Column: Urban Meyer's Failure of Epic Proportions Stands Out Among Jaguars' Long History of Let Downs
Urban Meyer is no longer an NFL head coach. In most ways, he never really was one.
The iron fist that Meyer ruled the college ranks with wasn't lost as he made the transition from the amateurs to the pros. But was lost was Meyer's focus and ability to lead, with each passing week showing more and more that Meyer was a shell of the coach he once was, attempting to pass himself off as a commander despite showing no interest in the accountability and responsibility needed to assume the role.
A walking black cloud who had run-ins with members of his organization at every turn, the embattled and controversial three-time national champion was fired by Jaguars owner Shad Khan in the dead of the night following a non-stop string of controversies.
An owner who has long shown patience with his hires, Khan was quick to pull the plug on Meyer, the biggest hire he made as Jaguars owner. Meyer was a swing for the fences that landed in foul territory, and Khan was quick to admit his critical mistake with firing Meyer before he could coach his 14th game.
Khan said on Monday night he would do what is best for the city of Jacksonville and for the team. A little over 48 hours later, Khan made clear the best thing for Jacksonville and its flagship team would be for Meyer to not spend another day on the sidelines.
"After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone," Khan said in a statement on Meyer's firing. "As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen."
Compare this statement to when Khan fired Doug Marrone just one year ago. Compare this to the fact that he gave Mike Mularkey more time. He gave Gus Bradley and Marrone each four seasons. He gave Dave Caldwell eight years as general manager and kept Tom Coughlin for a year longer than many presumed he would.
"I am committed and determined to deliver winning football to the City of Jacksonville. Realizing that goal requires a fresh start throughout our football operations, and with that in mind I spoke this morning with Doug Marrone to express my gratitude for his hard work over the past four seasons as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’ll always appreciate Doug’s passion, grit and class, and I’m confident he will enjoy success in the next chapter of his career," Khan said on Jan. 4 when he fired Marrone.
Khan's patience with Meyer grew thin because that is what followed associations with Meyer in Jacksonville.
A locker room that bought into Meyer and his demanding ways completely? Fractured at best, with Meyer losing leverage in the locker room following his Week 4 bar incident in Columbus.
A coaching staff that followed Meyer into Jacksonville despite his lack of NFL experience and reputation as a tough coach to work for? Thrown under enough busses to last a lifetime as Meyer evaded responsibility for the mishandling of plays and players throughout the season.
A fan base that was energized by Meyer and even applauded the move from Khan to give him a chance? Collectively fed up, burdened by the toxicity and aloofness that Meyer's brand of Jaguars football represented.
The Jaguars are one of the biggest losers in recent NFL history. Save for a magical 2017 season, the Jaguars have often found themselves on the wrong side of history. Khan's 10 years as owner has seen nine seasons of double-digit losses and a 41-116 regular-season record. But still, the stink of Meyer's lone season in Jacksonville rises far above the rest.
Gus Bradley went 14-48 and lost at a higher rate than any other head coach in franchise history outside of Meyer and Mularkey, but Bradley never put the Jaguars in the national spotlight for all of the wrong reasons like Meyer. Bradley was a bad coach, but he wasn't a man who was disliked by both players and staff like Meyer.
Marrone had just one winning season in four years, but he was a calm and steadying voice in a sometimes dysfunctional organization. Meanwhile, Meyer fed the dysfunction.
Blake Bortles, Blaine Gabbert, the Nick Foles contract, the Jalen Ramsey fiasco, decades of bad drafting, Justin Blackmon, you can list them all. No failures in Jaguars history come close to Meyer, who wasted away the gifts of a No. 1 overall pick, a stockpile of draft picks and cap space, and a blank check from Khan. For all the Jaguars gave Meyer, all they got in return was a 2-11 record, the worst offense in franchise history, and enough headlines to last the rest of the decade.
Many coaches would give up an arm and a leg for what Meyer had in Jacksonville. But Meyer, the man who Khan gave his golden goose to, never seemed interested or bought in enough to give any of himself to the Jaguars. At least none of the parts that represented leadership.
The Jaguars will move quickly to put the Meyer era behind them. Interim head coach Darrell Bevell and Trevor Lawrence emphasized this plenty on Thursday. But no matter how far the Jaguars march forward, the failure of the Meyer hire won't be far behind them. That is the cross they will bear moving forward, as Khan hopes he can rebound from his greatest mistake.
The Jaguars hope better days are ahead, but they have hoped that for a long time. Now, the Jaguars are also hoping for no more bad days. No more storms. No more failures in leaderships that results in passing the buck at press conferences or belittling coaches or players in person.
What the Jaguars do next is paramount, but they should not soon forget the mistake that was Urban Meyer -- in a franchise filled with mistakes, he sits atop the throne.
