Every time the Cowboys play, we’ll profile potential replacements for Cowboys interim head coach Jason Garrett, should he be fired by the end of the season. Today, it’s Urban Meyer!
Name: Urban Meyer III. The thiiiiiiiirdddd. So much fun to say in a butler’s voice.
Career Record: 103-23
Credentials: It’s took less than a decade for Meyer to become one of the most celebrated college coaches of his generation. He led Utah to an unbeaten season before skipping over to Florida and winning two national titles. Meyer’s run at Florida represents the gold standard for college football, and his spread option offense has been duplicated at both the college and pro level. Pats coach Bill Belichick counts himself as an admirer.
Meyer is famously intense, so much so that his head nearly blew apart on the sidelines last season, leading to his first aborted retirement. Meyer quit again after this season, but such is his passion and drive that I don’t think there’s a soul alive who doesn’t think Meyer will one day return to the sidelines, either on Saturdays or Sundays. It’s really a question of when.
Weaknesses: You already know about college coaches failing all over the NFL. And that’s not just restricted to good ol’ boys like Steve Spurrier, who spent 14 hours a day golfing. Even workaholics like Nick Saban have found themselves overmatched on Sundays, and there’s no guarantee that Meyer and his occasionally gimmicky offense will work wonders in the NFL. And how do you know Meyer won’t go and quit again after one season if his head and heart suffer under the weight of all that self-imposed pressure?
Odds Of Being Named The Next Cowboys Coach: 200/1. I don’t think Meyer will coach next year, which means he’s out of contention if the Double J decides to not retain Jason Garrett for 2011. But if Garrett lasts into next season and then underwhelms, Jerry Jones will almost certainly look into gauging Meyer’s interest for 2012.
Do You Want Him?: Let us know in the comments.
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