Urban Meyer.Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty
Urban Meyerhas issued a public apology after being fired as head coach of theJacksonville Jaguarslast week.
Meyer, 57, apologized to the Jacksonville community while speaking to NFL Network Insider’s Ian Rapoport in a phoneconversationlate last week.
During the interview, Meyer — who was fired after less than a year with the team — praised Jaguars owner Shad Khan and expressed a positive outlook for the franchise’s future despite the departure.
“I just apologize to Jacksonville,” said Meyer. “I love Jacksonville. It’s one of the reasons I took the job. I still think Shad’s a great owner. It’s heartbreaking. I just had a dream of it becoming a destination place with a new facility he agreed to build and some day to walk into that stadium where it’s standing room only. Because I know how bad the people of Jacksonville want it.”
He added, “So, I’m just heartbroken that we weren’t able to do that. I still believe it’s going to be done. It’s too good of a place.”
While speaking to Rapoport, he explained that the team’s losses this season started to take a toll on him. The Jaguars are currently 2-12.
On Dec. 16, Khan announced Meyer’s firing in a news release following a number of recent incidents.
“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 the news release. “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.”
Meyer was fired after being accused of kicking former player Josh Lambo in the leg during practice in August. Lambo, who was released from the team in October after missing his first three field-goal attempts of the season, spoke to theTampa Bay Timesabout the incident.
“Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dips—, make your f—— kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg,” Lambo alleged.
Meyer denied the allegations, telling the newspaper, “Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account. [General manager] Trent [Baalke] and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up. I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best.”
In a separate incident, videofootagecaptured Meyer, who is married, at an Ohio bar with a woman dancing on top of his lap in October. Meyer’s hand was seen on or very close to the woman’s rear.
Khanaddressedthe bar incident with Meyer, noting he appreciated his remorse. “Now, he must regain our trust and respect,” he said at the time.
Darrell Bevell, the team’s offensive coordinator, will serve as the Jaguars' interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Meyer joined the team in January and was previously the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2005 to 2010, and then at Ohio State from 2012 to 2018.
source: people.com
