Urban Meyer Resigns/Possible Replacements

Urban Meyer

            As all of you have heard, Urban Meyer has officially stepped down today as head coach of the Florida Gators.

            His press conference is set for 6 p.m. EST and hopefully, we’ll be able to get a sense for why he has stepped down for the second time in two years.

            Let’s talk potential replacements for the Florida job.

Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen

    Mullen will likely be the first choice for many Gator fans as Meyer’s replacement.  He has been away from the program for two years now, but Mullen has successfully been able to turn around a Mississippi St. program from a cellar team in the SEC to a top 25 regular season finish.

            Mullen also coached one of Florida’s most prolific offenses in Gator history in 2008 as he helped coach Florida to the 2008 National Championship, beating Oklahoma 24-14.

            In terms of football philosophy, Mullen seems like the best choice because he also runs a spread option type offense.  It was his offense that helped mold and shape what Florida has come to be within the past six years as a spread offense type team. 

            A hiring of Mullen will most likely be able to sway many current players and recruits to stay with Florida because of the very similar football philosophies that Mullen brings to the table.

            One reservation about Mullen is the fact that he has only been a head coach at Mississippi State for two years.  We don’t quite know if he has proven himself yet.  Maybe another year or two would have been beneficial for him before making a huge jump to Florida.

            But of course, Urban was a young coach at Utah when he was brought into Florida…and we all know how that turned out.

Bob Stoops

            Stoops is always a name that comes up when Florida needs a head coach. 

            While Spurrier was coaching, Stoops was his defensive coordinator for three years. 

Bob Stoops

            His time at Oklahoma over the past decade has been one of the best.  His coaching record is 128-31…that’s an 81 win percentage!

            He is known as one of the best recruiters in college football and he always seems to have his team in the mix for Big 12 championships and national championships.

            One knock on Stoops though is his bowl record: 5-6.  Some people believe Stoops can’t win the big games.  And Florida plays a lot of big games.

            Needless to say, he is one of the top coaches in the nation and Foley absolutely needs to find out if Stoops is interested in the job or not.

Charlie Strong

Charlie Strong

            Another one of Urban’s coordinators in the past six years, Charlie Strong is one of the most revered coaches in Florida history.

            Fans have appreciated what he did as defensive coordinator even more now after our down season this year.

            Strong was just named Big East Coach of the Year for what he did in his first year at Louisville, taking them to a 6-6 record. 

            Many aren’t sure if Strong is ready for this kind of job though.  Although Strong did a fantastic job at Louisville given the talent level, he has only been a head coach for one year and it was in one of the worst conferences in the nation.  Many feel he hasn’t come close to proving himself yet.

            However, Strong has some of the strongest recruiting ties around that nation for the Gators.  He is a fantastic recruiter and Strong would be able to use his recruiting skills to bring in top-tier players to Florida for years to come.

Jim Harbaugh

            Harbaugh is one of the most popular up-and-coming coaches in the nation, if not the best.

Jim Harbaugh

            Currently the head coach at Stanford, he has been able to transform the program to a top Pac-10 program and top-five team nationally.

            He has been rumored for other jobs around the nation such as Michigan and Miami.

            Harbaugh is definitely a solid choice for the Gators.  He is quickly making a name for himself and he could be the strongest option for the Gators long-term.

            He would bring in a new mentality and a new toughness that I think the Gators have lacked since 2008.

            Although he doesn’t have any ties to Florida, his ties to the California area could go a long way in recruiting.

            According to a fellow friend of mine who is also a Seminole fan, “Jim Harbaugh scares me the most.  I think in three years, the Gators would be in the hunt for a national title.”

Other coaches being considered

            Chris Peterson- current Boise State head coach

            Gary Patterson- current TCU head coach

            Jon Gruden- former Super Bowl winning coach/current TV analyst

            Bobby Petrino- current Arkansas head coach

My pick:

            Charlie Strong.

                        He is one of the most respected people in college football.  Not only does he bring a tough mentality on defense and to a program, he will be able to bring in top recruiting classes for Florida.  Also, many of the current Florida players respect Charlie Strong, so his hiring would help keep the number of current players and recruits leaving to a minimum.

            We can’t underestimate a good defensive mind.

What do you think the Gators should do/choose for the job as Head Coach?

Go Gators.