When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Urban Meyer to replace Doug Marrone as head coach in January, and drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the number one overall pick, owner Shad Khan proudly proclaimed, “This time, I got it right.”
Khan couldn’t have been more off with his proclamation.
Meyer was fired early Thursday morning — just 13 games into his NFL head coaching tenure — with a record of 2-11.
“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” Khan said in a statement on the team’s website. “I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”
“Darrell Bevell will serve as interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the balance of the 2021 season.”
The news came shortly after the latest round of embarrassing reports regarding Meyer’s time in Jacksonville, this time from a former kicker.
On Wednesday, The Tampa Bay Times published a report detailing Meyer’s treatment of Josh Lambo — now a free agent kicker — in which Lambo accused Meyer of kicking him at Jaguars practice.
According to the newspaper, Lambo — who had missed a field goal attempt in each of the Jaguars two preseason games — was approached by Meyer while Lambo was stretching at practice, imploring him to convert his field goal attempts and then delivering a kick to Lambo’s leg.
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo said. “… Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dip****, make your f***ing kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.”
Lambo characterized the kick as a “five (out of 10),” and then 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 kicker was released by the Jaguars on October 19, missing three field goals and two PAT’s in three games.
While the report from the Tampa Bay Times appears to have been the last straw, it certainly was not the first off-the-field issue Meyer had to deal with in his first NFL season.
Over the weekend, 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.
Meyer also benched running back James Robinson following an opening-drive fumble during the Jaguars 37-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in week 13. Meyer reportedly only allowed Robinson to return after Lawrence implored Meyer to insert Robinson back into the game on the sidelines.
Following Jacksonville’s shutout loss on Sunday, Meyer denied the allegations, threatening to fire the source behind the leaks.
“What’s the answer [when things are going badly]? Start leaking information or some nonsense?” Meyer said after the game. “No. No, that’s nonsense. That’s garbage. I’ve been very blessed. I’ve not really dealt with that. I’ve not dealt with, ‘Well, did you hear what he said?’ What? No. Let’s improve on offense and get our quarterback in a position to be successful. That’s our focus.”
“What someone’s brother said, or someone said someone said, that will occupy very little of my time. And if there is a source, that source is unemployed. I mean, within seconds, if there’s some source that’s doing that.”
Meyer also denied calling his coaches “losers,” but admitting that he does “have high expectations for our coaches.”
“Calling someone a loser, that’s inaccurate,” Meyer said. “I have high expectations for our coaches. I’m very demanding of our coaches and expect guys to be held accountable for their positions, and the times when they’re not, we address it. But I assure you there was not whatever report … that’s nonsense.”
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 Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he would have to “regain our trust and respect.”
Meyer agreed to return to coaching this offseason — his first stint in the NFL — after trying his hand at broadcasting. Meyer had compiled an impressive 187-32 record in his college coaching career, winning two national championships with the Florida Gators and one as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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].