Why was Urban Meyer fired? Timeline of events that led to Jaguars HC's firing
Urban Meyer's wild, fruitless, controversial NFL ride has come to an end.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jacksonville Jaguars have relieved Meyer of his head coaching duties after 13 games. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as the boss for the remainder of the Jaguars' season, beginning with Sunday's game against the Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
After less than one year in Jacksonville, Urban Meyer is out as the Jaguars’ head coach, sources tell ESPN.
“I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in statements on Schefter's Twitter account. "After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone."
OC Darrell Bevell is the interim coach, source said. twitter.com/rapsheet/statu…
Though Meyer's NFL head coaching career appears to be lasting a mere 13 games, there was no shortage of controversy, documented by SK below...
2/11: Meyer hires Chris Doyle
Meyer introduced his coaching staff a month after the Jaguars hired him on Jan. 14 to succeed the dismissed Doug Marrone. Among the arrivals was Director of Sports Performance Chris Doyle, who arrived in Jacksonville less than a year after he was ousted from the University of Iowa for accusations of racism and bullying.
Though Meyer initially defended the hire, Doyle resigned from the position the following day.
5/20: The Meyer-Tebow Reunion
While not necessarily controversial, Meyer dealt with a great deal of scrutiny for welcoming former University of Florida protege Tim Tebow to the Jacksonville fold after six years away from the game while he embarked on a baseball career.
Tebow eschewed his normal quarterback duties to compete for a roster spot as a tight end, but lasted only a single preseason game before he was released on Aug. 17.
7/1: Meyer Loses Money
It didn't take long for Meyer to incur the wrath of the NFL, which assessed both the coach and the Jaguars six-digit fines for violating contact rules in organized team activities. Jacksonville is also penalized two OTAs for the transgressions.
8/27: The Kick
A report released Wednesday by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times states that, on this day, Meyer kicked then-Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo as the team warmed up for its preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo alleged. "Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dips**t, make your f**king kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg...I don’t care if it’s football or not, the boss can’t strike an employee."
Meyer has since denied the allegation.
8/31: Meyer vs. The NFLPA
Meyer gets in further trouble thanks to player personnel decisions, this time for heavily implying that the Jaguars would consider a player's vaccination status...or lack thereof...when signing him.
The NFL Players Association opened an investigation into Jacksonville's transactional processes after Meyer's comments.
10/3: Let him dance
After the Jaguars dropped a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Meyer remained behind in Ohio to socialize with his former Ohio State compatriots and was later seen enjoying himself at his self-named bar in Columbus. Meyer's outing went viral for all the wrong reasons, as he was seen dancing with a woman who was not his wife.
He apologized for the video hours after its release and the Jaguars organization referred to it as "inexcusable."
Meyer received further scrutiny when it was further revealed his attempts at apologizing were limited to brief discussions with each position group and that he insisted he was merely dancing, which was met only with laughter from the players.
10/10: Hold that Tiger
The rookie season of top overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence has more or less been declared a failure thanks to Meyer's cursed time at the helm.
The most notorious Lawrence incident came during the Oct. 10 loss against Tennessee, when Meyer eschewed using the rookie on a quarterback sneak to convert a crucial fourth-and-inches, using Carlos Hyde for a loss of three yards instead.
In the aftermath, Meyer insisted that Lawrence wasn't comfortable with the potential of the punch-in, but the Clemson alum immediately refuted such an idea in his own availability.
12/5: Run away
Fresh off of a 1,000-yard season and becoming a favorite of new franchise quarterback Lawrence, running back James Robinson was made out as a scapegoat when Meyer limited him to eight carries after a fumble and benched him in favor of Ohio State alum Carlos Hyde during a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Lawrence defended Robinson and publicly called for his resumption of regular duties in the aftermath, but Meyer granted him only six carries in a Dec. 12 shutout loss to Tennessee, which would become his final game as the Jaguars' boss.
12/11: How to lose coaches and alienate people
The writing on the wall became very, very clear after NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that not only did Meyer publicly humiliate his assistant coaches during a team meeting (calling them "losers" and forcing them to defend their resumes) but he also engaged in a confrontational discussion with receiver Marvin Jones Jr., who had to be talked into remaining at the facility.
12/16: It finally ends
Meyer's 13-game reign ended in the wee hours of Dec. 16, likely pushed forward by Stroud's Lambo report. His tenure is the shortest of any non-interim head coach since 2007, when fellow college star Bobby Petrino lasted an equal number of games with the Atlanta Falcons.
Also Read: "Phony and a hyporcite" - Anonymous Jaguars player calls out Urban Meyer