Heyyyooo, was away for a bit and look what happened.

[The Zooker]

Well at least Addazio won't be calling plays next season! If anyone was wondering, my sports journalist buddy is telling me that the most credible buzz that he has heard so far is for Chris Petersen. Allegedly him and Foley are just working out details at the moment. So that's the word on the street as far as I know. The order of the list on Foley's desk was allegedly Stoops first and he turned it down. So then Foley went after Petersen. Petersen is interested. But if things fall through then Mullen is the backup. Obviously this is all unofficial but my buddy says this is the best he can make out of the situation right now and fits with the little bits he's getting here and there. I'd be excited if we got Petersen. His teams are actually entertaining to watch. Very balanced attack and not predictable. He's also ballsy enough to take chances when the team needs a boost. He shifts his game plan to focus on his players' strengths and his opponents' weaknesses -- something Addazio never could figure out. I think he'd be a perfect fit for our team.

 

[G8RB8R]

Well at least Addazio won't be calling plays next season! If anyone was wondering, my sports journalist buddy is telling me that the most credible buzz that he has heard so far is for Chris Petersen. Allegedly him and Foley are just working out details at the moment. So that's the word on the street as far as I know. The order of the list on Foley's desk was allegedly Stoops first and he turned it down. So then Foley went after Petersen. Petersen is interested. But if things fall through then Mullen is the backup. Obviously this is all unofficial but my buddy says this is the best he can make out of the situation right now and fits with the little bits he's getting here and there. I'd be excited if we got Petersen. His teams are actually entertaining to watch. Very balanced attack and not predictable. He's also ballsy enough to take chances when the team needs a boost. He shifts his game plan to focus on his players' strengths and his opponents' weaknesses -- something Addazio never could figure out. I think he'd be a perfect fit for our team.

Yes, I heard the same thing about Peterson today, too.

Sure hope that he understands what a FORWARD PASS is! LOL

 

[The Zooker]

He is definitely willing to stretch the field vertically, something we've all been missing for a very long time.

 

[DRU2012]

Hi, Z-, been wondering where you were with all this goin' on!
Actually, Petersen is who I've come to put at the top of MY list (see other threads)...a gut-level feeling, literally to start and end with (began with him at the top of my short list, then backed off as the various choices added up) and now I'm just "feeling my way"--and it's telling me that's the way to go, so I hope your "guy" is right.

 

[The Zooker]

Now we know why Meyer wouldn't do anything about Addazio. I think Meyer and Foley knew all year that Meyer wasn't coming back in 2011. That's why the whole program seemed like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Obvious issues but no real drive or intent to fix them. They knew the new coach would be in charge of fixing things and it wouldn't make sense to throw anyone under a bus when whole staff is already in a station wagon stuck on the train tracks. Kinda sucks how the players got dragged through this mess though. Lots of folks had their draft stock hurt by this season.

 

[Escambia94]

What is this forward pass you speak of? Yeah, I would be happy with a) an HC that has fire and b) an OC that understands the nuances of 21st century football, e.g. the forward pass, multiple plays in the playbook.

 

[gtrgrl97]

Was wondering where you were Zooker and what you thought of all this =)

 

[DRU2012]

The same thing occurred to me as what Zooker said: I was wondering when exactly they (Meyer and Foley) were aware of what was likely coming (or something along the lines of Meyer putting out all these signs and Foley eventually figuring it out), and how "fair" was that nightmare of a season to the players, their plans, futures and the promises made to them, and US (albeit to a less crucial extent, but no less stressful or disappointing)?
Most of the guys with eligibility left will likely find things improving in the coming months no matter which of the candidates being considered is actually hired--for all the reasons already discussed elsewhere. That doesn't go for everyone, though, but the more years they have left the more true that will be, generally speaking.
What do you figure John Brantley is thinking now? I know he's gotta FEEL like a young man who's been worked over then abandoned, alone in the street. His family must be furious, but what can they do, who can they complain to? The folks who made any promises to them are about to be gone, and John's on his own, starting from scratch with one year left, no guarantees of ANYTHING, and a new Head Coach on the way who owes him nothing AND probably runs an offense that requires a MOBILE quarterback. You think he might be racking up phone minutes and pouring over brochures?

 

[Jack&Dew]

Now we know why Meyer wouldn't do anything about Addazio. I think Meyer and Foley knew all year that Meyer wasn't coming back in 2011. That's why the whole program seemed like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Obvious issues but no real drive or intent to fix them. They knew the new coach would be in charge of fixing things and it wouldn't make sense to throw anyone under a bus when whole staff is already in a station wagon stuck on the train tracks. Kinda sucks how the players got dragged through this mess though. Lots of folks had their draft stock hurt by this season.

It almost seems as though this year was a tryout for Addazio. Meyer comes back after quitting to be the front man while letting Addazio take a crack at running the team.....we saw the results.....thus Meyer is "officially stepping down" and a search is on for a New Head Coach with no talks of Addazio taking over the program.

It is a shame for the players but on the other hand they could have stepped up as well. It seemed that this was a year that everyone accepted it as a down year.

 

[G8RB8R]

I would really like to see Meyer go out a winner, though, in the Outback Bowl. Maybe he will grab back hold of the reins one last time, and just maybe we might see what this team was really capable of.

 

[DRU2012]

It almost seems as though this year was a tryout for Addazio. Meyer comes back after quitting to be the front man while letting Addazio take a crack at running the team.....we saw the results.....thus Meyer is "officially stepping down" and a search is on for a New Head Coach with no talks of Addazio taking over the program.

It is a shame for the players but on the other hand they could have stepped up as well. It seemed that this was a year that everyone accepted it as a down year.

That's very astute, J&D. Sure does explain the available facts, as we experienced them, and the end result, as things played out. Now that you've put it out there, it makes perfect sense. I only wonder how prearranged it all really was. Guess we'll never know.

No matter what, it feels exactly like waking up from a bad dream, doesn't it? Especially the part about Addazio.

 

[Escambia94]

I would really like to see Meyer go out a winner, though, in the Outback Bowl. Maybe he will grab back hold of the reins one last time, and just maybe we might see what this team was really capable of.

I struggled with the Outback Bowl opinion. As soon as my wife an I confirmed that Tampa was our destination we looked into the cost of flying four from San Antonio to Tampa plus average ticket costs, just out of curiosity. In any other year we would have pulled the trigger and flown out to see the game. Then we heard about Meyer QUITTING us. I understand his reasons. I am at peace with it, but I am actually referring to a year ago when he quit us. He already quit a year ago, but could not fully pull his leg out the door. He is doing the same thing now. Quit or don't quit, but don't sit on the fence. I keep looking at my computer and asking myself if the team will live up to it's potential and win one for Meyer. I also rationalize it by saying that it's an opportunity to see Joe Pa. Then I come to my senses and say, "No way!" That's it! No more 'effing emotional roller coaster. Not for $1600. At this point, I am mad at Urban Meyer for not having the courage to make a frigging decision last year. He isn't retiring in January 2011--he is already what we call in the military ROAD, Retired On Active Duty. Then he is going to hang around G'ville as a "contractor" and coach emeritus. All that does is force his replacement to live in his shadow with him looming in an office down the hallway. On top of an entire year of closed practices and cryptic press conferences we now have to suffer two weeks of mystery!

I am pissed at Meyer for not being honest with us in 2010. I am pissed that he wants to hang around in 2011 as an advisor of sorts. What kind of replacement coach would take a job like that? It has to be a Meyer protege. No one else would take the $4M job knowing Urban is down the hallway raking in a $1M as coach emeritus. By him not leaving leaving, we will probably not attract someone like Petersen, Malzahn, or Holgorson who do not have ties to Meyer. Leave already. Enjoy retirement. Stop ruining it for the rest of us. Whomever replaces Meyer needs to be more honest with the Gator Nation than Urban was in 2010. I'm not spending money to see the Outback Bowl knowing the coach lied to me and the rest of the Gator Nation all frigging year.

 

[G8RB8R]

....I am pissed that he wants to hang around in 2011 as an advisor of sorts. What kind of replacement coach would take a job like that? It has to be a Meyer protege. No one else would take the $4M job knowing Urban is down the hallway raking in a $1M as coach emeritus...

I have thought about this very same thing, too. This has the potential to be a "Bobby Bowden-Jimbo Fisher" disaster written all over it. I'd rather hire PeeWee Herman as coach, than have us be held up to that kind of ridicule.

 

[DRU2012]

Yeah, the one "fly-in-the-ointment" here is this "I'll be around to advise"-crap. Are you serious, Urban? How would YOU have liked that idea when YOU came over?
I HAVE to believe that either that's just a "show" to assuage Meyer's guilt at leaving the Gator-faithful who still believe in him and letting them down easy, OR Foley's way of easing both he and they through an anticipated "painful separation process". Without any official capacity, it might be an unwanted intrusion if Meyer were to take it seriously, but the new Head Coach can (and if necessary WILL) ignore him and DO THINGS HIS WAY. I don't think even a "Meyer-protege" would particularly welcome (or in the long run accept) that kind of meddling. Obviously, Urban can live where he wants, and he'll ALWAYS be a Gator (if he WANTS to be--there are even those that are already saying "he could come back to us" once the kids are older; certainly he's young enough and probably will coach again, but they said the same things about Spurrier...in fact, THAT seems the likelier future, where we face say, an Urban Meyer-lead Irish squad some day), but I have to believe he knows better than to loom over the new coach's shoulder in any conscious, active sense. As for his "presence", well, that man will be following a legend in ANY case: it's a built-in hurdle and he'll have to be strong, determined, competitive and yes, ego-driven enough to rise to that challenge, just one of many here, after all.

 

[crmixon]

E-94 and G8RB8R.... have you heard something about Meyer staying on in some sort of consulting capacity? If so that would be weird...Kind of like having your ex go on a date with you!

 

[Escambia94]

E-94 and G8RB8R.... have you heard something about Meyer staying on in some sort of consulting capacity? If so that would be weird...Kind of like having your ex go on a date with you!

Robbie Andreu actually got a direct quote from Meyer and Foley that Meyer will have an office in the athletic department.

[NOT A RUMOR]
Whomever gets hired by Foley as the next Gator HC will get to shape Meyer's role. For example, if Whittingham gets the job, perhaps Meyer will take on a bigger role than if Stoops got the job. Meyer could be anything from an advisor (example: think Bill Walsh being kept on retainer for the 49ers as one of his proteges was HC) to recruiting coordinator (example: Chris Petersen does not know how to recruit in the SEC, he could use this advisor). It has to be a job of sufficiently limited scope to stay under the NCAA rule against carrying more than 9 assistants.
[/NOT A RUMOR]

[E-94 RUMOR]
I would imagine that Urban Meyer will get the itch to coach again when his youngest leaves home. His quarter-million dollar salary will serve as a retainer fee and let him come back to coach the Gators in a few years, or maybe let him coach elsewhere on Foley's white-list of schools.
[/E-94 RUMOR]

 

[JvilleJohnny]

Guys, I gotta tell ya. I was super bummed about Meyer resigning. I don't know that we get a better coach at his best than UM. I don't know that there IS a better coach at his best than UM. But I respect his decision to leave and spend time with his family. I think he will stay with the program in some capacity, hopefully recruiting coordinator. And at the top of my list for new coach is Chris Petersen. He's a class act, and an offensive mastermind. But he does not know the SEC recruiting. He would need Meyer to help with recruiting for sure. I think that would be a deadly combo.

COME ON PETERSEN!

 

[Escambia94]

Guys, I gotta tell ya. I was super bummed about Meyer resigning. I don't know that we get a better coach at his best than UM. I don't know that there IS a better coach at his best than UM. But I respect his decision to leave and spend time with his family. I think he will stay with the program in some capacity, hopefully recruiting coordinator. And at the top of my list for new coach is Chris Petersen. He's a class act, and an offensive mastermind. But he does not know the SEC recruiting. He would need Meyer to help with recruiting for sure. I think that would be a deadly combo.

COME ON PETERSEN!

Absolutely. The pre-December 2009 Urban Meyer is the best college head coach today. I hate how suddenly disenfranchised Gator fans are turning on him by saying Mullen was the key to his success, or Tebow, or Harvin, or [insert excuse here]. This is why ADs hire head coaches, not to execute the offense, defense, daily playbook, or game wrist band--he is hired to assemble the best nine assistants and win games. Among those nine assistants, some will leave and go on to be head coaches themselves. This is the mark of a good head coach. Meyer lost 10 assistants in six years. Very few head coaches can boast that. It may not seem like a positive attribute, but look at the NFL. Think of how many head coaches trace lineage to Bill Walsh and how many of them had winning percentages. In a few years we may see that Meyer was a friggin' genius and we will scoff at anyone that tries to attribute his genius to Dan "I can beat a downtrodden Gator team with the Dive and the Draw all day" Mullen. In a few years people will see that, yes, Tim Tebow was magical, but he was not the only reason Meyer succeeded. Tebow is an example of Meyer's genius.

With some of the pressure off Meyer so he can take a sabbatical, Meyer will probably get the Itch and come back to coaching in a few years. Having a laughing, happy Meyer to call on for advice may be all that his successor needs to borrow some of that Urban Meyer Mojo. Yes, his mojo disappeared in 2010. He can get it back after a sabbatical. If the rest of the Gator Nation does not act like a bunch of crybabies, Meyer may even come back to Florida as a head coach. Then again, Foley may find the next Urban Meyer and not need the original. Who knows? This is part of the excitement, the mystery of the unknown.

 

[DRU2012]

Mmmm, I'm not sure about the "still have an office"-plan...depends on who the new HC is and how he handles it, how it all plays out (see my post above). Done right, he COULD be a resource (especially in recruiting, it's true, and continuity overall).
As for "being bummed", JvilleJohny, that's DEFINITELY how I felt last year, but this time not so much; even Urban himself granted we deserved "the best", and voiced doubts that we'd gotten it from him this past season.
As for who's next, I have come around to a similar view: I can see and accept advantages and a promising future with any one of several on "the short list", but Petersen is now my first pick. Something tells me he is the right guy, the one with all the right skills and traits matched with the fire and determination he will need. He's got that something extra--now we find out: Does he BURN to be a Gator, the HEAD Gator?

 

[Escambia94]

Meyer could stay at UF in some capacity | Gatorsports.com

Most of Robbie Andreu's posts are reliable, at least compared to most idiots posting in the blogosphere.

While Meyer said there is no chance of him changing his mind again, he will remain a part of Florida’s program in some capacity in order to help in the program’s rejuvenation.

“I’ve been asked and requested to remain at Florida for as long as they’ll have me,” Meyer said at the Outback Bowl’s contract signing party Thursday. “They’ve been very gracious, and I’m here to help in any way. I have an idea (what he’ll be doing within the program), but we’ll have to wait until the new coach gets here.”

Foley added that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Meyer appear on television as a college football analyst or emerge as a motivational speaker next year.

Whatever the plan is for Meyer, he’s not letting it be known to the public. What he will say is that he won’t be coaching anywhere next year and said if he does return to the coaching ranks, he will do so after his son, Nate, 12, graduates from high school.

“There’s a plan,” he said. “God knows the plan and that’s a part of the plan, absolutely.”

Given that Nate is 12, that means he has another ten years of schooling that could keep Urban out of coaching. If he returned in ten years, he would only be 56. There are plenty of coaches that hit their prime in coaching past 56. In the mean time, Foley wants to keep Urban around. Urb will probably collect upwards of $100K per year, maybe as much as half a million depending on his role.