For anyone who follows college football, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ hire of Urban Meyer prior to the 2021-2022 NFL season was questionable.
Even though Meyer is one of the most successful college coaches of all time, his fit at the professional level was very much up for debate.
Very quickly, it was obvious that Meyer was in over his head, eventually fired by Jaguars owner Shad Khan after just 13 games with a record of 2-11.
“When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?” Khan told USA Today. “It’s not possible.”
“It was not about wins and losses,” Khan told the outlet during last week’s NFL draft. “I think when you know someone is not truthful, how can you be around someone, OK? We had Doug Marrone here four years. We had Gus Bradley here four years. I have nothing but the utmost respect and friendship with them. That’s why they got the time, because it wasn’t a matter about respect or truth. It was a matter of wins and losses over four years. This is much bigger than that.”
Khan fired Meyer following the final round of embarrassing news coming out of Meyer’s short stint in Jacksonville. The final straw was a report that Meyer kicked former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo at a Jaguars practice, imploring Lambo to “make your f***ing kicks!”
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo said, according to The Tampa Bay Times. “… Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dips***, make your f***ing kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.”
Lambo characterized the kick as a “five (out of 10),” and then reportedly told Meyer, “‘Don’t you ever f***ing kick me again!” Meyer allegedly responded by saying, “I’m the head ball coach. I’ll kick you whenever the f*** I want.”
Meyer denied the allegations, saying Lambo’s story was “completely inaccurate.”
Lambo told the newspaper that Meyer approached him the next day at the team facility, telling Lambo he would be off the team if he spoke to Meyer in the same manner again. The Jaguars released the kicker on October 19 after he missed three field goals and two PATs in three games.
Before the report by The Tampa Bay Times, reports surfaced that tensions within the locker room were boiling over, with Meyer and wide receiver Marvin Jones reportedly getting into a shouting match at practice due to Meyer’s criticism of the receiver group. Additionally, reports surfaced that Meyer blasted his coaching staff for being “losers,” challenging them to defend their resumes and prove to him when they’ve ever won.
In October, video of Meyer surfaced at a bar with a young woman — who was not his wife — grinding against him. Meyer apologized to the team, but Khan said he would have to “regain our trust and respect.”
According to USA Today Sports, Meyer and the Jaguars have yet to reach a settlement on the rest of Meyer’s five-year contract worth between $10-$12 million per year.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].