"He made no effort to understand how things work in NFL" - Analyst criticizes Urban Meyer for terrible Jaguars stint
It's been a while since the Jacksonville Jaguars relieved Urban Meyer of his head coaching duties in Florida, but that doesn't mean people have forgotten just what kind of job he did for the franchise.
There's obviously a big difference in terms of coaching in college and coaching in the NFL, something Meyer failed to understand, according to analyst Mike Florio. In an article on Pro Football Talk, Florio speaks about Meyer's inability to adapt to working in the NFL. Florio writes:
"Apparently Meyer didn't know or refused to accept that success in the NFL requires something different than success in college".
Recent comments from Urban Meyer make it clear that knew or should have known he wasn't suited for coaching in the NFL. So why did he take the Jacksonville job? And why did Jacksonville want him? wp.me/pbBqYq-cbV8
Florio was responding to comments Meyer made during an appearance on Dan Dakich's podcast, The Dan Dakich Show Podcast. Meyer, speaking about his brief stint as Jaguars head coach, said:
"It was the worst experience I've had in my professional lifetime. I really believed we had a roster that could win games. I just don’t think we did a great job. It eats away at your soul. I tried to train myself to say, ‘OK, it happens in the NFL.’ At one point, the Jaguars lost 20 in a row. Think about that... and we lost five in a row at one point and I remember I... just couldn’t function."
Meyer also spoke about the difference in time you get with your team in the NFL to run through reps compared to college. He also stated that in college he spent 75 percent of his time recruiting, but in the NFL he didn't have to do that and instead he had to focus on scheme and roster management.
This was something Florio had difficulty understanding. He wrote:
"It’s stunning that Meyer didn’t know that. Either he did and he believed he could bend things his way or he didn’t. Regardless, it’s lunacy that he believed he could thrive in the NFL without dramatically changing his approach to coaching.
"He shouldn’t have wanted to come to the NFL. And the Jaguars shouldn’t have wanted him. Maybe that’s why no one else did."
What next for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Jaguars are still searching for their new head coach after finishing the season 3-14, with Darrell Bevell completing the season as interim head coach. Jacksonville have held interviews with several candidates, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich made a strong impression.
From NFL Now: Byron Leftwich made a strong impression on the #Jaguars, but no hire is imminent and they haven’t made an offer yet. Like everyone else, no rush. https://t.co/APFf1wWZRQ
Whoever takes over the head coaching role will need to be a leader first and foremost. Someone the players can look up to and connect with. They will also need to get the best out of Trevor Lawrence, who showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season that he has the ability to be their franchise quarterback.