Urban Meyer: 'No interest' coaching Ohio State again
Urban Meyer addressed recent rumors linking him to Ohio State and reiterated that he's not interested in returning to coaching.
"It has come to my attention that there are reports speculating my return to the sidelines in Columbus," Meyer said in a statement. "While I thoroughly enjoyed my seven seasons as head coach at the Ohio State University, I have no interest in coaching again.
"I will always be a Buckeye and have full confidence in Ryan Day, his staff, and every player that puts on the Scarlet and Gray."
Meyer's name became a hot topic after Ohio State lost to Michigan on Saturday for the fourth straight time to give coach Day a 1-4 record against the Wolverines. He's 47-1 against the rest of the Big Ten. The most recent rivalry defeat prevented the Buckeyes from playing in the Big Ten title game, but Day's outfit remains in the 12-team playoff field.
Meyer coached Ohio State from 2012-18, posting an 83-9 overall record and winning one national championship before announcing his retirement due to health reasons. However, former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jay Crawford recently said Meyer would welcome a return to Columbus.
"Of the three people that I talked to, two of them with some degree of certainty said yes, he would come back, and, yes, they would ask him back because those are the questions I asked," Crawford said, according to On3's Thomas Goldkamp.
Crawford added: "The biggest thing to me is this: Urban never wanted to leave Ohio State. The people that were closest to him and that know him well know that he did not want to leave Ohio State. His hand was forced because the administration at the time did not like how powerful Urban had become at the university."
Meyer did return to coaching after his Ohio State stint and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. However, he lasted only 13 games in the NFL before the Jaguars fired him amid a 2-11 start that year.
Ohio State hasn't indicated that a head coaching change is coming despite another loss to Michigan. Instead, Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork showed support for Day on Sunday.
"Our full focus right now is on the College Football Playoff and making a strong run," Bjork said, per Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch. "We have a ton to play for. We have a great team made up of talented players and great young men. Coach Day does a great job leading our program."
Ohio State ranked No. 6 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings.