Urban Meyer Apologizes Again, States He Didn't Consider Resigning Following Bar Video
The Urban Meyer apology tour continued on Wednesday afternoon, with the first-year Jacksonville Jaguars head coach telling local media that he offered the entire team an apology in a team setting ahead of their Week 5 contest against the Tennessee Titans.
“Before we get started, just comment about this situation I'm personally dealing with. I had at least three or four conversations with Shad. The message is loud and clear, and I agree with," Meyer said on Wednesday.
"Also met with the team on Monday, individually, and then today. Had a very pointed conversation with them, owning a stupid mistake that I made. A job of a coach is to, No. 1, health and safety of a player. No. 2 is motivate them or bring out the greatness in them. And No. 3 is give them everything possible to be successful and give them a great locker room and then get the heck out of the way. And I apologize for a distraction with a huge week coming up, especially after they made so much improvement from week 1 one to week 4. That was the conversation.”
The embattled head coach stated on Wednesday that he did not give consideration to resigning from following the viral videos and photos that showed Meyer with a younger woman who was not his wife at a bar in Columbus. Meyer also said he was not fined by owner Shad Khan
Meyer apologized publically on both Monday and Tuesday, addressing local media and radio both before and after owner Shad Khan's scathing statement from Tuesday afternoon, with Khan calling Meyer's conduct over the weekend "inexcusable".
"I have addressed this matter with Urban. Specifics of our conversation will be held in confidence. What I will say is his conduct last weekend was inexcusable," Khan said in a release.
"I appreciate Urban’s remorse, which I believe is sincere. Now, he must regain our trust and respect. That will require a personal commitment from Urban to everyone who supports, represents or plays for our team. I am confident he will deliver."
Meyer said on Wednesday that he did not meet with his entire team on Monday for specific reasons, pointing to the ability to talk to players on a more personal level when in smaller groups. Even so, Meyer noted that he addressed the entire locker room Wednesday as they prepare for the Titans.
“I wanted to get in their space. I have a good relationship with this whole team. I'm not a big team meeting guy," Meyer said.
"I do a lot of it that way, where I'll go to you know the running backs, where there's a group of four. Team meetings are very … it's just a big environment. In my opinion, you don't get much done in a team meeting. You get a lot done when you're in personal space with people. I've always done that.”
One of the largest points of discussion surrounding Meyer's weekend in Ohio has centered around the former college coach's decision to not fly back with his team following their 24-21 loss in the final seconds against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.
On Wednesday, Meyer explained that decision as one he thought would help clear his mind, noting that he cleared the decision with general manager Trent Baalke.
“Yeah, well, I discussed it with Trent (Baalke) way in advance," Meyer said on Wednesday.
“I thought at the time, you know, now that I maybe thought it through. But I thought at the time this is a chance for everybody to clear their head, including myself, with my family located where we were, to go spend a day or two with them and then get back because I knew I wanted them to get out of Dodge, too, and clear their heads.”
The Jaguars will now have to prepare for an AFC South rival heading into their home stadium with this hanging over the team's head. Meyer said on Wednesday he has gotten support from the players in the locker room and he expects this to continue, but also assessed that he is fighting to ensure this doesn't cause a bigger distraction that bleeds over into Sunday.
“That’s the part of the getting personal and, you know, might say of our leadership committee I had at least, you know, eight to 10 phone calls where they called me and they were over-the-top supportive and said, ‘We got you, man. We moved forward.’ A common thing was, ‘Coach, we’ve all did stupid things.’ I’m really impressed with our guys," Meyer said.
“I'm in a fight to make sure that doesn't happen. As of now, no, I don't see that one bit."
Meyer closed Wednesday's press conference with a final apology, once again to Khan and the Jaguars' fans for becoming a distraction and taking away from what the team does on the field.
"Last and I would just like to say also to the 904 and Duval and our owner, you know like, Wwy did I decide to come out of what I was doing and do this. Our owner, I just became, you know, admire the guy so much. He's become a friend, he's a guy that I, like I said, I just admire," Meyer said.
"Jacksonville I know very well, I know our fans have been hanging in there with us, and I apologize to them and want to make that perfectly clear."
