Meyer quits, picks family over football
With his wife and two of his three children sitting a few feet away, Urban Meyer didn't have to look very far to be reminded why he's leaving one of the premier jobs in college football.
With his wife and two of his three children sitting a few feet away, Urban Meyer didn't have to look very far to be reminded why he's leaving one of the premier jobs in college football.
It's all about family.
Meyer resigned from Florida yesterday, stepping down for the second time in less than a year. His first attempt, which lasted just a day, was for health reasons. This time, it's to be a better husband and father.
"At the end of the day, I'm very convinced that you're going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many bowl games we won," Meyer said at a campus news conference.
The 46-year-old coach led Florida to two national titles, but briefly resigned last December, citing health concerns. He had been hospitalized with chest pains after the Gators lost to Alabama in last season's Southeastern Conference championship game.
Meyer signed a 6-year, $24 million extension in 2009, meaning he's walking away from about $20 million in guaranteed salary.
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said a search for a new coach will begin immediately.
Noteworthy
* Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley has won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top collegiate lineman. Fairley had a school-record 21 tackles for losses and was second in the Southeastern Conference with 10 1/2 sacks.
* Connecticut state police say Huskies offensive lineman Greg McKee has been arrested on child pornography charges. Police said the 18-year-old McKee, from Chicago, turned himself in. He has not played for the Huskies and is sitting out his freshman year. The school announced that McKee had been suspended from the team, but did not give a reason. He faces charges including importing child pornography and promoting a minor in an obscene performance. UConn (8-4) is preparing to play Oklahoma (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
In another matter, running back Jordan Todman was named the Big East's offensive player of the year. Head coach Randy Edsall, who led the Huskies to an 8-4 record, was named co-coach of the year with Louisville's Charlie Strong. The Cardinals finished 6-6.
* Two Washington State football players have been charged with felonies and dropped from the team after Pullman (Wash.) police said they discovered 38 marijuana plants in the men's rental home. Coach Paul Wulff dismissed Jamal Atofau and Andre Barrington on Wednesday. The redshirt freshmen had been suspended from all team activities since their Oct. 10 arrests.
* Senior Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa's all-time leading receiver, is charged with allowing drugs to be used "and likely sold" from his home in a quiet neighborhood several blocks from campus, and with possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana. Police say he tested positive and admitted using both. The 23-year-old receiver and his roommate, 21-year-old Brady Cooper Johnson, were charged on Tuesday after police officers raided their Iowa City home. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz suspended Johnson-Koulianos from team activities after learning of the arrest, which came as Iowa begins to prepare to play Missouri in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28.
* Nebraska suspended starting defensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler for the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl against Washington because he was ticketed on suspicion of drunken driving. Police in Lincoln, Neb., said Steinkuhler's blood-alcohol content exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 percent.