Getty Image / Meg Oliphant
The reports, rumors, and rumblings that Urban Meyer may return to the coaching ranks are nothing new, it’s something we’ve read about year after year at this point, but the reports of him possibly taking the Jaguars head coaching job seem to have some serious fire behind them.
Shortly after the Jags parted ways with Doug Marrone, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio went as far as to report that “the Jaguars’ head-coaching job will go to Meyer, if he wants it.” It turns out that the Jaguars are indeed interested in hiring Meyer as the NFL Network reported on Friday morning that the former Ohio State and Florida head coach is meeting with the organization on Friday.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero also reported that no deal between Jacksonville and Meyer is “imminent” and that the organization has at least one other interview scheduled.
The Jaguars have already interviewed Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy and Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris, with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh reportedly scheduled for an interview on Saturday.
Florio’s initial report about Meyer essentially stating the job is Meyers, suggested that his sources were telling him that Meyer was looking for $12 million, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wasn’t buying it. Rapoport tweeted on Tuesday morning that the notion that Meyer was seeking $12 million was “not relevant and false.”
There is only one head coach in the NFL that made $12 million in 2020 and his name is Bill Belichick. Seattle’s Pete Carroll is second on that list making $11 million per year.
You have to think Meyer is at least somewhat intrigued by the idea of taking the job in Jacksonville and getting a huge spark in what would be a rebuild in the form of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields as the Jags hold the first-overall pick for this year’s NFL Draft.