on himself to win than most people can imagine and the work that it takes to meet his own standards obviously affects his family. Unfortunately, it also seems as though he just doesn't feel complete without the job to do, so if he isn't happy by not being a coach then quitting isn't necessarily going to make him a better father or husband. He'll still be the same torn person.

He is NOT putting football before family. Shelley wanted him to take a leave of absence all last week. I am just glad practice was in The Swamp yesterday before the team went to N.O. Being in The Swamp he looked around and realized he can't just quit without trying the LOA. He called Foley, then Shelley. He didn't tell the kids until they were on the plane. After the bowl he will not be going to his office. He will be involved, but no more texting recruits from dinner, from church, no more planning every detail for every facet of the program. He called Lou Holtz a few times the last few weeks. I think Lou was key in his return.

I personally would have gone a different route than he has. But it's his life, so best of luck to a full recovery of his health.. just not his football team.

Speedofsand wrote: He is NOT putting football before family. Shelley wanted him to take a leave of absence all last week. I am just glad practice was in The Swamp yesterday before the team went to N.O. Being in The Swamp he looked around and realized he can't just quit without trying the LOA. He called Foley, then Shelley. He didn't tell the kids until they were on the plane. After the bowl he will not be going to his office. He will be involved, but no more texting recruits from dinner, from church, no more planning every detail for every facet of the program. He called Lou Holtz a few times the last few weeks. I think Lou was key in his return.

He called the AD before he called his wife? That is putting football before the family. Best of luck to him, hopefully he gets his health straightened out.

The whole thing is just odd.

He called Foley to see if the leave offer was still on the table, then called Shelley to let her know. Would it make a diff. to you if he called her, then Foley, then her again after finding out what Foley said ? She already wanted him to take leave instead of quit.
I have to agree its odd. Billy Donovan quit and changed his mind, but that was just for the Magic job. Even there, the only similarity is change of heart after a big decision.

I have to wonder what the fuck Meyer was thinking. If his health and lack of family time was bad enough to make him step down and leave college football's current mini dynasty, it had to be pretty serious. This is the same guy that wouldn't even listen to Notre Dame, his self professed dream job, to leave Florida but a few days ago he just abruptly steps down? IMO, he was either told he had two weeks to live or there's something very fishy going on. I have to think if it was that bad, a "spirited practice" wouldn't have been enough to make him change his mind 24 hours after the fact.

It is serious, it has been ongoing for 4 years. 2 years ago it got worse, this year he has been on medication and it still got worse. When he passed out and had 9 hours of testing done, he was just glad to be alive. He's been agonizing since then about what to do. His style is 'all in or not in' and he thought he could not come back from a leave of absence, but decided Sunday morning it wouldn't be fair to everyone around the team if he didn't at least try.

Earle Bruce is very close to Urban. Here is Earle's comments. (click + to zoom in)

http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20091228?sub_id=cEYD3p08uwEJ&folio=6#pg7

Why doesn't Teblow just "heal" him?

Speedofsand wrote: It is serious, it has been ongoing for 4 years. 2 years ago it got worse, this year he has been on medication and it still got worse. When he passed out and had 9 hours of testing done, he was just glad to be alive. He's been agonizing since then about what to do. His style is 'all in or not in' and he thought he could not come back from a leave of absence, but decided Sunday morning it wouldn't be fair to everyone around the team if he didn't at least try.

Earle Bruce is very close to Urban. Here is Earle's comments. (click + to zoom in)

http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20091228?sub_id=cEYD3p08uwEJ&folio=6#pg7

So Saturday afternoon he thought he couldn't come back from an LOA but in the 18 hours between then and Sunday morning he decided he could? I'm not buying it.

I'm certainly not saying it isn't possible or even that it isn't plausible; something just feels off to me.

College football is better with Urban Meyer, so I hope he returns. This is just an odd situation though...especially the timing. If it has been ongoing for four years, why now? His health was good enough to win BCS championships, SEC titles, rivalry games, and build a mini dynasty. He had the preseason #1 team with the most first place votes in college football history. Some people, myself included, thought they were the most loaded team in recent memory and maybe ever. It could just be conicidence, but [/u]Alabama kicks their teeth in and suddenly Urban Meyer spends the night in the hospital after the game. If it truly were only a health issue, don't you think Meyer may have also been under a ton of stress and experienced ill effects similar to the recent ones prepping for two Heisman winners in BCS title games, watching five fours downs in Death Valley at night, and trying to figure out how to stop the best offense in college football history for six straight weeks?

I don't think Meyer necessarily did anything wrong here, I just think there are things under the surface.

On PTI earlier, Wilbon was wondering if Florida put him up to the whole Leave of Absence (and a possible earlier return) business in an attempt to try and keep recruits from bailing