Urban Revitalization
Urban Meyer is cocky. He's arrogant. He's smug. And he has the right to be. Meyer affirmed his status as one of the best coaches in college football Monday night as the No. 2 Florida Gators chomped, chewed and spit out the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in a 41-14 rout at the Fiesta Bowl.
Not that Meyer really had to prove himself. In little over 24 months, he had already turned around a program that had meandered under former coach Ron Zook and still hadn't recovered from its post-Steve Spurrier hangover. Even if the Gators stumbled in the national championship game — as many had expected them to do — Meyer would have deserved kudos for the transformation he has orchestrated in Gainesville.
It wasn't too long ago that Florida fans were looking for a savior — somebody who could rescue the Gators from their perceived descent into mediocrity. In three seasons, Zook led Florida to a 23-15 record. That would be good for most programs. But not Florida.
Zook was fired during the 2004 season as Meyer was leading Utah to a 12-0 record and an eventual 35-7 victory over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. At 40, Meyer was one of the hot, young coaches.
Florida immediately began pursuing Meyer, but he seemed more likley to become the new coach at Notre Dame. He was a devout Catholic, who was named after a pope. The Golden Dome and "Touchdown Jesus" seemed destined to provide the backdrop for his latest venture. But Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley lured him to Gainesville in December 2004. Soon thereafter, headlines began popping up that played off Meyer's first name. "Urban Renewal" was underway, one proclamed. Another said that Florida was in the beginning stages of for "Urban Planning."
But even as many people were ready to jump on Meyer's bandwagon others were skeptical that he and his Spread-option scheme would fare well in the Southeastern Conference. After all, Meyer didn't really have the personnel to carry out his offense. Twenty-two of Florida's 24 starters Monday were holdovers from the Zook era, including quarterback Chris Leak. But Meyer adapted. He brought in a new energy and confidence that had been lacking in Gainesville. He pieced together a lightning-quick defense.
The Gators went 9-3 in 2005. This year, they marched to the national championship. Their only stumble came against Auburn in a 27-17 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Even though they didn't always win in convincing fashion, they seemed to gain momentum as the season progressed. Then they saved their best performance for last — blowing out the favored Buckeyes to claim the program's second national title.
Urban renewal has indeed taken place at Florida, and the 42-year-old Ohio native has now earned a seat at the big coaches' table along with Carroll, Spurrier and Tressel. They all have rings. Now so does Meyer.
Not a bad 24 months. Not bad at all.
Photo Source: http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/stewart_mandel/01/31/fla.recruiting/t1_urban_si.jpg
Not that Meyer really had to prove himself. In little over 24 months, he had already turned around a program that had meandered under former coach Ron Zook and still hadn't recovered from its post-Steve Spurrier hangover. Even if the Gators stumbled in the national championship game — as many had expected them to do — Meyer would have deserved kudos for the transformation he has orchestrated in Gainesville.
It wasn't too long ago that Florida fans were looking for a savior — somebody who could rescue the Gators from their perceived descent into mediocrity. In three seasons, Zook led Florida to a 23-15 record. That would be good for most programs. But not Florida.
Zook was fired during the 2004 season as Meyer was leading Utah to a 12-0 record and an eventual 35-7 victory over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. At 40, Meyer was one of the hot, young coaches.
Florida immediately began pursuing Meyer, but he seemed more likley to become the new coach at Notre Dame. He was a devout Catholic, who was named after a pope. The Golden Dome and "Touchdown Jesus" seemed destined to provide the backdrop for his latest venture. But Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley lured him to Gainesville in December 2004. Soon thereafter, headlines began popping up that played off Meyer's first name. "Urban Renewal" was underway, one proclamed. Another said that Florida was in the beginning stages of for "Urban Planning."
But even as many people were ready to jump on Meyer's bandwagon others were skeptical that he and his Spread-option scheme would fare well in the Southeastern Conference. After all, Meyer didn't really have the personnel to carry out his offense. Twenty-two of Florida's 24 starters Monday were holdovers from the Zook era, including quarterback Chris Leak. But Meyer adapted. He brought in a new energy and confidence that had been lacking in Gainesville. He pieced together a lightning-quick defense.
The Gators went 9-3 in 2005. This year, they marched to the national championship. Their only stumble came against Auburn in a 27-17 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Even though they didn't always win in convincing fashion, they seemed to gain momentum as the season progressed. Then they saved their best performance for last — blowing out the favored Buckeyes to claim the program's second national title.
Urban renewal has indeed taken place at Florida, and the 42-year-old Ohio native has now earned a seat at the big coaches' table along with Carroll, Spurrier and Tressel. They all have rings. Now so does Meyer.
Not a bad 24 months. Not bad at all.
Photo Source: http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/stewart_mandel/01/31/fla.recruiting/t1_urban_si.jpg
posted by Rainer Sabin @ 12:21 AM
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