For University of Florida Gator football fans the end of a great coaching era is never easy. When former head coach Steve Spurrier sudden resignation from the program in 2001 after a successful decade long run, he left with a string of SEC championships, a national title in two title game appearances, as well as having coached a Heisman Trophy winner.
With the type of accomplishments and records that the old ball coach achieved as both a former player and coach, many Gator fans thought there could never be another head coach capable of eclipsing those heights let alone a player. Yet, Urban Meyer came in as a fresh face hire in 2005 and gave Florida fans six great years with an enduring legacy of his own by winning two national titles (06, 08) in three years and producing a record setting Heisman winner in former Gator quarterback Tim Tebow who is arguably one of college football’s greatest ever players.
The legacy of coach Urban Meyer will not be remembered as one with a disappointing 2010 season and 8-5 record. Meyer will be remembered for much more than that. Meyer captured the hearts of the Gator Nation when he came in and immediately changed the culture of the Florida football team and program. It started with Meyer on day one with recruiting. Meyer knew that Florida was a brand nationally but Florida didn’t know it was a brand nationally. Florida had become so used to recruiting mostly Florida and Southeast region athletes that it overlooked the need of having a national recruiting boost in this internet world. Florida is such an important talent rich state, nevertheless Meyer expanded the reach of the recruiting boundary outside the state and went to such places as California, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Connecticut to get the best players in the nation.
Meyer was not afraid of mixing old school tradition with new school trends to make Florida the best place that the top recruits wanted to go to school and play ball in the best conference in America. Meyer created the “Friday Nigh Light’s” program where a who’s who of the nation’s top high school football talent descend on campus in the “Swamp” for competition drills, skills testing, and one on one coaching evaluations. Meyer changed the rules on recruiting figuratively and literary. Coach Meyer was a relentless recruiter and the landscape of recruiting shifted during his tenure. Rival programs began to take notice and shaped their programs after what Meyer started.
What Meyer brought with him to Gainesville after successful head coaching stops at both Bowling Green and Utah, was a good piece of that Midwest value work ethic and family atmosphere from his Ohio roots. Living in a warm weather state like Florida can be a spoiling experience and Meyer wanted to instill no part of that throughout the program and his players. Meyer wanted grinders, he wanted a non stop work attitude and get better by the day commitment of his players, and actually he demanded it. This is why Meyer put such great emphasis on the special teams unit. Something to which is why he took a chance on several lowly recruited players who happened to become some of his most proudest pupils. Players that include such names as Dee Brown, Brandon James, Jamelle Cornelius, Ahmad Black, and a host of others. Special teams is one of the units known for having players who are generally considered the second teamers or walk on players, yet Meyer made it one of the most desired units to be apart of. He made playing special teams special and those players on a Meyer led team received first class treatment. Meyer’s special teams unit often were the first to eat at team meals, get the best seats on the team plane, first to choose a room at the team hotel, etc. Those are the type of amenities that gain respect among many 18 to 22- year olds.
However, the mark of what Meyer has left in his legacy does not solely surround the number of wins or championships alone accomplished, but how he cultivated a culture of what it takes to become a champion. Meyer was hired with the promise of returning the Florida football program to its championship winning ways, and he did that. Coach Meyer insisted his players do community work, insisted they go to study hall, and the players themselves created annual charity challenge which raises monies for local charities. Under Meyer he helped shape the future of Gator football and that’s something every Gator fan and current and former player will never forget. Thank you coach Meyer!
By: Rashad
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