MSU Insider: 'Interest Back and Forth' between Michigan State, Urban Meyer
As Michigan State's search for its next head football coach continues, the discussion seems to always circle back to one of the biggest names in the industry — Urban Meyer.
The three-time national championship winner has been at the center of the speculation, rumors and hope for a large portion of the Spartan fanbase ever since former head coach Mel Tucker was fired back on Sept. 27.
Way back on Oct. 3, Fox Sports radio host Bernie Fratto reported that an interview between Michigan State and Meyer was intimate, but that report was strongly questioned by one of Meyer's colleagues on Fox Sports' Big Noon Kickoff — Brady Quinn.
The latest speculation concerning the Urban Meyer-to-Michigan State saga is fueled by SpartanMag.com's Jim Comparoni, a well-known and respected MSU reporter and insider who has been on the Michigan State beat for decades. Following Michigan State's 27-12 loss to Minnesota this past Saturday, Comparoni fielded questions while live on YouTube about MSU's potential for landing Meyer as its next head football coach. Here's what Comparoni had to say...
"There have been stronger and stronger indications from good sources, going all the way back to when Urban Meyer visited — I never verified [Meyer's visit], Bernie Fratto reported that and I don't refute that at all. I spoke to other sources...I can't confirm that he was on campus three weeks ago. Do I think it happened? Yes, I do."
Comparoni continued...
"Are big money people going after him? Yes, they are. A lot of people have confirmed that. Did Urban Meyer want some additional structuring? From what I understand, yes, he did. And yes, there was discussion, and when I say Urban Meyer has returned a volley on Michigan State's interest, there is interest back and forth. That's been going on for a few weeks.
"Have they looked at some financial things? Yes. Do I have some evidence that some Michigan State financial people from the athletic department have left East Lansing to discuss these things? Yes, there is evidence of that, with Meyer. Maybe not with Meyer, but maybe with his people. There's evidence of that. So, things are in place in that theater, the Urban Meyer theater."
Earlier in his postgame podcast, Comparoni gave Michigan State an estimated 15 percent chance of, ultimately, landing Meyer.
"There's rumors about, 'Hey, they're about to hire him!' ...Frankly, I've been hearing that for two weeks, and then when it doesn't happen through the course of a week, you kind of wonder about those things, some of the internal Michigan State football sourcing. There was a lot of optimism it was going to happen eight days ago, it didn't happen."
Comparoni said he chatted with MSU athletic director Alan Haller at halftime of the Michigan State-Minnesota game, and while Comparoni did not ask Haller directly about Meyer, Comparoni's impression was that Haller "did not look like somebody who was on the verge of securing a new football coach."
"I think there's a lot of work still to be done," Comparoni said. "Those rumors about a hire is coming any second, I've been hearing that. I'll believe it when I see it."
Despite Comparoni's doubt that a new hire was imminent, he doubled down on his belief that Michigan State is showing real interest in Meyer as a candidate.
"As far as Meyer goes, I said two weeks ago that the ball was in his court, and it is in a lot of ways," Comparoni said. "Does he want to come back and coach? I wasn't sure about that, but after speaking with some people, I think there are indications that he would like to coach, regardless of what he's said publicly."
Since Fratto's report on Oct. 3 that Meyer would interview for the Michigan State job, the former coach has publicly denied interest in the job twice — first in a report from The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, and second at an event at the Knoxville Quarterback Club.
Comparoni's reporting on interest from Michigan State in Meyer is not a universally-held opinion among insiders who follow MSU Athletics closely. Spartans Illustrated publisher David Harns has vocally shared his disbelief that Haller would consider Meyer for the job, and his disbelief that MSU's Board of Trustees would approve of Meyer as the next head football coach.
This has been the nature of the discussion surrounding Michigan State and Meyer. Some are convinced it's only a matter of time before it happens. Others are very much in the camp of "I'll believe it when I see it".
As far as other head coach options, Comparoni believes Oregon State's Jonathan Smith and Duke's Mike Elko are potential leading candidates for the Michigan State job, with Iowa State's Matt Campbell maybe working his way into the discussion as well. Comparoni also said MSU was interest in Kansas State's Chris Klieman, but that interest has not been reciprocated as of now.
Comparoni's full postgame podcast following the Michigan State-Minnesota game can be viewed below. The discussion about Urban Meyer we referenced in this article begins roughly around the 42:40 mark in the video:
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