The 2018 season has not gone according to plan for Urban Meyer and his Ohio State football team.
It all started with a three-game suspension for mishandling the situation involving former assistant coach Zach Smith.
Then, many fans thought Meyer looked pained or distressed during and even after games.
Meyer even fell to his knees on the sidelines during the Buckeyes’ closer-than-expected win over Indiana.
He later explained that it was a result of headaches he suffers due to an arachnoid cyst on his brain.
Meyer’s history of health issues dating back to his time at Florida inspired speculation from some corners of the national media that the coach could retire after this season.
Monday, Meyer denied that he was even considering it.
A transcript of his exchange with a reporter is below.
Q. I’ve seen some people in the media implying that you could retire after this season. I’m sure if that’s not true you would like to respond to that. What is your response when you hear things like that?
URBAN MEYER: I plan on coaching.
Q. You plan on coaching?
URBAN MEYER: Yes.
Q. Can you say for sure you’ll be back next year at Ohio State?
URBAN MEYER: Yes.
Meyer’s wife Shelley was even more forceful with her denial. In a since-deleted tweet, she went right at ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, who has repeatedly speculated that Urban Meyer may be on his way out.
“Ummmm, newsflash? Or Maybe not. He gets NONE OF MY ATTENTION. Should get no one else’s either. I don’t listen or watch him or his network anymore,” Shelley Meyer wrote.
That was in response to a hit Finebaum did on ESPN, where he said:
I’m hearing a lot of whispers that this will be Urban Meyer’s final season in Columbus. You go back to August with the controversy over Zach Smith, you talk about Gene Smith, the tension between them — you saw it at that press conference.
You also know by now that a member of the Board of Trustees wanted more severe punishment and ended up resigning.
That was before the season started, and of course Urban missed the first couple games, and since he’s been back Ohio State had won until Saturday night — coming from behind to beat Penn State — but they have not looked good.
Urban Meyer’s demeanor on the sidelines has been curious. He’s complained several times of headaches. And having covered Urban Meyer at the University of Florida, Kate, this looks like a rerun, this looks like déjà vu.
Urban Meyer walked away down there when the pressure got too much, and I believe he’ll do the same thing at the end of the season here.
P F spoke out of both sides of his mouth this summer, first Urban’s guilty and needs to be tossed, then he’s not so bad. Never heard an apology from him and the rest of the CFB media who worship at the PC altar. Lost an awe ful lot of respect for him. However PF knows how and where he gets his bread buttered!
James Mills for coach!! Who’s with me?!
paul finebaum is a doofy sec loving idiot that doesn’t know much about actual football..perfect fit for espn
Finebumb sounds like a Democrat, always finding fault and making up false statements about Coach Meyer and the Ohio State University Football program. He needs to keep his mouth shut unless he has something positive to say. I for one turn him off every time he is given the microphone to speak!
I do the same when someone mentions politics within a sports forum.
Urban must have really pissed in finebaums corn flakes when he was at Florida because he obviously hates urban with a passion. Finebaum needs to stfu and go away.
Ok Paul Finebaum—— let that sink in. Need I say more. This man has demonstrated an absolute hatred toward Urban. He did a tirad “declaring” Urban would be fired this summer. We saw how that worked out. I don’t know the personal history between the two of them but Finebaum has clearly shown absolute dislike for Urban and has never hesitated to take a shot at him. He knows that broadcasting without any shred of evidence clearly puts a hindrance on Ohio State recruiting. It means Urban must spend time answering questions from current commits and potential commits. Finebaum is helping SEC teams out by fostering this narrative despite any evidence. Once again he makes a declaration— we will see how that works out. His track record is not very good.
Shelly needs to keep her yapper shut. She looks stupid! It would be best if she not only deleted the tweet but also her twitter account. If he gets none of your attention then why feel the need to respond. As for Urban, you just can’t tell. Who knows!
Charlie, you are wrong! Urban was basically publicly executed this summer by the media! Now, Finnebaum is doing it again! It is time people stood up to the media! They are nothing but leeches!
Kind of ridiculous that you are on a media website telling people they need to stand up to them. So you are using the media to get your own message out. Hypocrite?
Also, Finnebaum is not a reporter, he’s paid to have an opinion. That’s not the media, the media gives him a chance to give his opinion… Then they report on his crazy opinions.
Just assume anyone who says they are hearing “everyone” say something or “whispers” is not a reporter and thus that is not the media.
I appreciate the reporters at Ozone and do not think you should attack their profession.
It is not the proper role of the press to create its own news. The opinion of anyone in the media, much less someone like Finebaum, is not something that Urban Meyer should have to answer for.