Jay Glazer: Urban Meyer Denies Marvin Jones Argument, Believes He Has ‘Full Support’ of Ownership
One day after an explosive report from NFL Network outlined issues surrounding Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars' coaching staff and locker room, Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer has provided more clarity on Meyer's side of the story.
"Tom Pelissero came out with a report this week that he got into it with Marvin Jones. Talked to Urban about that. That part he denies," Glazer said on Sunday.
"But there is another part also that he got after his assistant coaches, and Urban didn't deny that part. He said yes, I absolutely, I'm hard on my coaches. I get on them.' But he still thinks he has the full support of ownership.'
Meyer didn't release any statements through the team following Pelissero's report on Saturday, which described boiled over tensions between Meyer and members of both his own staff and the locker room, including veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones.
"But sources say Meyer's repeated public comments shifting blame to players and coaches amid the team's 2-10 season have exacerbated frustration in the building with his hard-charging and sometimes condescending approach -- a style that many observers believed wouldn't work in the NFL even before the Jaguars hired him", Pelissero wrote.
"Receiver Marvin Jones -- one of the locker room's most respected and mild-mannered veterans -- became so angry with Meyer's public and private criticism of the receiver group that he left the facility until other staff members convinced him to come back and had a heated argument with Meyer during practice," Pelissero reported.
This wouldn't be the first time a player expressed displeasure with Meyer, but it is a public and scathing indictment of the current situation surrounding Meyer and the 2-10 Jaguars. Meyer was also reported by Pelissero as lambasting his own staff and asking them what they have won and accomplished before, which is another recent development in a long-developing pattern considering Meyer answered questions about reports of his treatment of his staff earlier this year.
"There's a report, you said? No, the only report, all due respect, is the report from me? We're a very transparent staff, and I'm very transparent and have always been," Meyer said following the Jaguars' Week 12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
"I have high expectations. When someone's not performing well, yeah, we have hard conversations, but that's the game of football. So that report is incorrect. Do I have high expectations for position groups? Absolutely. Very high expectations. If it's not fulfilled, then we have to have a conversation about it.
Coaches specifically have become a main talking point as the losses have piled up, with Meyer taking questions this week on whether several assistants would remain with the team past this year.
Tight ends coach Tyler Bowen has reportedly agreed to become the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech while defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi has been tied to new Florida Gators coach Billy Napier and his growing staff.
“Tyler Bowen, nothing has been decided and after the season we will have those conversations. I am getting phone calls about our staff, that has happened many times. I met with Tosh yesterday and there is no substance to anything," Meyer said on Friday.
"Does that mean he does not get [conversations]? Really good football coaches get conversations. I never stood in the way of [an assistant coach] being a head coach or a coordinator. That is something that is pretty good stuff. Tyler Bowen has been really good for us, but also our focus is on the five weeks and doing the very best we can for our players. Anything after that, we will make those decisions at that time.”
The Jaguars will kickoff at 1 p.m. against the Titans as they hope to tune out the noise and find their third win of the season.
