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New Man of The Swamp

buddy's column /florida’s big 3/sept. 20, 2005

No Backup In Gators'

Coach: 'Go For It!'

            Given the late-summer, weather-related turmoil in recent years, not to mention a fall from grace in the football polls, it’s a nice respite to see the Big Three powers of Florida football are back.

            Florida, Florida State and Miami returned to the top 12 in both polls after weekend victories, almost reminiscent of the 1990s when having the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes among the elite was as regular as gasoline prices under $2.

            It’s a long way from supremacy and none of the Big Three currently appears a legitimate challenger to No. 1 ranked Southern Cal yet, but it’s beginning to look like the boys from the Sunshine State are in the hunt. In the recent Associated Press poll, the Gators were No. 5, Seminoles No. 6 and Hurricanes No. 12.

            Looking down the schedules, however, none of the Big Three will be eating cake.

Florida still has three members of the Top Ten to play – No. 3 ranked LSU, No. 7 Georgia and FSU. The Seminoles have an ever-toughening ACC schedule that includes Virginia, N.C. State, Clemson and, of course, Florida, the only Top 10 foe. Miami, also in the ACC, has No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 14 Virginia Tech. All three would have conference championships if they win their divisions.

Subsequently, the Gators have the better road to the BCS matchup if they win their big games, but much of that could be decided Nov. 26 when the ‘Noles come to “The Swamp.” The 16-7 win over Tennessee sets up a favorable SEC path because probably only Georgia stands between Florida and the SEC title game. (No, I haven’t forgotten that Vanderbilt is 3-0) and two of the Gators’ toughest opponents, LSU and Alabama, are in the West.

Right now “The Swamp” is on fire with enthusiasm, but Urban Meyer’s team faces Kentucky and Alabama on the road next and doesn’t return there until Oct. 8 for homecoming and Mississippi State.

The questions surrounding Meyer’s spread-option offense never really got answered in the win over Tennessee, but what did get answered is that the Gators’ defense and special teams are sound.

Another thing became clear: The go-for-broke mentality fostered by Steve Spurrier is in vogue again.

That became evident Saturday night with about seven minutes to play in the second quarter on fourth and inches at the Florida’s own 44 and the scored tied at 7. Quarterback Chris Leak was stopped short on the sneak, Tennessee took over and the Vols pushed all the way down to the Gators’ 9-yard line until penalties backed them up, an instant replay reversed a Vols’ first-down coach and a field goal ensued. Fortunately for Meyer, cornerback Dee Webb blocked the kick.

One would have expected Meyer to admit it was a mistake, but instead he announced this style was going to be his trademark.

“What the hell, let’s go block them and get three inches,” Meyer said. “This is the University of Florida … and you know what, next week we’re going to do it again. That’s who we are. Let's nut-up and go for it!”

So there’s no backup in Florida’s new coach – at least, as long as his No. 5 Gators keep on winning.

---------------- 

Buddy Martin Sunday Best/Sept. 18, 2005

Urban Meyer: The Man

Can Coach In Big Games

Why Florida will beat Vols on Saturday:

'Jump Aboard The Urban Meyer Express'

            OK, I'm all in on Urban Meyer. Count me among that number who has been Urbanized.

            I've seen enough, heard enough, thought enough about Florida's new football coach to say it: Urban Meyer is going to be something special. Gator fans, after this weekend, will join me on his bandwagon.

            Florida is going to beat Tennessee and, in doing so, will move into a strong position to compete for an SEC title and perhaps even a national championship.

Meyer's 50^th game as a head coach will be one to remember. He is 41-8 and his win streak will advance to 19, keeping him in hot pursuit of Southern Cal's Pete Carroll.

            Here's why:                                 

--This Florida team is well-coached, well-drilled and well-focused. Mistakes are at a minimum. So far just one turnover (a fumble). It's true that 13 penalties for 115 yards is on the high side, but he's playing lots of people in a new system. You rarely see a player out of position on a formation. Substitutions are cohesive. There's a sense of confidence about where the players are supposed to be and it shows.

§      --I've never seen a more hands-on staff. Meyer and his coaches are in the ear and in the face of players at all times. Watch what they do during time outs and between quarters: All the position coaches are walking from one end of the field to the other, yakking away instructions. And I won't even go into the visitations of players at their dorm room or apartment.

 --As a former psychology major, Meyer knows how to use the Pavlovian system of rewards to motivate his player. There was a reason behind benching DeShawn Wynn for Game 1 and building him back up for Game 2; for taking away the Gator head in the locker room and putting it back; for the Champions Club; for putting players in charge of leadership as head of peer groups. It's working. Check out the most important stat: The number of players in publicized off-the-field incidents is zero.

--Dare I make a Spurrier comparison here, but Meyer knows how to utilize what's in the cupboard. You don't go undefeated at Utah without doing that. Florida players have far more skills. The offensive scheme might be brilliant and Chris Leak is going to thrive in it, not to mention the four blazing wide receivers. Last Saturday Meyer didn't show Tennessee much, but he did toss in enough wrinkles -- moving quads from one side to the other before the snap, playing three quarterbacks, etc. - to give defensive coordinator John Chavis a headache.

This is not to say Tennessee will roll over or that the Gators couldn't revert back to some old habits under the bright lights of Saturday night's CBS eye. However, I don't think they will because of quarterback stability. Meyer has Leak, but Phil Fulmer has already benched Erik Ainge after one half in favor of Rik Clausen.

Tennessee has a stout defense, but so does Florida and the Gators' schemes will be a nightmare for Clausen.

Do I realize so far Florida has only beaten Wyoming and Louisiana Tech? Yes, it doesn't matter. I've seen enough.

So get your tickets now for the Urban Meyer express. I have left plenty of room for you on this bandwagon and I promise not to charge you extra for coming aboard late.

Buddy Martin Sunday/9-11-05

DeShawn Running Like The Wynn

            GAINESVILLE – Hey, maybe Urban Meyer would make a good newspaper editor, too, because he lets his players write their own story lines.

            DeShawn Wynn, once among the living dead and buried so deep in Meyer’s doghouse that you couldn’t find him with a GPS system and a Kobe beef steak, bought a get-out-of-jail free card Saturday night.

            His banishment finally over, after sitting out the opener against Wyoming for unspecified reasons and hearing his coach call the Gators running game “pathetic” in last weekend’s game, Wynn set foot on Florida Field the second play Saturday and wrote himself one sweet story: Three touchdowns and 101 yards rushing in a 41-3 Florida victory.

            DeShawn Wynn is back. His 101 yards on the ground eclipsed the entire team total or last week against Wyoming, so helped erase that “pathetic” tag placed on the running game by its coach. “About a C-plus or a B-minus,” Meyer said of his ground game after notching his second win as Gator coach.

            So the weapons are intact for Saturday’s mega-game against the No. 6 ranked team in the AP poll. By the time the dust settles over the weekend, Florida is liable to jump from No. 10 to about No. 6 or 7 and Tennessee might be back up to No. 5 or higher without even playing.

            Meyer knows that without Wynn’s blazing speed, however, the chances of beating Tennessee were not good. In fact he said last week that if Florida’s running game didn’t improve, “we won’t win many more games.”

            Meyer explained Saturday night that all four of his tailbacks run hard, but that “DeShawn runs with power and we need that.” He was a lot more impressed with the 230-pound junior’s 1-yard run for a touchdown on the goal line than the 50-yarder he reeled off to help get it there.

            Now, does he “trust” Wynn? (A term that Meyer likes to throw around.)

            “I’m getting there,” he said.

            Now No. 21 has a chance to write an even better story against the Vols.

            After Saturday night’s performance, Wynn preferred not to be interviewed by the media, so perhaps he will be doing his own interview with himself, too.

            I loved Meyer’s style on the Wynn deal. He embraced his player after all the punishment he’d dished out to him for being overweight, lethargic and disinterested, put his name on the football and said, basically, “OK, it’s your time to prove you want this.”

            And then Wynn got the ball five straight carries – once reeling off a 50-yarder. Still, it had to be earned, because Florida stalled on the 1-yard line. Would Meyer kick the field goal, run the quarterback sneak, or what?

            No, instead Meyer pumped his fist in the air goalward to make a statement about his intentions go for it. Chris Leak handed the ball to Wynn and, just as it looked like the Florida tailback would be stopped, he spun out of the tackle and dragged a defender across the goal for the score.

             Now we’re going to find out if his coach believes in Wynn enough to start him against Tennessee Saturday.

            If so, next Saturday might be a Wynn-win situation for Urban Meyer.    

Buddy Martin Column for Sept. 6

Finally, FSU

on right side

of field goal

            TALLAHASSEE – The field goal giveth, the field goal taketh away.

            This time the field goal didn’t bury the Florida State Seminoles as so many times before.

            Instead, FSU got some payback.

            In a college rivalry that has become a graveyard for Seminole field goal kickers, Miami’s holder bobbled the snap on what would have been the tying kick with just over two minutes to go and Bobby Bowden’s team prevailed, 10-7.

            The play ended a six-game losing streak to Miami for Bowden in this 50^th meeting between the two teams and notched win No. 352 for the 75-year-old coach.

            “It’s not wide right! It’s not wide left! It’s not short! It’s a bobbled snap!” Seminole announcer Gene Deckeroff declared after Miami’s Brian Monroe failed to grasp the snap from center John Rochford, ending a long drive for naught.

            “I know exactly how they feel,” Bowden said of the Hurricanes’ misfortune.

            “We finally stole one from them the way they’ve been stealing them from us the past five years.”

            Good fortune, indeed, but Florida State also played some good defense with a remarkable nine sacks of quarterback Kyle Wright for a minus-61 yards. Wright was under siege from the likes of FSU’s Ernie Sims, Andrew Fluellen, Kameron Wimberly, Sam McGrew and Marcello Church

            “They put a lot of pressure on him (Wright), but I thought he handled it well,” said losing coach Larry Coker. “He stood in there.”

            Pressure? The last time I saw this many sacks, they were giving away free food at a Publix Supermarket.

            It was a memorable night on defense for longtime coordinator Mickey Andrews.

            “They surprised me,” Bowden said. “He (Andrews) played a lot of freshman. Another tremendous job by Mickey and his staff.”

            Not so much on offense.

            FSU got a paltry 177 yards throwing and running.

            “The only think I didn’t like,” said Bowden, “was that our two quarterbacks couldn’t hit our receivers.”

            Which for a team that is known for an explosive offense is a problem.

            In what was believed to be perhaps the lowest total of Bowden’s FSU coaching career for one half, freshman starter Drew Weatherford had just 14 yards through the air in the first two quarters. He was pulled on the first play of the fourth quarter in favor of fellow freshman Xavier Lee, who could do no better, so Weatherford returned.

            Weatherford was just 7 x 24 for 67 with two interceptions and Lee hit 1x2 for 7.

           Mistakes and all, it was vintage Miami-FSU. This rivalry has come of age, even though the Seminoles have had to battle the political correctness of the NCAA just to keeps its nickname. What a shame it would have been to have eliminated such traditions as the planting of the spear at Doak Campbell.   

            Just to sort of rub it in, on Monday night FSU officials used a substitute “Chief Osceola” to plant the spear at mid-field – this one an authentic Seminole.

            Chief Osceola (Josh Halley) was riding up and down Bobby Bowden Field in full Indian regalia, on the back of his horse Renegade, as teams came out for the kickoff. Suddenly on a trick play, he handed off the lit spear to civil engineering student Kyle Doney, who showed off the pride of his Seminole heritage with a full 360-degree turn, spear overhead, then stuck it in the ground to the delight of ‘Nole fans.

            Take THAT, NCAA!

Meyer wows SW Fla. Gator Club

    BONITA SPRINGS --- There’s a whole lot of Daddy in Urban Meyer.
    The kind Daddy who rummages through your wallet, who wants to know the identity of your newest friend and asks you every night before you leave home whether you’ve completed your homework.
    Meyer is a busybody who intends to know everything about his players so he can coach them through life as well as football.
    The curiosity index is off the charts on this guy. So far he is playing to packed houses on the Gator Club Circuit in a whirlwind tour of the state: Orlando 1,600, Lakeland 1,200, Leesburg 900, Melbourne 600 — all substantial increases over last year. He’s also getting standing ovations in rock star fashion.
    Meyer quickly tells you it’s no surprise that the Gator Nation is so passionate these days and that expectations are so high. “It has very little to do with me,” Meyer says, “and more about what happened the last 15 years at Florida.”
    What he neglected to say, of course, is that many fans had begun to defect from the Gator Nation during the Ron Zook regime. Without coaching a game yet, Meyer has been almost Spurrier-esque in generating enthusiasm, redeeming many of those expatriates.
    Monday night in Bonita Springs, more than 800 in attendance at the Southwest Florida Gator Club meeting heard him talk about accountability and trust and ownership. He scored big with points about academics, discipline and “living right off the field.”
    Much has been made about the toughness Meyer is instilling in his players, from the Bull In The Ring drills to The Pit. We hear about players being asked to tote bails of hay, wear heavy chains and pull trucks. Some of it, he says, has been exaggerated by the media — “I’m not that rough” — but without question he wants the best everybody has to offer. If you do good in academics and football, you get treated good. Do bad, you get treated badly.
    The slackers have a nickname: “Orange eaters.” It has nothing to do with the state’s official fruit. One day at Bowling Green, Meyer noticed who was eating the oranges on a nearby table: “All the guys with clean uniforms who weren’t playing.” In fit of anger, he kicked over the table and eliminated the fruit snacks.
    One of his favorite quotes is from UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden, who says, “Do not treat all players the same. Treat them the way they deserve to be treated.” 
    Meyer even has his own rewards program, called “The Champions Club,” which allows players to dine on delicious food and wear all kinds of fancy workout gear. After the first quarter there were only 15 members. As of completion of the second quarter there are 50. Meyer says he needs “80 to 90” champions in order to field a championship team.
    Tough talk, however, doesn’t always translate into wins.
    If Meyer is going to return the Gators to their glory days, he’s going to have to do it quickly. Tennessee comes to Gainesville on Sept. 17, the third game of the season. Only then we will begin to know the real answer to the question, “Who’s your Daddy?”

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SPORTS INFORMATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Feb. 7, 2005


Meyer announces position assignments for coaches

GAINESVILLE —University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer has assigned positions for each of the 2005 Florida Football Staff members as follows: Charlie Strong (Assistant Head Coach; Co-Defensive Coordinator; Linebackers); Greg Mattison (Co-Defensive Coordinator; Defensive Line); Chuck Heater
(Recruiting Coordinator; Cornerbacks); Doc Holliday (Safeties); Dan Mullen (Offensive Coordinator; Quarterbacks); Billy Gonzales (Wide Receivers); John Hevesy (Offensive Line); Steve Addazio (Tight Ends); Stan Drayton (Running Backs).

Additionally, Coach Meyer has named the following to his staff: Mickey Marotti (Strength and Conditioning Director); Matt Balis (Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Football); Frank Piraino (Strength and Conditioning Assistant); Ryan Day (Graduate Assistant, Offense); Art Link (Graduate Assistant, Defense); Bob LaCivita (Director of Football Operations); Jon Clark (Administrative Assistant, Football).

Here's a brief look at the members of the Florida coaching staff and support staff:

Charlie Strong, the interim head football coach for Florida at the 2004 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, rejoined the Florida staff for the fourth time in his career in December of 2002 after accepting the defensive coordinator job. He has spent the past six seasons as a defensive coordinator (four at South Carolina and two at Florida) and has 22 years of experience as a collegiate coach under his belt. Strong's 2004 Gator defense has improved in eight statistical categories over the past two seasons: scoring defense, rushing yards per attempt, yards rushing per game, average yards per catch, average yards per completion, yards per play, yards per game and sacks per game.

Greg Mattison comes to Florida after serving as an assistant at Notre Dame since 1997. He worked with the Fighting Irish defensive line between 2002-04, was the team's defensive coordinator and the defensive line coach from 1998-2001 and was the squad's defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach during the 1997 season. The 2003 Irish defensive line produced 24 of the team's single season-record 39 quarterback sacks, including a school-record 13.5 sacks by defensive end Justin Tuck. As defensive coordinator for the Irish from 1997-2001, Mattison's defenses were annually ranked among the nation's toughest. His 2001 unit ranked 14th in the nation in total defense - including 10th in the country in pass defense and 22nd in scoring defense.

Before arriving at Notre Dame, Mattison was the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan in 1995-96 and had been a member of the Wolverine staff since 1992 as the defensive line coach. He was one of five finalists for the initial Frank Broyles Award in 1996, recognizing the top assistant coach in college football. Mattison started his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 1976 under Bob Blackman. He also served as an assistant at Cornell (defensive line in 1977 under Blackman), Northwestern (defensive line in 1978-80 under Rick Venturi), Western Michigan (defensive coordinator from 1984-86 and linebackers from 1981-86 under Jack Harbaugh), Navy (defensive line in 1987-88 under Elliott Uzelac) and Texas A&M (1989-91 under R.C. Slocum).

A 29-year member of the coaching profession, Chuck Heater most recently served as the cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Utah during the '04 season. He and Meyer have worked together at several Division I programs. In 1986, Meyer was a graduate assistant and Heater served as the secondary coach at Ohio State. They coached together again at Colorado State from 1991-92, where Meyer coached the Ram receivers and Heater was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. In addition to his stint at Utah, he previously coached at Washington (recruiting coordinator and running backs in 2002-03, cornerbacks and recruiting coordinator from 1999-2001), Colorado (recruiting coordinator and tight ends in 1988, tight ends from 1995-97, secondary in 1994, football operations and recruiting coordinator in 1993), Colorado State (defensive coordinator and inside linebackers in 1991-92), Notre Dame (secondary from 1988-90), Ohio State (secondary from 1985-87), Wisconsin (secondary from 1982-84), Toledo (secondary from 1979-81, running backs in 1977-78) and Northern Arizona (running backs in 1976).

Holliday has been the Associate Head Coach and wide receivers coach at North Carolina State for the last five years after a 21-year career as an assistant at West Virginia. Holliday served as an assistant coach for some of the most prolific offensive teams in N.C. State history. The 2003 team set school records in almost every statistical category: pass attempts (496), pass completions (357), passing yards (4,580), passing yards per game (352.3), passing TDs (35) and pass completion percentage (.720). The 2003 team also topped school marks with 37.6 points per game, 453.2 total offense yards per game, 311 first downs and 6.6 yards per play. The Wolfpack offense set various school marks in each of his first three seasons. Most notably, the 2001 Wolfpack offense set school records for completion percentage (.644) and fewest turnovers (13). The 2002 squad finished first in school history in total yards (5,485), passing yards (3,468), points scored (460) and first downs (281). The 2002 N.C. State offense led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring (32.9 ppg).

Mullen has worked with Utah's quarterbacks for the past two seasons and has played an integral role in development of Alex Smith, The Sporting News 2004 National Player of the Year, 2004 Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a 2004 finalist for the Heisman Trophy. In leading the Utes to a perfect 12-0 season, Smith passed for 2,952 yards and 32 touchdowns, rushed for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw just four interceptions in 317 attempts. Mullen arrived in Salt Lake City after serving as the quarterbacks coach at Bowling Green in 2001-02 for Meyer. In two years at BGSU, his quarterbacks powered one of the nation's dynamic offenses by throwing for 5,145 yards and 48 touchdowns and rushing for 1,482 yards and 33 touchdowns. Mullen coached at Notre Dame as an offensive graduate assistant in 1999-2000, while Meyer was the Fighting Irish's receivers coach, and has spent time at Syracuse (graduate assistant in 1998), Columbia (wide receivers in 1996-97) and Wagner (N.Y.) (wide receivers in 1994-95).

Gonzales spent the past two seasons coaching the wide receivers and special teams at Utah. The Utes' high-octane offense averaged 499.8 yards per game in '04, including 263.7 yards receiving per game, an average of 13.6 yards per catch. During the 2001 and 2002 campaigns, he coached the receivers and served as co-recruiting coordinator at Bowling Green under Meyer. In two years with the Falcons, Gonzales assisted with one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Bowling Green ranked third nationally in scoring offense (40.8 points per game) and was ninth in total offense (448.92 yards per game). He previously spent the 1995-2000 seasons at Kent State (wide receivers from 1998-2000, running backs in 1997, offensive graduate assistant in 1995-96). Gonzales lettered at Colorado State as a wide receiver from 1989-93, with Meyer serving as his position coach between 1990-93. He is one of only two Ram players to lead the team in punt returns three straight seasons.

Hevesy was responsible for coaching Utah's offensive line in the 2004 season after coaching the tackles and tight ends in 2003. The Utes averaged 236.1 rushing yards per game and boasted four players who rushed for over 300 yards. Hevesy had joined the Ute coaching staff after serving as an assistant for Meyer at Bowling Green in 2001-02. He previously coached at Brown (offensive line from 1998-2000, offensive tackles and tight ends in 1996), Syracuse (graduate assistant in 1997) and Trinity (Conn.) College (offensive line in 1994-95). At the Ivy League school, he participated in some of the school's best offensive years, as the 1998 offensive line blocked for nine school records and ranked among the top-five teams nationally in offense. While at Syracuse, his efforts with the offensive line paved the way for a Big East title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

Addazio has 20 seasons of coaching experience, has been a part of five bowl games and has won three conference championships. The 2004 season was Addazio's first as offensive coordinator and third with the Hoosiers after serving as offensive line coach in 2002 and 2003. Addazio came to Bloomington after spending the previous three seasons with the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame (1999-2001) he served as the offensive line, tight ends and special teams coach. Prior to his tenure at Notre Dame, Addazio served on the staff at Syracuse University for four seasons (1995-1998). Prior to Addazio's Division I collegiate coaching career, he served as one of the nation's top high school coaches at Cheshire High School in Cheshire, Conn. He placed over 20 student-athletes in Division I-A, I-AA, II and III programs in his seven years.

Drayton, who comes to Gainesville after serving in the same capacity at Mississippi State during the 2004 season, has spent nine years working specifically with running backs on the collegiate level in addition to coaching three seasons in the NFL. Drayton went to MSU from the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the previous three seasons as the organization's offensive quality control and assistant special teams coach. While on staff with the Packers, he helped the team to three-straight National Football Conference Divisional Playoff appearances. Before coaching on the pro level, Drayton was the running backs coach for five months at Bowling Green (Ohio) State University. He earlier served as an assistant coach at Villanova from 1996-2000, after serving one year each at the University of Pennsylvania (1995), Eastern Michigan (1994) and Allegheny College (1993).

Marotti will be Florida's Director of Strength and Conditioning as he held the same post at Notre Dame from 1998-05, where he was responsible for total development of sport-specific strength and conditioning programs for all 26 Irish varsity sports. He has 17 years of collegiate experience including eight years at Cincinnati (1990-98) where he coordinated the strength and conditioning program for 20 sports and also worked in the areas of diet analysis and planning and assisted in student-athlete rehabilitation from injuries. Marotti is one of 36 people in the world to hold the Master of Strength and Conditioning (MSCC) certification.

Balis will serve as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for Football. He has four years of collegiate experience and comes to UF after spending two seasons at Utah. Balis was promoted to Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Utes in February of 2004 after serving two years as an assistant. From 2001-2003, he was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Houston.

Piraino joined Marotti at Notre Dame in May of 2004 where he assisted in the strength and conditioning efforts. Before arriving in South Bend, Ind., Piraino was a graduate assistant at Michigan State where he earned a Master's of Sports Administration degree. He received his undergraduate degree in Sports Exercise Science at the University of Akron, where he was also an assistant coach at Walsh Jesuit High School for three years.

Link is in his second season as a graduate assistant coach working with the defense. A two-year letterwinner at UF from 1997-98, Link contributed to the linebacker rotation and also saw action on special teams. A graduate of Jacksonville's The Bolles School, Link walked on to the 1996 national championship team.

Day is in his first season as a graduate assistant coach after serving in the same capacity at Boston College for the last two seasons. At Florida, Day will assist with the offense. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of New Hampshire and was captain of the school's football team in 2001. He was a three-year starter and holds four UNH passing records, including best passing percentage in a career (59.9, 1997-2001) and touchdown passes in a career (53).

LaCivita joins UF as Director of Football Operations after handling the same position at North Carolina State the past five seasons. He has worked with three other Division I-A football programs in the past 26 years, including Akron, Auburn and Pittsburgh. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1971 with a B.A. in Psychology. In 1977, he earned a Master's of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh and in 1984, he received his doctorate of philosophy in higher education from the University of Pittsburgh.

Clark, who will be Florida's Administrative Assistant for Football, comes to Gainesville after serving in the same role at the University of Utah since 2003. He first worked with Meyer at Bowling Green, where Clark was an undergraduate student manager prior to earning his B.S. in Secondary Education in May of 2002. After completing his education, Clark accepted a position as an administrative graduate assistant at BGSU.

  Buddy MartinColumn/Dec.9                                 
 
URBAN MEYER STEPS UP

TO THE PLATE, HITS IT OUT
 
Perhaps there’s too much giddiness way too early about the newest employee of the University of Florida athletic department. After all, Urban Meyer has only set foot on Florida Field twice – once as an intruder when he was recruiting for Notre Dame and again for the photo op at his Tuesday press conference.
 
So far, he hasn’t won anything, except media and public approval. The manner in which he connected to the past, lauding the panache and success of Steve Spurrier, however, scored big: He hit it out of the park on his first pitch with his standup, straight-on, no-bull response to the press.
 
We won't be crass and compare football to war, but there was a little irony in the fact that Meyer showed up for duty on  Dec. 7,  the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and that President Bernie Machen and Athletics Director Jeremy Foley had been under attack by critics for slow dancing with coaching candidates.
 
Conditions were hardly ideal, then, when the dapper 40-year-old Ohion stepped to the front, placed his hands comfortably on both sides of the lectern, like a captain taking firm grip on the wheel to right the ship's course, and sailed The Good Ship Gator through choppy waters without difficulty.
 
He had just come back from talking to the Gator team, which he noted was probably more unfcomfortable for the players but also a little tense for him, and here he was facing over 200 members of the media -- about 195 of which he'd never seen before.
 
Meanwhile, his wife and three kids were sitting in the press conference but he admitted to "being sequestered" from them in recent days, and he had a Utah football team back in Salt Lake that had lost its coach and was trying to take care the unfinished business of an unbeaten record and the school's first BCS bowl game.
 
Could it have been tougher? Well, yes, he could have been on the wrong end of that 11-0 record, or looking for a job like some members of Ron Zook's departing staff. So while it may have been tough duty, Urban Meyer was equal to the task and seemed to relish the pressure of this day.
 
Plus, the man’s got stories to tell.
 
On Tuesday he returned to center stage at Florida Field for photographers and then spoke of it as if he had just treaded on hallowed ground. And that led him to talk about his first experience at “The Swamp” as a voyeur.
 
It was the year 2000 when he happened to be driving through Gainesville on the way back to South Bend and decided to see for himself what his ESPN pal Kirk Herbstreit was talking about when he told Urban “The Swamp” was the best venue in college football. Meyer parked his car illegally, walked down on the 50-yard line and was immediatly wowed. He called his wife Shelley and told her he now understood why he could never get any of the Florida high school players to forgo the Gators for Touchdown Jesus and the Golden Dome.
 
Perhaps it was at that very moment he began to choose the University of Florida and the University of Florida began to choose him.
 
Meyer responded to his Ben Hill Griffin experience with the same awe and respect one of us might show if we visited Amen Corner at Augusta National or the monuments in Yankee Stadium. He is an absolute self-confessed sucker for tradition and pageantry.
 
Now, however, can the man coach?
 
He has a reputation has a hard-nosed assistant who had to be called off sometimes by Sonny Lubick at Colorado State because he was so tough on his players. He has low tolerance for malingerers and no time for players who won’t go to class. He knows how to win, as shown by his two-year record of 21-2, and win right away as he did at Bowling Green and Utah. He’s got a fertile mind and a knack for drawing up ball plays.
 
Remind you of anyone so far?
 
“What do you call your offense?” I asked him.
          
 “The spread,” he answered.
 
“No, I mean, do you have a name for it, like ‘the Mountain West offense?’ Or maybe you could call it the ‘Southeast Coast offense,’” I said jokingly.
 
“That for your guys to decide,” he said.
 
Meyer likes to run the option out of the spread formation and will probably pass less than he will run. But it has been an effective attack, partly because he’s had outstanding quarterbacks to run it in Josh Harris at Bowling Green and Alex Smith of Utah.
 
One thing you can call his offense is “explosive.” Utah averaged 46.3 points and over 520 yards per game, although, granted, not against SEC caliber defenses. His team never trailed all season long at halftime.

With the offensive talent he has coming back at Florida in 2005, we may see the Meyer attack at warp speed.
 
First, though, one final task at Utah.
 
The Utes will be trying to win their 16th straight game in the Fiesta Bowl and then it’s off to Florida for the former minor league baseball player who played Class A ball in Sarasota and West Palm – and now has graduated to the big leagues in Gainesville.
 
So far he’s one for one in plate appearances.
 
I get the feeling he’s going to be going yard, as they say, quite often at Florida Field.

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QUOTES FROM PRESS CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004


Florida Head Football Coach Urban Meyer
Opening Statement:

“I’ve always had great respect and admiration for the University of Florida. The academic reputation, the pageantry and tradition and the available resources of being a flagship university in the talented state of Florida make this the premier coaching position in the country. I would also like to thank the University of Utah players, coaches and administration for a historic season.

There are obvious reasons that make the University of Florida a very attractive opportunity. However, there are several other less obvious reasons, such as the Gainesville community. This community played a big part in the decision. This is an opportunity to raise my three children. You’re going to find out that when you get Urban Meyer, you get the entire family. This is a great place from the research that we’ve done. I’d also like to thank Coach Donovan and his wife for spending a lot of quality time on the phone with us. We didn’t discuss coaching as much as we discussed raising a family.

The second reason is The Swamp and all the pageantry and tradition. If you research what our staff is all about and what I’m about – a lot of times people say ‘Do you have any ambition to go to the NFL?’ I have none whatsoever. It’s all about the pageantry and tradition of college football, which in my opinion, is second to none.

The third reason is there is a great foundation of young players in this program and I look forward to working with them. I’m anxious to put together a staff and a team that the Gainesville community and the University of Florida will be very proud of in the near future."

On the key turning point while talking with Athletics Director Jeremy Foley:

“I don’t think there was a key turning point. This was a relationship that started immediately after our final game at the University of Utah. A lot of research went into it and it built up to the eleventh-hour decision that we made. I mentioned the University of Utah and their administration. Their support and the players we had made it a tough decision. However, I think it was the right decision."

On the players at Florida:
“Change involves risk and discomfort. Everyone was twitching in their seats wondering what was going to happen, including myself. Anytime there’s change that’s what happens. The thing I talked to them about is there is one way to do this, and the least amount of resistance will be the fastest opportunity to be successful. There will be resistance. If we can minimize that, there’s a chance we can be good early. If there is a lot of resistance, it’s going to take some time. But I anticipate there will be very little resistance."

On President Machen affecting his decision:
“I think leadership starts at the top. The last time I spoke with Dr. Machen was after our Liberty Bowl victory from Salt Lake. The relationship I have with Jeremy Foley probably played more of a factor. The president and football coach deal with one another. However, the athletics director and football coach deal day-to-day with working operations. The fact that Dr. Machen is the president probably gave some the opinion of an opportunity that may not have been there, but I believe the relationship that I’ve built with Jeremy Foley is what pushed things over the edge.

On the advice he received from other coaches:
“That’s one of my faults: I listen to too many people, especially those I care about. Lou Holtz had his opinions, and I trust those opinions. He’s a great mentor of mine and I worked for him at Notre Dame. The same goes for Bob Stoops. I met him and Coach Spurrier at the AFCA Convention and spent about an hour with them. I walked away saying that they are my kind of people. Bob Stoops is one of the first guys in the coaching profession that has the ability to mix family with coaching. About 15 years ago, you couldn’t do that, people thought it was the wrong thing to do. I admire Coach Stoops and every time I talk to him, something about family comes up. One of the big things in the decision to come to Gainesville is when he said that he comes back here every year because his wife and his family love Gainesville so much. That conversation, along with the ones with Coach Donovan and his wife made the transition decision easy. The bottom line is that I have three kids and a wife to take care of and a football team to coach, in that order."

On the expectations that come with coaching at Florida:
“That’s why you coach and our staff will look forward to it. Is it the toughest conference in the country? Absolutely. Is it one of the toughest schedules in the country? Absolutely. Can we recruit the best student-athletes in the country? Absolutely. It’s a great challenge and it is different. To stand here and say that we had some great success at Bowling Green and some great success at Utah, we know we have to work that much harder to have great success here.”

On his first visit to Gainesville while recruiting for Notre Dame:
“It’s a true story. I recruited Florida for four years – but I won’t tell you my record – because that would say I’m probably not a very good recruiter. There’s a great academic reputation at Notre Dame and I started recruiting against Florida and found Florida is pretty good academically. I was driving up to Lake City to see a guy and passed by Gainesville. I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to go take a look and see why I keep losing a percentage of guys to this University.’ I pulled off and parked my car which, by the way, I think I still have the parking ticket for. I walked around this campus and I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was only supposed to be here for about an hour, but I was here for about two. I stood on the fifty-yard line and walked around campus. It was a heck of a deal. I called my wife and said now I understand, but I didn’t tell the recruits that.”

On talent at UF and his offense:
“Coach Zook did an excellent job recruiting. That is well documented and is true. There is a lot of great, young talent. How they fit into our offense, I have to make that clear too. There is no offense. The offense is molded around the personnel we have. I think that is something we do better than anybody. The offense at Bowling Green with Josh Harris, who is now playing for the (Baltimore) Ravens, was significantly different than the offense for (Current Utah Quarterback) Alex Smith because they are different players. It’s an adaptable offense – and it has to be. People fail when they don’t adapt their scheme to their personnel. From what I’ve heard and looking at these guys, I think we have a chance to be really good. Another thing I spoke with Jeremy about was the offense. If you study who we are, it’s not all offense. There are a lot of areas involved: special teams, turnovers, the red zone and obviously a great defense. I have not had time to evaluate the personnel. But from what I’ve heard, it’s a very well respected group of players.”

On the positive things said about Gainesville that influenced his family’s decision:
“It was hard to not be able to visit this time around. You wish this didn’t happen now. There is a team preparing for a BCS Bowl Game back in Utah. It would be unfair to take away from that and go on two or three day trips to visit. The decision was made with confidence in some of the people who live down here. There was a lot of trust involved.”

On discipline:
“I’m not quite sure whether that’s bad or good (on being known as a disciplinarian). I think it’s like they say you’re a player’s coach or a disciplinarian, but I’m not quite sure of the definition of those things. We expect our guys to live right and go to class or they don’t play. That’s going to be made very clear to all of them. From what I understand, there are good people in this program, which is part of why I took the job. To come into a place that is in complete disarray, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. Once again, I think it's all relative. Is it Disciplinarian? Yes. We expect you to go to class and live your life the right way or you will not play for the University of Florida.”

On responsibility and accountability:
“That’s a question that will need about four months to answer, after evaluating our program. Every coach would stand here and say we believe in discipline and doing it the right way. I think that’s up to the Gainesville community to see that we follow through with that. I was raised that way. Our staff, that I’m going to put together, will have all the same common beliefs. Once again, the players have a responsibility to the University of Florida. How they live their lives and treat the seriousness of their academics are all major issues with my program.”

On recruiting:
“I started recruiting a couple days ago. There’s phone calls at night and home visits. Right now, time is of the essence. There are a couple of young men who graduate mid-year, and we return to school on January 4. Timing is an issue right now. Is it easy? No, it will be difficult. Obviously, the situation at Utah is playing a major role in it. A lot of it will be by phone, but I’m going to try the best I can to get out and see some of the early ones.”

On his family visiting The Swamp:
“I haven’t seen them all day. The one I’m worried about is my wife in The Swamp. She has a reputation for getting carried away with the student body. We’re anxious to be a part of it.”

On his relationship with Athletics Director Jeremy Foley:
“I hate to put pressure on Jeremy, but he’s going to put pressure on me. I worked for the best athletics director in the country at the University of Utah. One of the greatest compliments I can give Jeremy Foley is I think that he and Chris Hill (Athletics Director at Utah) are the same type of people. They are high-energy and believe in the right things. They both want to get to the top. That’s not just my opinion but the opinion of my wife and other people who know both of them. That played a huge role in this decision.”

On the timetable in coming to Florida after the Fiesta Bowl:
“The next two days are going to be significant in trying to get a staff in order. I expect to hire the best staff possible. One of the negatives of coaching at a non-BCS school is coaches are lost every year. The way I look at it, at the University of Florida you won’t lose coaches unless they are going to be head coaches somewhere else. The timetable will be working immediately in the next couple of days. Then I have to go to Orlando (for the Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday) and there is a chance I will have to go to New York City (on Saturday) with Alex Smith for the Heisman Trophy Presentation, if he is fortunate enough to be there. Then I will coach Utah and we’ll try and win our 12th game and then it will be full-time Gator Football and recruiting.”


On forming a staff:
“I’m going to meet with Coach Strong tomorrow. We will take our time and do what is right for the program. One of the signs of a leader is not overreacting. To be a good leader, you need the courage and wisdom to make the right decision for the program. I understand there are some other good coaches on this staff as well as some great coaches at Utah. That’s going to be a big part of the next 48 hours.”


On keeping recruits with a verbal commitment:
“I’ve talked with most of them. That is a big priority right now and it will be hard (to keep them). It’s a good thing that signing day isn’t until February, so we have time to talk with them. Once again, when there is change, there is risk and discomfort involved. We have to get their comfort back and their trust back. That’s called recruiting. You start with phone calls and then try to get to their homes as fast as possible to re-visit with the families.”


On the BCS:
“I think if Utah finishes strong and wins the bowl game, there is a chance we could finish third. But I’ve watched USC, Auburn and Oklahoma play, and I believe those are the three best teams in the country. I believe the system is failed. I’m glad I’m not the football coach at Cal or Auburn that has to walk in front of his football team and say why they aren’t getting that opportunity. We could go on and on about the BCS. I think the system has to change and it will change. I’m glad it’s not my decision to make those changes because it’s going to be hard.”

Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley
Opening statement:
“Obviously, this is a special day for the University of Florida and the University of Florida athletic program. It's with a great deal of pleasure that I have the opportunity to introduce Urban Meyer to this state, this community and this university. Coach Meyer is a leader and a winner, but more importantly, he is a special person. He has done an excellent job at every one of his coaching stops and I believe firmly that he will do an excellent job here at the University of Florida. I'm very excited about his leadership. As I said, he is a special person. When I met with him and his wife 11 days ago, it became apparent quickly that he would be a perfect fit at this institution and his family would be a perfect fit in this community. I spent a lot of time talking to a lot of people about Urban Meyer - a lot of people in the coaching profession - and he received high marks from every single one of them. I firmly believe that he will build something very, very special here at the University of Florida. I'm very proud that he'll be our next head football coach.”


On Urban Meyer's presence and charisma:
“When I first walked in there I sensed it right away. You could tell he was very confident. He's had success and he's confident in his results. He's a good football coach and he's not afraid to make tough decisions. We talked to a lot of different people and then we went back in and spent another four hours with him and you just got that feeling.”

On how the coaching hire will be accepted:
“Obviously, the last time we were fighting uphill right from the start. I think it's better for the Gator Nation. A house divided is not good and the stuff that's been going on around here the last month has not been good for the program. I think for the most part it's been very well accepted and I think that's positive. That helps recruiting. The Fiesta Bowl for the next three weeks - that's great publicity for the University of Florida. What you want to do is hit the ground running. If everything's moving in the same direction, good things happen here.”

On how concerned he was about Notre Dame:
“I didn't know what was going through his mind at the time. I knew that we presented a pretty good opportunity. We worked like heck to sell him and put a contract offer on the table. Knowing his background there and you're sitting in a hotel room in Salt Lake City watching their jet fly in - it was difficult because he was the guy we wanted.”

On what some of the things were that helped lure Coach Meyer to Florida:
“He's a big guy on trust and accountability. He wants everyone on the same page and everybody in the same foxhole. He realizes that everyone's not always going to agree. He wants that type of environment. He wanted me to assure him that he and I would have that type of environment and that our staff would because he was getting ready to make a decision that was very important to him and his family. He looked me in the eye and said, 'Do you and I have that mutual trust,' and I said, 'Urban, you and I don't have to worry about that,' and it all worked out.”


Florida President Bernie Machen
Statement:
“It is my pleasure today to welcome Urban Meyer and the Meyer family to the University of Florida. Urban is one of the most exciting young talents in the college football world today, and he is an outstanding choice for our football team. We chose Urban Meyer based on his innovative coaching, his winning seasons, his ability to recruit the best young players and his personal values. He is a great leader and teacher and I am confident he will repeat his successes here at the University of Florida. I also want to recognize Jeremy Foley for his leadership during the search process and his success in recruiting Coach Meyer in the face of formidable competition. Today is a great day and I know our fans will welcome Urban, and all of the Meyer family, to the University of Florida.”

Florida Quarterback Chris Leak
On Urban Meyer:
“This is the nature of the business, getting a new coach. Coach Ron Zook moved on and that’s what we all have to do. We have to get ready. We have the bowl game soon and we want to win.”
“Coach Meyer and I actually have a little background. He recruited my brother and we were there a lot to help him make the decision. So I got to spend a lot of time with him. He’s a great coach and all of us are very excited to get the season moving.”

On Coach Meyer’s style of offense:
“For every offense, you have to adapt to it, new head coach or not. If we get in there and get the terminology down and just go with it, we will do great. We can’t think about anything right now but winning.”
“I am ready and very anxious to get the offense started. Everything will come down to focus.”

Florida Center Mike Degory
On the initial meeting with Coach Meyer:
“He was inspiring. He has a lot of fire and it’s great inspiration. He is labeled as a disciplinarian and that’s good. If you look at his track record, it’s great. He’s all about winning and he has a record of winning. It’s very easy to give respect to that.”

On Coach Meyer’s coaching experience:
“Well it’s definitely a new label. You could definitely see watching his team and see what kind of coach he is. He’s got a couple more “W’s” in his win column. A guy that’s accomplished this much you have to have a lot of respect for him.”

On the players’ impression of Coach Meyer:
“I think he’s a young guy whom a lot of the players can relate to. He’s definitely got a lot of fire. That’s good and I think a lot of guys will buy into his beliefs.”

On how the coaching change influenced his future plans:
“My mind has already been made up. I’m planning on helping Coach Meyer and him helping me having a special senior year. I definitely want to get a couple of rings on my finger. I definitely want to play in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.”

Florida Linebacker Brandon Siler
On team’s acceptance of Urban Meyer:
“He talked about the group of guys that wouldn’t accept it … I don’t think we have those kind of guys here. He’s our coach. There’s no need for ‘what would’ve’, or ‘what should’ve’. Now it’s happened and you deal with that. You believe in him. He’s our coach.”

On Urban Meyer’s confidence and demeanor:
“I like that in a coach. He’s real confident and seems to believe in his system. He feels that if we believe and we believe in him, then we’ll be successful. That helps you out when you have somebody confident who’s in front Of you, it makes you feel comfortable and confident yourself.”

On the FSU rivalry:
“I don’t think that there was any spice missing from the rivalry. I was out there and I heard the crowd and everyone was pumped up for it. I don’t think there’s anything missing from the rivalry. Some say he’s going to add to it, I don’t know if it’s missing but if you’re going to add something to it, then let’s keep going.”

Florida Tight End Tate Casey
On the team meeting Coach Meyer for the first time:
“I think everyone was pretty nervous for the most part. We didn’t know if he was going to lock the doors to the press room or not, but we got through it. I think it was a good way to kind of get our feet wet and to know what kind of guy he is and it helped us kind of sit back and relax a little bit. It was definitely a good meeting.”

On Coach Meyer’s style of offense:
“I think with the players we have, I definitely think that everybody can make a contribution. I think in all three phases – defense, offense, special teams – we’ll be okay. The offense is only as good as the players who execute it. Obviously, they do a great job of coaching. We’ll just have to see what happens and work through it to get it.”

On respecting the new coach:
“If he’s a disciplinary coach then you have to respect him, because if you don’t then there’s going to be punishment. I think that if it takes discipline to get the team to where we want it to go, then let it be discipline. If it takes character or something else, let it be character. I think all of us have one goal and to enforce that team goal we have to change our ways to come together as a team and do something right. The situation we’re dealt with now is something we’re looking forward to and coming back next year and doing better. We still have one more game left and we’re going to finish the way we want to and try and play out against Miami.”

On the hiring of Urban Meyer:
“I think there were some mixed emotions before we got a chance to introduce ourselves to him and he introduced himself to us, and before anybody met him. Now, I can see a couple of guys saying, ‘Oh it’s not what I thought.’ He’s a pretty good guy who lays it out there and tells you what he thinks. After talking to him and him talking to us, I think it calmed a lot of guys’ nerves and anybody who had any questions had them answered. I think now it should soothe out a little bit.”

On having the majority of the team coming back:
“We have talent coming back. Hopefully we have talent coming in that didn’t get hurt too bad from this whole situation. I think it’s in our favor to work hard and to get together as a team to take belief in the new system that’s coming in. I think

SATURDAY, DEC. 4, 2004

MEYER BECOMES 21st COACH AT UF

GAINESVILLE. – Urban Meyer, a two-time National Coach of the Year and one of the nation’s top young coaching talents, has been named the 21st head football coach at the University of Florida, Gator athletics director Jeremy Foley announced today.

Meyer, 40, possesses 19 years of college coaching experience, including four as a head coach. Meyer turned around the football program at Bowling Green State University in 2001-02 and engineered a reversal of fortune at the University of Utah in 2003-04. Meyer, who sports a 10-1 record against Bowl Championship Series teams as a head coach, guided the Utes to a perfect 11-0 campaign this season and an expected berth in the BCS. He has an overall mark of 38-8 (.826) and is 24-6 (.800) in conference play as head coach.

“Urban Meyer represents the qualities that we were looking for in our head coach,” Foley said. “He is an innovator of the game with proven success as a head coach. He has shown the ability to attract recruits and is a tremendous teacher. Urban’s accomplishments speak for themselves. He is a man of high values and principles and we welcome him and his family to the University of Florida family.”

“I am certainly excited about the opportunity to be the head coach at the University of Florida,” said Meyer. “There were a lot of factors that went into this decision that our entire family had to consider. The opportunity to compete at the highest level at one of the nation’s most-respected academic institutions is something that was attractive for us. The passion of Gator fans is legendary in collegiate athletics and I am eager to be a part of that environment.“

The quality of recruits within the state of Florida and the Southeast Region offers a tremendous recruiting base for us,” Meyer continued. “The support from the University’s administration is evident in their commitment to my family and I am looking forward to leading the Gator football program.” “Urban Meyer is an outstanding coach with a strong record, great leadership skills and a very promising future,” said UF President J. Bernard Machen.

“I am very happy to welcome him along with Shelley and the Meyer family to UF and Gainesville.”Meyer recently earned the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year award for the second straight time as the Utes begin to reap the benefits of an unbeaten regular season.

On Friday, he was announced as The Home Depot 2004 Coach of the Year. In addition, Meyer is a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Club’s George Munger College Coach of the Year and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year awards.

Utah finished as the outright 2004 MWC champion to become the only back-to-back outright winners in the league’s history.Under his direction, the Utes are averaging 46.3 points per game – almost four points a game better than the school record of 42.5 ppg set back in 1930. Utah currently leads the MWC in 11 categories, including scoring offense, total offense (502.7), pass efficiency offense (171.6), pass efficiency defense (108.1), turnover margin (1.45) and third-down conversions (50.3).

The Utes were the MWC runner-up in rushing offense (244.9), passing defense (198.9), scoring defense (20.6), total defense (350.3), punt returns (10.9) and sacks against (18). Utah is ranked in the top 10 nationally in seven different categories. Utah is riding a 15-game winning streak, the third-longest in the nation behind Boise State (22) and Southern California (20).

The Utes did not trail at halftime of any 2004 game and their closest margin of victory was 14, a 49-35 win over Air Force on Sept. 25. Meyer was named the 2003 National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News after leading the Utes to a 10-2 record, their first outright conference championship since 1957, a bowl victory and a final national ranking of No. 21.

He became the first coach from the MWC and just the second coach from a non-BCS program to receive the coveted TSN award. Meyer was also voted the MWC Coach of the Year, becoming Utah's first conference coach of the year selection since 1978. He became the only coach in Utah's 111-year football history to win a conference title in his first year. Ironically, Utah’s 2003 wins came against one of the tougher schedules in school history. Two were against Pac-10 foes Oregon and California, and the Ducks were ranked No. 19 when Utah scored a 17-13 upset.

The Utes also knocked off perennial league powers Colorado State, Air Force and Brigham Young. It was the first Ute sweep of that trio in 10 years and the first-ever road sweep against them. Meyer's Utes capped the season with a 17-0 victory over Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi at the AXA Liberty Bowl.

In 2003, Utah won five more games than the previous year, when it was 5-6, and matched BCS national champion LSU as the fifth-most improved team in the nation. Meyer's explosive spread offense and one of the nation's best defenses brought Utah local and national attention. The 2003 Utes shattered their previous home attendance record by averaging 41,478 fans.

The largest crowd ever to attend a Utah athletic event (46,768) and a national ESPN television audience watched the Utes beat California, 31-24, in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Known as a defensive power, Utah's reputation on that side of the ball held true while the offense simply took off using Meyer's system. Utah shut out its last two opponents, Brigham Young and Southern Mississippi, and finished No. 19 in the nation in scoring defense (19.1 points per game).

On the other side of the line, Utah went from last in scoring offense in 2002 to third in the league by averaging 28.7 points per game in ’03. A similar improvement (seventh to fourth) was made in total offense. Red zone scoring, a Meyer point of emphasis, rose 11 percentage points (68%-79%), with 61% of those scores coming on touchdowns (versus 49% in 2002). Utah's special teams, under Meyer's direct supervision, also improved dramatically from past years.

The Utes led the nation in kick return average (28.2 yards per return) and ranked second in the league in kickoff coverage (16.4 yards per opponent return). Meyer began his head coaching career at Bowling Green in 2001, where he engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, showing a six-win improvement from the previous season.

The Falcons rebounded from a 2-9 record to post their first winning season since 1994 with an 8-3 finish. For his efforts, he was named the 2001 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year. A year later, he guided BGSU to a 9-3 record and its highest national ranking in school history (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today and No. 20 Associated Press).

Bowling Green spent five weeks in the national polls and finished third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 40.8 points per game. The Falcons, who became the highest scoring team in MAC history, also finished ninth in the nation in total offense (448.9 ypg) and 11th in rushing offense (219.1 ypg) in 2002. They were the only team in the nation to average at least 215 yards rushing and 215 yards passing per game. BGSU also led the nation in red zone production, scoring on 61-of-63 trips (.968) inside the 20-yard line, including 52 touchdowns.

His teams fared well defensively, too. In 2001, BGSU ranked first in the MAC in scoring defense (19.5 ppg), rushing defense (86.3 ypg) and total defense (319.5 ypg). Bowling Green led the MAC in turnover margin both years under Meyer. Meyer's 17-6 record at Bowling Green included a 5-0 mark against BCS teams and two wins over ranked opponents. After his first of two wins over Missouri, Meyer was named ESPN.com National Coach of the Week in 2001. Meyer apprenticed at Ohio State (1986-87), Illinois State (1988-89), Colorado State (1990-95) and Notre Dame (1996-2000) before getting the head job at Bowling Green.

The Ashtabula, Ohio, native learned the coaching trade from the likes of Sonny Lubick, Lou Holtz, Earle Bruce and Bob Davie. The 2000 season saw Notre Dame use a number of different receivers who helped three different Irish quarterbacks make big plays all year. Receivers Joey Getherall, David Givens, Javin Hunter and Jay Johnson helped ND rank 17th nationally in passing efficiency, as eight different receivers caught touchdown passes.

The 1999 season saw Meyer’s receiving corps break the Irish single-season record for pass receptions with 192 and total receiving yards with 2,858. During 1998, Meyer coached split end Malcolm Johnson, who ended his career with 110 receptions, the seventh-most in school history. In 1997, Meyer coached Johnson and fellow receiver Bobby Brown as they became the first Irish pair of players to record 40 or more receptions individually in a season as Brown had 45 receptions and Johnson had 42. In addition, the Notre Dame receivers helped set a then single-season school record with 190 receptions.

He coached a youthful Irish receiving corps in 1996 and helped integrate those players with veteran quarterback Ron Powlus to contribute to a Notre Dame offense that produced the third-highest figures for total offense and scoring in Irish history.Prior to going to Notre Dame, Meyer had served as wide receiver coach for six years at Colorado State. He helped the Rams to the 1994 Western Athletic Conference title and to Holiday Bowl appearances following both the 1994 (10-2) and 1995 seasons (8-4).

In 1992, he coached wide receiver Greg Primus, an All-WAC pick who finished as Colorado State’s all-time leading receiver and ended up with 192 career catches for 3,200 yards (then 10th on the NCAA’s all-time yardage list). He also helped the Rams to the Freedom Bowl title following the 1990 season. Meyer spent the previous two seasons at Illinois State, coaching quarterbacks and receivers in 1989 and outside linebackers in 1988. He worked as receivers coach at Ohio State in 1987 and helped the Buckeyes to a Cotton Bowl win following the 1986 campaign, when he coached tight ends.

A 13th-round pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in 1982, he played two years in the Atlanta Braves’ organization. He played as a defensive back at the University of Cincinnati before earning his degree in psychology in 1986. He went on to earn a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio State in 1988.

Born July 10, 1964, Meyer and his wife Shelley are the parents of two daughters, Nicole (14) and Gigi (11), and a son, Nathan (6).

URBAN MEYER FACT SHEET
COACHING EXPERIENCE
1986 Ohio State, Tight Ends (Grad. Asst.) 1987 Ohio State, Receivers (Grad. Asst.) 1988 Illinois State, Outside Linebackers 1989 Illinois State, Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers 1990-95 Colorado State, Wide Receivers1996-2000 Notre Dame, Wide Receivers2001-02 Bowling Green, Head Coach 2003-04 Utah, Head CoachHEAD COACHING RECORDYear School Record Conference Record (Finish) Final Poll*2001 Bowling Green 8-3 5-3 (Third in East) NR2002 Bowling Green 9-3 6-2 (Third in West) NR2003 Utah 10-2 6-1 (First) 21/212004 Utah 11-0 7-0 (First) 5/6 (As of 11/29)Totals: 4 Years 38-8 (.826) 24-6 (.800) * Polls listed AP/Coaches’BOWL GAMES AS A COACH1986 Cotton Bowl1990 Freedom Bowl1994 Holiday Bowl1995 Holiday Bowl1997 Independence Bowl1998 Gator Bowl2000 Fiesta Bowl2003 Liberty BowlPLAYING CAREERLettered as a defensive back at the University of Cincinnati…A 13th-round pick in the 1982 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft as a shortstop…Played two years in the Atlanta Braves’ organization….Spent the summer of 1982 with Sarasota of the Rookie League and played for Pulasky (Va.), a Class A team in 1983. PERSONAL INFORMATIONBirthdate: July 10, 1964Hometown: Ashtabula, OhioEducation: 1986, bachelor’s degree in psychology, University of Cincinnati 1988, master’s degree in sports administration from the Ohio State UniversityFamily: Married to the former Shelley Mather. Three children: Nicole (14), Gigi (11), Nathan (6).

UTAH HEAD COACHING HIGHLIGHTS (2003-04)* The Home Depot 2004 Coach of the Year* 2003 National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News* 2003 and 2004 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year* 21-2 overall record and 5-1 mark versus BCS teams* Directed the Utes to a perfect 11-0 record in 2004 and an expected berth in the Bowl Championship Series* Utah finished as the MWC winner for the second-straight season to become the only back-to-back outright champion in the league’s existence* Squad averaged 44,112 spectators per game, breaking the school record of 41,478 set in 2003* Utes led the MWC in 11 statistical categories and ranked in the top 10 of seven NCAA categories during the 2004 campaign* First Utah football coach ever named National Coach of the Year * Best debut season ever for a Utah football coach (10-2)* 2003 marked the school’s first outright conference championship since 1957 * Became only coach in program’s history to win conference crown in debut season* Utah ranked No. 1 in the nation in kickoff returns in 2003* 86% conference winning percentage in ’03 was the best since 1953 * Road sweep of Brigham Young, Colorado State and Air Force in 2003 was a Utah first* Led the Utes to their first New Year's Eve bowl ever, where they beat Southern Mississippi (17-0) in the AXA Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31* Utah ended Brigham Young’s NCAA record 361-game, 28-year scoring streak to complete the 2003 regular seasonBOWLING GREEN HEAD COACHING HIGHLIGHTS (2001-02)* 2001 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year* Biggest turnaround in the NCAA in 2001 * First winning season at BGSU since 1994* 17-6 overall record and 5-0 versus BCS teams* Five weeks in the national rankings in 2002 * Ranked as high as No. 16 (Coaches) and No. 20 (Associated Press)* Finished third in the nation in scoring offense in 2002 with 40.8 points per game* 40.8 points per game set new MAC mark* Finished ninth in the nation in total offense with 448.9 yards per game *2001 defense led MAC in total defense, scoring defense and rush defense QUOTES FROM MEYER* “Back as a player, I was always the hardest working guy. I would be so upset with myself if I wasn’t. Was I the best? I was average, but I outworked everybody. As a coach, am I the smartest? No. But I believe that in a lot of areas I outwork a lot of guys.”* “As a player, I was upset when a coach would come in and say, “OK, everybody is going to be treated fairly. That’s not the way good coaches work. John Wooden used to say, “Don’t treat players fairly, treat them the way they deserve to be treated.” * “We have core values in our program and today's society, I think that's critical. The way Lou Holtz said it, ‘Whether it's raising a family, running a business or running a football team, there's no difference.’”* “I learned that you can't get personal, that you have to let kids be kids. No doubt in my mind I wouldn't be here today without Sonny Lubick.”* “I'm involved with every player. I know every player on this team. My wife is involved and knows everyone of these kids. There's not a kid on this team that can walk through this door and I couldn't tell you his story.”* “Everybody has something in their life that they have to share. Nobody wants to, but to be close, they have to. We take pride in being close. As a coach, I have to know those stories and respect where the players come from. If you respect that, there's a chance they're going to respect you, and you'll get more out of them.”* “Some people fear losing. I don’t. If they’re better than us and they play better, they’re going to win. But if we fail because we didn't see a certain thing in practice or because we missed something on film, then that’s what drives everybody here.”* “There's no such thing as luck, there's a big word called investment. If there was luck, why work as hard as we do. I've never been involved in a game where the most invested team lost."* “Our coaches are responsible for every aspect of the kids' lives - academic, spiritual, social. We are their fathers away from home.”* “I'm an organizational freak. Every second is accounted for. Every second away from football is with my kids.”

Buddy Martin column/ Dec. 5
HURRICANES, ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONSAND SCOOPS ON COACHING CHANGES

The night after Florida upset Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium, as we were all wrapping up our gear for a midnight exit from the press box, I happened across Mick Hubert, Voice of the Gators.

As we looked back on the conclusion of a wacky regular season in which things seemed upside down, we began talking about the next Gator football coach.

"If you were a betting man, would you bet on it being Urban Meyer?" I asked."I don't know," he said.

"I'd probably take the field and give you Urban Meyer. This has been such a weird football season. I think it all started with the hurricanes. They completely changed the atmospheric conditions."

That explanation works for me.Ron Zook gets fired, wins three of his last four games, and suddenly there's an an avalanche of beheadings. Then seemingly all of Florida's candidates started dropping.

Steve Spurrier? Nope. Bobby Stoops? Why would he leave Oklahoma? Urban Meyer? Well, yes ... maybe ...maybe not ...In the pursuit of truth and accuracy, we journalists get deceived, we get hit with major spin, get "no comment" and we get lied to. So whom do we believe anymore?

I began to think that maybe Bobby Petrino might be the last candidate standing.A few weeks ago I wrote a column saying Meyer was the No. 1 prospect for the Florida job and that he’d mostly likely be named in a few weeks. Based on an excellent source, I also went on radio in Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Birmingham, Denver and six Florida cities saying there was a "90 per cent chance" it was Meyer.

It's lonely out there on that limb, although I did have a couple of limb-mates who believed me.The coaching dominoes started to fall and when Notre Dame fired Ty Willingham it seemed that the coaching landscape changed dramatically.

For a day or so I wondered Meyer had changed his mind that that Notre Dame was going to scoop him up. So I put the crow sandwich in the microwave just in case. And I asked my boss: "Are you wrong when you write something that you know is right at the time, but it changes?"A little obsfucation sometimes can provide job security.

When I got off the plane last Thursday and checked my messages, I had received a call from a Gainesville businessman who asked: "Do you know anything about a 10-year, $40 million contract Florida offered Bob Stoops."

Right around the same time, ESPN was reporting Stoops had received a Florida offer that had been matched by Oklahoma.

By the time I reached my hotel back from dinner, I had a message from veteran Atlanta sports writer and CBS correspondent Tony Barnhardt, asking: "I'm hearing crazy stuff, like Jeremy (Foley) is on a plane to Salt Lake City and that Bob Stoops is a done deal at Florida."

Before bedtime Thursday, my phone rang and it was ESPN's college football analyst and curmudgeon friend Beano Cook, who admonished me: "See, I told you Urban Meyer was going to Notre Dame. You were wrong! You said he was going to Florida."

Friday morning again my radio partner Brady Ackerman called to tell me the Florida Times-Union was reporting Meyer was turning down the Irish in favor of the Gators.

I happened to be in New York on the set of ESPN's Cold Pizza in New York Friday at the time and my friend Woody Paige was still taking a beating for have said many times "my Florida sources (hint, hint) say Urban Meyer is the new Florida coach" more than two weeks ago.His counterpart Skip Bayless chided Paige, saying: "The next thing you know, Woody will have Bill Belichick fired and the New England Patriots hiring Urban Meyer."

That limb was cracking just a little when the news hit: It's Urban Renewal time at Florida.I can't prove this, but I believe Foley hit a preemptive strike Thursday morning, told Meyer he was his No. 1 choice and laid out an attractive financial plan that would surely top what Notre Dame would offer in the afternoon. And in the end, I think the friendship of Dr. Bernie Machen's wife and Meyer's spouse played a factor.After Notre Dame's apparent less-that-handsome offer, Meyer may have considered that Florida has the material to win a national championship next year and Notre Dame doesn't.

And maybe it was, as Hubert says, just those damn hurricanes.

Buddy and Steve 2001

IT'S STEVE SPURRIER VS. THE BOWDENS AGAIN
Steve will face Tommy in new job at S.C

Well, at long last Steve Spurrier has a chance to get even with the Bowdens.He had to go all the way to South Carolina to get a chance, literally, to even the score. Now as coach of the Gamecocks, Spurrier will be going up against Clemson's Tommy Bowden.

If South Carolina beats Clemson next year, the score will be dead even between Steve vs. Bobby, Terry and Tommy.

Frankly, I will miss all those grudge matches between the Ol' Ball Coach and Uncle Bobby.Bobby pretty much owned Spurrier for 12 years, especially at Doak Campbell Stadium, where the best Steve's Gators could do was the infamous 31-31 tie — a game now known as "The Choke At Doak" by some FSU fans.

In 14 meetings against Spurrier's Gators, Bowden won eight, lost five and tied one. Granted, two of those losses were the most painful for Bowden because they came when the 'Noles were ranked No. 1.

At one point, Spurrier started gaining ground on Bowden , making it up to 4-5-1 after the 1998 season. But Spurrier lost two of the next three — although he did beat Bobby in their final matchup, 37-13, in 2001.

Spurrier also started slow against the other Bowden, when Terry was coaching at Auburn. His Tigers bounced the 1995 Gators from No. 1. But after six meetings, Spurrier took a 4-2 lead and Terry retired.

So if you're keeping score, that makes it Bowdens 10, Spurrier 9 and one tie.Perhaps it took Ron Zook to break the jinx against Bobby as he did in his final game at Doak Campbell Stadium with a 20-13 victory on Bobby Bowden Field — something Spurrier could never do.

Now it's on to the Low Country for Spurrier, who was introduced at the new S.C. coach and, frankly, it's going to take a while for us to get use to seeing the Golden Boy of Gator Football working across the street.

So why did he take over a team that's only won five SEC East games in its history and hasn't beaten Florida in 13 tries?As he told me back in early November, Spurrier wants to coach college ball again "preferably in the South."

Last time I looked there weren't exactly a lot of want ads for coaches in the SEC or ACC.It may be Florida's loss, but it's college football's gain. If nobody else, certainly the media is happy to have Spurrier back.

Even Terry Bowden of ABC had a comment about Spurrier going to Columbia. "It's a train wreck waiting to happen," he said sarcastically.

Here's the rub for Gator fans who feel Steve is part of the Gator Royal Family: South Carolina got such a bargain! USC is paying $1.9 million a year for Spurrier's services, which means he was hired for less than he made at Florida. Bernie Machen's critics won't let the UF president forget about that.

The Associated Press story quoted the figure at $1.25 million at S.C. with incentives up to $2 million. But that $1.9 million figure comes from somebody who actually saw the contract.

I never thought I'd say somebody got a bargain for a coach at just under $2 million a year -- but the University of South Carolina did just that.

IT'S OFFICIAL: SPURRIER TO S.C.COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Steve Spurrier was hired at South Carolina on Tuesday after the school trustees’ executive board approved a seven-year deal worth $1.25 million a season for the former Florida coach.

Spurrier, who replaces the retiring Lou Holtz, returns to college football after a three-year absence. He was coach of the Washington Redskins for two seasons after leaving Florida, going 12-20 before resigning.Spurrier won the 1996 national championship and six Southeastern Conference titles while with the Gators, and also went 10-0 against the Gamecocks.

The ol’ ball coach met with the team Tuesday morning. Players said Spurrier told them he wanted to bring fun back to the game.Athletic director Mike McGee presented details of the contract to the trustees.

‘‘Maybe we’re prejudiced now for Steve Spurrier,’’ McGee said. ‘‘That wasn’t always the case.’’

Spurrier’s hiring had been expected for nearly a week.There was much speculation that Spurrier would return to Florida next season, following the recent firing of Ron Zook. But Spurrier pulled out of the running, saying 12 years at one school was probably enough.

Next season, Florida is scheduled to play at South Carolina on Nov. 12.

buddy martin column sunday best/nov. 21

RODNEY DANGERZOOK GETS REVENGE, RESPECT

TALLAHASSEE — Ron Zook became the answer to a trivia question Saturday night.
Who was the first coach to win at the newly christened Bobby Bowden Field? Here's a hint: He was fired when he did it.
Rodney Dangerfield Zook, by jove, went out with his boots on.
Florida beat Florida State, 20-13, to finish 7-4 on the season. The Gators bettered their bowl future and, at the same time, dashed the hopes of the Seminoles in their bid to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title on a tiebreaker.
At the same time, Florida's November finish gave credence to those critics who say Zook wasn't given a fair chance to finish his work. After getting his pink slip, he won three of his last four games. And he wound up losing four games by a combined total of 19 points, or under 5 points per game.
Whether Zook will ever coach another game for Florida is something only he knows. But he'll always have Tallahassee.
Saturday night he did something no Gator coach has done in 28 years, not even the Gator icon Steve Spurrier. He beat Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium. And he did it on the night that they unveiled Bobby Bowden Field and the 10th anniversary of what they call the 31-31 tie, "The Choke at Doak."
Ron Zook did The Job at The Bob.
It was no fluke. The Gator defense slammed the door on FSU's offense like they were traveling salesmen. Example: The Seminoles didn't gain a single yard rushing in the first half and only made five first downs on 88 yards. And the 'Noles couldn't score a touchdown on this hard-charging, quick-reacting Charlie Strong defense, led by DT Ray McDonald's three sacks, until Chris Rix came off the bench.
This was the biggest upset for Zook's team in the 37 games he lasted as Florida's head coach and it had to feel good right down to his last pay stub.
How rare was this loss at The Doak? Well, only one Atlantic Coast Conference has beaten the 'Noles on their home turf in 52 tries. And only 21 teams total had defeated Bowden in 168 tries — including Steve Spurrier, who could only manage a 31-31 tie in the famed "Choke at Doak" 10 years ago Saturday.
This was no fluke. The Gators dominated the Seminoles from the opening kickoff after a brilliant 97-yard drive. Chris Leak rolled out left and threw across his body to a diving O.J. Small on third down and 11 for the necessary first down yardage. That set the tone for the night and dug the Gators out of a black hole in the shadow of their own goal line.
It was the most brilliant drive perhaps of Zook's short tenure.
At the end of the night, it turned out to be the most brilliant night in Zook's head coaching career. It just came a little late.

NOW, ABOUT THAT OTHER BOWDEN ...

TALLAHASSEE — Bowdens, Bowdens everywhere.
Somehow all their lives intertwine with Steve Spurrier, who never seems to go too far out of their shadow.
Frannkly, I miss all those grudge matches between the Ol' Ball Coach and Uncle Bobby.
Bobby Bowden pretty much owned Spurrier for 12 years, especially at Doak Campbell Stadium, where the best Steve's Gators could do was the infamous 31-31 tie — a game now known as "The Choke At Doak" by some FSU fans.
In 14 meetings against Spurrier's Gators, Bowden won eight, lost five and tied one. Granted, two of those losses were the most painful for Bowden because they came when the 'Noles were ranked No. 1.
At one point, Spurrier started gaining ground on Bowden , making it up to 4-5-1 after the 1998 season. But Spurrier lost two of the next three — although he did beat Bobby in their final matchup, 37-13, in 2001.
Spurrier also started slow against the other Bowden, when Terry was coaching at Auburn. His Tigers bounced the 1995 Gators from No. 1. But after six meetings, Spurrier took a 4-2 and Terry retired.
So if you're keeping score, that makes it Bowdens 10, Spurrier 9 and one tie.
With some unfinished business awaiting in the ACC.
So why did Spurrier take over a team that's only won five SEC East games in its history and hasn't beaten Florida in 13 tries?
The challenge, obviously. He'll certainly have that.
Even Terry Bowden had a comment about Spurrier going to Columbia. "It's an accident waiting to happen," he said sarcastically.
Of course, what Bowden forgot to stay is that in an accident, it sometimes involves two parties.

URBAN MEYER: MORE THAN
JUST A RUMOR AT FLORIDA

Up until now it has been as much Urban Legend as it has Urban Meyer.
On Tuesday it went from scuttlebutt/rumor/buzz to a probability.
Maybe we just like the cool name — "Urban." You don't get those kind of names often — like Knute and Bear and such. Perhaps some of us just like saying it or hearing it or writing it.
The name has bounced around from talk show to talk show, over the Internet to newspapers and other web sites. We've even kicked around the Utah coach as a likely successor to the deposed Ron Zook in this column as far back as October.
All signs point toward Meyer as the next coach at Florida. At least you can pencil it in, because a well-placed source at the UF privately told a close friend that Meyer is going to be announced Dec. 13. This particular person had nothing to gain by lying and certainly believes it will happen.
Meanwhile, officials in the athletic department are playing the damage control game by vehemently denying it. Athletics Director Jeremy Foley told the Gainesville Sun the Meyer story was "1,000 percent false."
He issued the following statement to all the media: "To reiterate what we have said, we will not talk to current college coaches until their respective seasons are over. Any reports that indicate we have talked to or reached agreements with any current collegiate coaches are false."
After practice Tuesday, Meyer was quoted by the Salt Lake Tribune as saying, "I plan on being here a long time."
Of course plans change and these kinds of remarks are not unusual by coaches who, at the same time, might be calling for a Mayflower moving van.
We must add another footnote here: Most of the time when athletic directors say they haven't talked to somebody, it doesn't rule out having talked to an intermediate or an agent. There almost always is a go-between.
Just because Foley hasn't talked to Meyer doesn't mean they haven't shared their thoughts with each other. And wouldn't you think a guy who happens to be president (Bernie Machen) and whose wife is good friends of the wife of the coach (Meyer) might not have a way of getting word to him?
When you reflect back on the events of the past few weeks you recall how startling it was that Zook was fired in mid-season. That's something that presidents or ADs don't do unless they've got somebody in their hip pocket. We thought Spurrier was the one. It makes sense now that Machen was cool toward the idea of Spurrier's return.
Besides, it's getting late and there aren't any other hot candidates looming on the Gators' horizon. They've got to salvage recruiting. And they've got to avoid getting into a frenetic pace that led to the last lurch when Foley over-reached to get Ron Zook.
Meyer is also the best candidate still standing.
It could still blow up. Deals fall apart (See George O'Leary at Notre Dame). People changed their minds (see Steve Spurrier 10 days ago). Fine print can become a deal-breaker.
Two weeks ago I — along with a significant group of other Florida sports writers — was convinced that Spurrier would be the coach. But when Machen and Foley failed to move quickly enough in showing Spurrier the love, he had a change of heart.
Bobby Stoops, rumored to be next in line, apparently has stepped out of line again.
So now we are back to the original tout of Meyer, whose connections with Machen as president of Utah run deep.
I've also got it on good authority that the offensive and defensive coordinators at Utah are being told to stay put and not to seek other jobs. One of them could be in line for Meyer's vacation position.
So who is Urban Meyer, aside from being the coach of the undefeated Utah Utes?
"He's a 40-year-old Bear Bryant," an ex-coach and current talk show host in Denver told me Tuesday. According to Irv Brown, Meyer was such a strict disciplinarian when he coached under Sonny Lubick at Colorado State that "Sonny had to tell him to lighten up a little." He was known as a no-nonsense coach who was quick to dismiss players from the team if they couldn't conform. And he came up the hard way as a coach.
He was an assistant coach at Ohio State and Illinois State for two years each, Colorado State for six years and Notre Dame for five years before taking over as head coach at Bowling Green.
Meyer runs a funky offense, half triple option and half pro style passing, but his Utes have rolled up 500 yards per game total offense and averaged 25 points a game in running through a schedule of Texas A&M, Arizona, Utah State, Air Force, New Mexico, North Carolina, UNLV, San Diego State, Colorado State and Wyoming.
Meyer was named National Coach of the Year by Sporting News in 2003 during which his Utes were 10-2.
The Utes are ranked No. 6 in the BCS standings, which means if they win over BYU — which they should do easily — they will finish an undefeated season and wind up in one of the BCS games.
I think he could be a good fit in Gainesville because he doesn't have to chase Spurrier's ghost. He's also got the luxury of following a guy who got fired.
And with a name like Urban, he's got to be uptown.
(E-mail Buddy Martin at bmartin@sun-herald.com)Changing Block Division

Zooker bows out at 'The Swamp'
    GAINESVILLE — Three years and 36 games ago, Ron Zook first strode on to Florida field, pointed up in the stands to his dying father and began a long-suffering career as The Man Who Could Not Be Spurrier.
    Saturday night he bid adieu to "The Swamp," that once-feared collegefootball venue where visiting teams were devoured, and was able to walk away with at least a piece of his dignity.
    This time the specter of Steve Spurrier was on the other sideline from Zook, where rumors persist that he'll succeed Lou Holtz.
    Meanwhile, in their final home appearance of the season, the 2004 Gators plucked the South Carolina Gamecocks, 48-14, for the most impressive SEC victory in Zook's tenure. It was also by far the widest margin of victory in an SEC game for Zook.
    Did this remind anybody of a team that used to play at "The Swamp"?
    After lingering a midfield, Zook jogged to the South end zone where he was met by a small group of loud well-wishers. He responded with a clenched right fist lifted only about chin high.
    This was Florida's sixth win against four losses and it guaranteed that the Gators won't become the first UF team to have a losing record since 1979.
    This means the Gators can go to a bowl in Zook's final game, even should they lose Saturday to Florida State, which they almost always do in Tallahassee.  Best case scenario: That they beat FSU, to go 7-4, with a chance to win in the bowl game for an eighth victory — the third straight 8-win year under Zook.
    All that being said, Ron Zook's teams have been very ordinary, now with a cumulative record of 22-14 overall and which is why he was fired after losing to Mississippi State. Under You Know Who, the Gators averaged 10 wins from 1990 to 2001 and won six SEC titles.
    This was an emotional goodbye at Florida Field for Zook and he was not without sympathy.
    While the Steve Spurrier Sweepstakes keep rolling, Zook's career fades to black. He will probably coach two more games, providing he chooses to work through the bowl.
    "I hope he will (coach the bowl game)," said UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley.
    When asked if he would, Zook shrugged  his shoulders and deflected thequestion with the old coaching cliche: "Right now I'm going one day at atime, one game at a time."
    As a parting gift, sophomore quarterback Chris Leak passed for a career high six touchdowns.
    So how did it feel?
    "Good," Zook said dispassionately. Later, when asked how it felt to finally win a game with ease, he shot back: "Look, this team has 65 guys coming back with two or more years experience. This is a good football team. It's not just because the seniors were playing the last game in 'The Swamp.'"
    You don't see many signs in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium because they are normally discouraged. However on Saturday night there were two expressions of good luck to the departing Gator coach:
    "Thanks coach Zook."
    And:
    "Zooker, thanks and good luck."
    After the game, offensive lineman Mo Mitchell held up a sign that said:
"Win One For The Zooker."
    Some of the Gamecock faithful took the opportunity to gloat in the beginning.
    Over in the South Carolina section, two young men carted a placard that read:
    "1 keg $70. 6 tickets $150. 1 hotel room $160. Taking Spurrier from Florida: Priceless."
    By the fourth period that sign wasn't visible anymore.
    Lou Holtz has hinted about stepping down and even publicly praised Spurrier, saying "I can understand why he'd want to come here and I can understand why they want him. I also understand that the job is not open."
    Maybe after getting beaten 48-14, Lou should double check on that.

Buddy Martin column

The Art of Picking A Gator Football Coach

I’ve never met Bernie Machen. In fact, I’ve never even shaken hands with him at the SEC basketball tournament.

This I know, however. Never in his career as a college administrator has he come under as much heat about making a decision as he has lately – and is about to be in coming weeks.

Machen seems like a reasonable, fair man and it’s probable that he’ll come up with a very good coach to succeed Ron Zook.

However, he has lost so many style points in the handling of the Steve Spurrier situation that he’s trailing badly in the second half and needs a strong comeback to win back the support of the Gator Nation.

In the end, Machen may get it right. He made the right decision, along with AD Jeremy Foley, in the move on Zook. The public perception, at least, is that Machen and Foley fumbled the ball on the next set of downs.

Truthfully, Spurrier probably wasn’t going to accept the job anyway and in the end the Ol' Ball Coach made the right choice in taking himself out of the mix.

If Spurrier shows up across the field from the Gators wearing South Carolina colors, however, the rift between Machen and Spurrier and the Gator Nation is going to be exacerbated.

In the three times I talked to Spurrier these recent weeks, it seemed to me he was rejuvenated at first about the possibility of returning. If he was going to college ball, which he is, then what better job than at the University of Florida?

Machen, in an attempt to follow the book on the procedure – as was the case when he named Lloyd Carr at Michigan and Urban Meyer at Utah – appeared to be disrespecting, if not dissing, the No. 1 Gator football legend.

Therefore, hard core UF fans -- and particularly those age 40 and above who remember Spurrier as the savior of Gator football -- will forever hold it against Machen.

I think, now, Machen is beginning to understand the difference in the passion of football in Michigan and Utah vs. the South.

I first learned as a boy that perhaps the second most powerful position in the state, and the one people loved to debate as much as politics, was whoever the Florida football coach happened to be.

Neither the governor nor the Gator coach could keep their constituents happy. And everybody was certain they knew how to run football plays and/or state government as good or better than those in power.

All the way back to the post-World War II era of Bear Wolf, whose “Golden Era” team of the late 1940s established the worst record in history over a period of two years, it was considered a sport to second guess the Gator coach.

Bob Woodruff got second-guessed for his emphasis on defense and punting on third down. Ray Graves took over in 1960 and raised the program to a new level, but never could win the coveted Southeastern Conference title.

Former Gator quarterback Doug Dickey took a nucleus of underclassman from the best team in UF history, the 1969 SuperSophs, and proceeded to make them worse. He strung together some unimpressive seasons before finally stepping aside in favor the firebrand from Clemson, Charley Pell.

Pell brought a new enthusiasm, established a new high in fund-raising and taught Gator fans to wear their colors to games. But he got fired for cheating and had to turn back the SEC title. His successor, Galen Hall, was bounced for allegedly paying a player’s child support. But most people think it was because Steve Spurrier was waiting in the wings.

Nobody ever dreamed the prodigal son’s return to Florida Field, where his Herculean achievements as a player helped win him the Heisman Trophy, could result in the success that would follow: Six SEC titles, a record of 122-27-1, one national championship and the longest reign in the Top 25 in Florida history.

Spurrier got him a defensive coach, Bobby Stoops, and they finally won The Big One. Then Spurrier up and quit one day to go to the Washington Redskins and Foley took a shot on Spurrier’s former assistant, Zook. A lot of old-line Gator fans I know were just about to quit going to games when Zook was fired late this October after a 20-13 start.

Spurrier stepped into the picture again and re-energized the Gator nation.

There we were, some 15 years later, writing stories about why Steve Spurrier was the one man who could save the franchise and unify the Gator Nation.

It was like watching the combination of The Return of the Jedi and Groundhog Day all rolled into one.

Spurrier is easily the most popular Gator player in history and the most hated coach in the SEC.

“Sooner or later, if you stay around long enough, people get tired of you,” Spurrier always liked to say.

After two and a half years of mediocre Florida football, I think the people who were getting tired of Spurrier were hoping to have the chance to get tired of him again.

Buddy with the "old" Head Ball Coach

THE OLD AND NEW: SPURRIER AND ZOOK

IN MID-SUMMER, BUDDY MARTIN SPENT TIME WITH THE OLD HEAD BALL COACH, STEVE SPURRIER, AND THE NEW HEAD BALL COACH, RON ZOOK.

THE RESULT WAS THESE THREE PIECES WHICH CURRENTLY APPEAR IN OCALASTYLE MAGAZINE.

THE MAGAZINE ALSO INCLUDES THE DEBUT OF BUDDY'S COLUMN, "MY OCALA," WHICH REFLECTS ON 50 YEARS OF FLORIDA GATOR COACHING.

Zook, Spurrier Both Hopeful