The Florida Gators football program has not won a national title since Urban Meyer was the head coach. They won two national titles under him in 2006 and in 2008 when Tim Tebow was the quarterback.
The Gators fanbase is hoping to return to glory and get back on top of the college football world. Florida football has not been the same since Meyer’s departure. He has been successful with many different programs other than just the Gators. Where does Meyer rank amongst the top head coaches in college football over the last 25 years?
The Athletic Ranks Former Florida Gators Coach Urban Meyer As the Second-Best Coach Over the Last 25 Years
Chris Vannini of the Athletic created his top 25 college football coaches over the last 25 years list. Well, to no surprise, the former Gators coach made the list. Meyer was ranked as the second-best coach of the last 25 years in college football. The only coach to be ranked ahead of him was Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide and also the LSU Tigers. Vannini said of Meyer being ranked second,
“Accomplishments: Three national championships, two additional undefeated seasons, seven conference championships, nine top-five finishes
Only two coaches have won a national championship at multiple schools, and they top this list. Meyer won two at Florida in 2006 and 2008 before stepping away due to health concerns. He returned at Ohio State a few years later and opened with an undefeated season in 2012, though the Buckeyes were banned from the postseason due to the Tattoogate scandal under Tressel, but then won it all in 2014. Meyer also went undefeated at Utah in 2004 with Alex Smith at quarterback, as the Utes became the first program from outside a power conference to reach a BCS bowl. His 187-39 record is good for a winning percentage of 85 percent. It’s one of the most impressive runs in history, behind only the guy who ended Florida’s run.”
When he won a national title with Ohio State in 2014, it was the first season of the four-team college football playoffs, and the Buckeyes were the fourth seed that season. That team had an absolutely stacked roster of NFL talent. What was impressive is that Cardale Jones was the third string quarterback that season and he helped them win it all.
The Buckeyes and the Gators had a lot of success because of him, but Ohio State is in a much better spot as a program today than Florida currently is. Meyer also coached for the Utah Utes and also the Bowling Green Falcons. He is also a college football analyst now for FOX sports and still covers the game at a very high level.
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