Urban Meyer Responds to Shad Khan's Statement: 'I Own the Mistake I Made'

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan came down hard on head coach Urban Meyer in a statement on Tuesday following Meyer's actions in viral videos and photos from an Ohio bar over the weekend.

By the end of the day, Meyer got a chance to respond to being reprimanded in public by his boss.

Speaking with Jaguars Radio Network/Jaguars.com Senior Reporter/Editor and former Jaguars linebacker Jeff Lageman on the "The Coaches Show" on 1010XL, Meyer again expressed remorse at his conduct following the 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

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"Well, the conversations have been horrible. I own the mistake that I made," Meyer said on Tuesday evening.

"I've always looked at the job of a coach for 30-plus years that I've done this is to, you know, everything you can possibly do to make your players comfortable playing the game. That is sports performance, give everybody the best possible situation, you put them in a good scheme and put a good group of assistant coaches around them in a safe environment, and then get out of the way. And I didn't do that. I became a distraction, made a stupid decision and I apologize to it."

I certainly understand our owner Mr. Khan has been fantastic since the day I met him and I apologized to him as well, and [Ihave to move forward and regain the trust. Our players, I had conversations with our players, they were good, with their leaders -- and some very good -- and our staff has been, we're just moving forward. We got a big game to play and I apologize for being a distraction."

Khan hired Meyer in January to lead the Jaguars on and off the field, entrusting the entire Jaguars' brand with the former national championship-winning college coach.

But on Tuesday, the normally patient and forgiving Khan released a statement condemning Meyer's conduct, stating the coach has to regain both trust and respect after just four games at the helm.

"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 the statement.

"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."

"Well it means you know, I made a comment when I got here about the logo, about an owner who wants to win in the worst way. That's one of the reasons I came here. I just, I admire that guy so much and his drive is in the purest form and it's for Jacksonville and so that's what makes me so angry at myself that I live that, I believe that and I failed and I got to get it back and I will," Meyer said on Tuesday.

The question has now turned to how Meyer will handle the distraction moving forward as the 0-4 Jaguars continue to struggle to find ways to win. Meyer noted the importance of the locker room on Tuesday, placing the emphasis on the team's player leaders when it comes to moving the team forward from the current distracting and controversial climate.

"The locker room has been my entire life. That's all I've ever looked at. I've always, you know, some even other coaches when I was a young coach, I said, you know, when I'd hear conversations among coaching staff and I would always say that there's only one thing that matters in this whole facility, organization and that's the locker room. You know, how we build it, how we treat it, how we earn their trust," Meyer said on Tuesday.

"The fact that I became a distraction, I've got to earn their trust back from that."

Meyer, who has consistently praised the Jaguars' locker room and its ability to stick together, said on Tuesday that he believes in the team's culture and leadership, putting the onus on its leaders to move the team forward.

"I believe we have a very strong culture. I know we have incredible leaders but this one's on me to go out and coach my very best, give them everything possible that I could do to help them have success," Meyer said.

"Once again, I don't believe that's in my court. I'm -- We're gonna do the best, but you know this Jeff as well as anyone, that the leaders on our team are going to make that decision. And it depends how much trust you have built up with them, how we structure everything this week and focus on winning that game. So I'm going to be as extremely clear as I can: our staff is working their tails off, but you know as well as I do that the ownership of this team is with the players."