11/28/11
Meyer Moves to Muirfield
March 23, 2012 8:00 pm EST
Urban has come home.
After putting his home in Gainesville, FL, on
the market in February, Meyer has found a
suitable replacement in Muirfield, Ohio, an
11,700-square-foot home worth $1.45 million.
The Columbus Dispatch reported the home
features seven bedrooms, four full baths and
four half baths on nearly 2 acres overlooking
the seventh green of the Muirfield Village
Golf Club in a gated portion of the Dublin
golf community. The property also includes an in-ground pool, four fireplaces and a billiard room.
According to the paper, the Meyers actually got a great deal on this place. The house was originally listed for $2.8 million, went off the market and returned at $1.8 million last summer. Then Meyer was able to shave another $400,000 off that price. The home is similar to the one Meyer owned in Florida. It has an additional bedroom, one less bathroom, but the amenities seem about the same.
Any chance he will be renting out the home during the golf tournament?
Coombs Added To Buckeye Staff
March 8, 2012 11:00 pm EST
The revolving door at the cornerback coach should stop rotating now. (let's hope)
It stops as former Cincinnati assistant coach Kerry Coombs accepted a new role as the Buckeyes cornerbacks coach. He led Cincinnati Colerain to a state championship in 2004 before being hired by Cincinnati in 2007. He should only strengthen Ohio State's recruiting ties in that area.
Bucks Lose Coach To Bucs
February 16, 2012 9:45 pm EST
It appears that is spite of the great talent OSU has been able to recruit recently at the cornerback position, they are having a hard time keeping someone to coach them.
Radio and Internet reports have indicated that Bill Sheridan, defensive backfield coach for Ohio State, is taking a job with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He work on the staff of Greg Schiano, recently hired from Rutgers. Sheridan was to replace former defensive backs coach Taver Johnson left for a coaching job at Arkansas.
Jerry Emig, OSU athletic department spokesman, confirmed Sheridan was leaving the Buckeyes as quoted in The Lantern:
"It is my understanding that Bill Sheridan has elected to pursue other opportunities," Emig said.
Sheridan has spent the last seven seasons coaching in the NFL, with time in Miami and New York, where he was part of New York's Super Bowl victory in 2007.
Bill Sheridan To Replace Taver Johnson
January 25, 2012 6:00 pm EST
When Coach Meyer introduced his coaching staff at a recent Buckeye cagers game, there was a void where Taver Johnson used to be. OSU is posting that opening may now be filled. Bill Sheridan, former linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins, has been hired by Ohio State. He will likely be taking the spot of Johnson, former defensive backs coach. Johnson left to coach at Arkansas with former safeties coach Paul Haynes on Jan. 15.
Sheridan marks the ninth personnel hire by coach Urban Meyer since he took over on Nov. 28.
Sheridan worked under Lloyd Carr at Michigan for three years from 2002-2004. He later went on to coach linebackers for the New York Giants, from 2005-2008, which includes a Super Bowl victory in 2007. In 2009, he was promoted to defensive coordinator for the Giants. He was fired at the end of the 2009 season.
With the addition of Sheridan, Meyer has now hired Everett Withers; assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator, Tom Herman; offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Ed Warinner; co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Tim Hinton; tight ends and fullbacks coach, Zach Smith; wide receivers coach, Brian Voltolini; director of football operations, Mark Pantoni; director of player personnel and Mickey Marotti; assistant athletic director for football sports performance.
Taver Johnson Leaves OSU For Arkansas
January 16, 2012 1:00 am EST
Up to this point it has been all about addition for Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. Today they announced the first subtractions. Taver Johnson had originally been slated to remain on the staff as the defensive backs coach, a role he has served for the past five seasons. Now it appears he is headed to Arkansas to be the new assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Razorbacks. Now we can watch for Luke Fickell and co-coordinator Everett Withers to announce the replacement.
Fickell Formal Announced As Defensive Coordinator
January 5, 2012 6:45 am EST
The tombstone has been placed over the 2011 season, may it rest in peace. Now the team is moving forward and as many had speculated last month, Luke Fickell has been formally announced as the Defensive Coordinator for the 2012 squad. In a related story, we had heard previously that Mike Vrabel would be retained on staff. We now know that he will be moving from linebackers to be the coach of the defensive line.
Everett Withers, the interim head coach at North Carolina, will be the co-defensive coordinator as announced 12/21.
Two More Hires For The Staff of the Future
December 12, 2011 9:45 am EST
As the 2011 team continues their preparation for the Florida Gators, Urban Meyer announced the hiring of two individuals to his administrative staff today, from the Florida staff. Brian Voltolini will be the team's director of football operations, and Mark Pantoni is now the team's director of player personnel. These are roles that are presently held by Greg Gillum.
Both Pantoni and Voltolini worked for Meyer at the University of Florida.
Voltolini will be responsible for the operation of the football program's budget, scholarships, team travel, housing, camps and clinics.
Pantoni will supervise all aspects of the program's administrative duties for recruiting, including on-campus official and unofficial visits, budgeting, travel and database management.
Voltolini has worked on a Meyer staff for nine seasons, starting with Meyer's first head coaching position in 2001 at Bowling Green State University. He spent two years there, working as video coordinator with additional responsibilities in the area of operations, before moving on to the University of Utah with Meyer. He spent three seasons at Utah, from spring 2003 through the spring of 2006, finishing his tenure as director of video while also handling administrative operations duties in the areas of recruiting budgets, billing and youth camps.
Meyer recruited Voltolini to Florida in 2006, and for the next five years he directed the football video/software operations, including managing Meyer's coaching website. He took over football operations for the 2010 season – Meyer's last at Florida – before spending the 2011 campaign on Will Muschamp's Florida staff.
As for Pantoni, he has worked at the University of Florida for the past five years, and he has had direct responsibilities as a recruiting program coordinator for the past two seasons, including serving as the director of football administration from March of this year through the end of the regular season.
Pantoni also helped with Florida's highly successful summer camp showcase, Friday Night Lights. One of the best-known on-campus summer camps, this one-night event was held under the lights in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with music and highlight videos on the scoreboard.
Quarterback Coach is Hired
December 8, 2011 6:15 am EST
Coach Meyer continues his promise to build the staff. At this rate, Urban will have the staff in place in time to lend a hand coaching the bowl game. But that is just Buckeye50 wishful thinking.
Today multiple outlets are confirming what was being rumored on messages boards yesterday. Meyer has hired Iowa State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman. It is expected he will be named the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State.
Herman is the first outside coach to be hired to Meyer's staff. First-year receivers coach Stan Drayton has been retained, though he may switch to coaching running backs. Taver Johnson, OSU's fifth-year cornerbacks coach, will also be retained. Linebackers coach Mike Vrabel's future with the Ohio State program is still under consideration by Meyer.
As for Meyer's new quarterbacks coach, Herman(36) graduated cum laude from California Lutheran in 1997 and has been an assistant coach ever since. He has been Iowa State's offensive coordinator for three years, as he was brought in with Paul Rhoads before the 2009 season. Under Herman, the Iowa State offense has scored 20.5, 23.7, and 23.6 points per game in those three years. Previously, Herman was the offensive coordinator at Rice for two years, and he spent time as an assistant at two other schools in Texas for the six season prior to that. Herman also spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas after graduating from college.
Coaching Staff Begins To Take Shape
December 1, 2011 11:00 am EST
The ink is barely dry on the contract and Urban Meyer is already putting his coaching staff in place. What do we know and what are we hearing?
It has been well communicated that Coach Luke Fickell will remain on the staff and all indications point to him becoming the Co-Defensive Coordinator. This may also come with an Assistant Head Coach title as well. In addition, various sources have confirmed that Stan Drayton will be retained and could return as the running backs coach, a position he held while working under Meyer before. In the 'rumor but likely true' category, Taver Johnson will be staying on board as well. The rest of the current staff is likely at great risk of losing their jobs, including current coordinators Jim Bollman (offense) and Jim Heacock (defense).
OSU has confirmed that Mike Stoops has been offered the position of Co-Defensive Coordinator and was on campus yesterday to discuss the position. Stoops, from Youngstown, OH, was recently fired as head coach of Arizona, and replaced with former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez. Reports out of Texas have indicated that Tim Brewster, former Minnesota head coach, has also been offered a position, but this is not confirmed at this time.
Ohio State Hires Urban Meyer
November 28, 2011 6:00 pm EST
We have been hearing rumors for over a month. According to Athletic Director Gene Smith, Urban Meyer was not contacted until November 20th. Personally, I find it hard to believe that someone could come out of coaching retirement, leave a well-paying job at ESPN, get agreement from his family, all in a week. But none of that matters now, as of now Urban Meyer is officially the Head Coach of The Ohio State University, formerly announced at a 5:15 press conference.
Urban Meyer says he would not have returned to coaching this year for any other job.
Meyer, the former Florida coach and native Buckeye, was officially hired Monday by Ohio State He resigned as Gators coach after last season, citing health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family.
"A year ago in my mind I was convinced I was done coaching," he said.
Meyer will become one of the highest paid coaches in college football. The school says he will receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments."
Interim coach Luke Fickell will coach the Buckeyes (6-6) in their bowl game and be retained by Meyer as an assistant.
Meyer won two national championships in six years as the coach at Florida. Now, the 47-year-old will return to the place where his college coaching career began in 1986 after spending a year as an ESPN game analyst.
A team meeting set for Sunday night was moved to Monday afternoon before the news conference to allow Meyer to meet his players.
Alabama coach Nick Saban, who played at Kent State and coached at Toledo in the Buckeye state, said he was happy for Meyer.
"I'm sure he's excited about it, and I'm excited for him that he has an opportunity to go back to his home state and be the head coach here," Saban said. "I think it's a wonderful opportunity and I think he'll do a great job."
Meyer takes over a program that is likely facing NCAA sanctions and was crippled by the forced resignation of Tressel. The Buckeyes completed their only season under Fickell with a 40-34 loss to Michigan on Saturday that snapped a seven-game winning streak to their rivals.
Wolverines coach Brady Hoke underplayed the role of the head coaches in the rivalry.
"I've known Urban, he's a good football coach, a good guy and I welcome him in," Hoke said on Monday. "But it's still Michigan and Ohio and neither one of us is going to play the game."
In 10 seasons as a head coach — two at Bowling Green, two at Utah and six at Florida — Meyer has a 104-23 record. His teams are 7-1 in bowl games, including the Gators' 41-14 victory over unbeaten and top-ranked Ohio State in the 2007 Bowl Championship Series title game.
A native of Ashtabula, Ohio, Meyer becomes the 24th head coach at Ohio State. He succeeds Fickell, who took over last spring when Tressel's 10-year reign came crashing down. Tressel was forced out for knowing but not telling his superiors that Buckeyes players had most likely broken NCAA rules by taking cash and free or discounted tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking investigation.
Missing several top players because of NCAA suspensions stemming from the tattoo mess, the Buckeyes were hit with more suspensions when three players accepted $200 in cash for attending a charity event and others were forced to sit out or had their existing suspensions extended for being overpaid for summer jobs.
Ohio State's .500 record marked the most losses at Ohio State since John Cooper's 1999 team also went 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State is awaiting final word from the NCAA's committee on infractions. The committee tagged Ohio State with a "failure to monitor" label — second only to a lack of institutional control on the list of most egregious charges against a university. The school could still be hit with a bowl ban, a loss of more scholarships, or other penalties. However, Gene Smith was quoted saying that he is not expecting a bowl ban.
At the urging of Bruce, Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowling Green (2001-2002) where he led the Falcons to records of 8-3 and 9-3 before jumping to Utah. Using a spread offense featuring quarterback Alex Smith, the Utes went 10-2 in his first year. In 2004, he led Utah to an 11-0 season and a Bowl Championship Series berth — making the Utes the first team to ever qualify for a BCS bowl from a conference (the Mountain West) that was not an automatic qualifier. After a bowl win over Pittsburgh to cap the 12-0 season, he was the top candidate for the jobs at both Notre Dame and Florida. He surprised many by becoming a Gator.
In his second season with the Gators, No. 2-ranked Florida beat unbeaten Ohio State, coached by Tressel, 41-14 to win his first national title. Two years later, the Gators won another national title, beating Oklahoma 24-14 behind Tim Tebow.
The next year Florida contended for a repeat, but after losing the SEC title game to Alabama, Meyer said he was retiring from coaching, citing health problems. He changed his mind and was back the next day, saying he would only take a leave of absence.
After the 2010 season, he stepped down again.
(Information from The Associated Press was used in this report)
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