Odds Heavily Against Urban Meyer Returning to Coach College Team in 2021
- A prop bet on Urban Meyer’s coaching future offers a surprising amount of value
- Meyer is 187-32 as a head coach and has captured three national championships
- Here are the odds, an update on his current status and a list of potential job openings in 2021
Urban Meyer the head coach was legendary. Urban Meyer the broadcast analyst is pretty good as well, but which role suits him best next season?
It’s a juicy prop bet if you believe Meyer could in fact return to the sidelines next season.
Let’s explore this prop bet from two angles – could he be enticed to leave the broadcast booth, and what jobs could be available that he’d consider?
Odds Urban Meyer Coaches College Football Team in 2021
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +300 |
| No | -500 |
Odds taken Nov. 18th
Will Meyer Be Tempted to Leave Fox Sports?
Meyer has landed quite comfortably at Fox Sports becoming one of the better analysts in college football. It appears to be a long term fit but that doesn’t necessarily mean his position with the media giant is set in stone.
Fellow analyst Matt Leinart was asked about Meyer last month and had this to say, “I think he’s done. I think he loves—and I know this for a fact—he loves family time. He loves that his head is not exploding. He has the cyst. It’s a real health issue for him. And now he’s getting paid to talk on TV and hang out, and we have a great group, man. We have a lot of fun. So I’ll say I wouldn’t be shocked if he ever went back, but my opinion is that I think he’s done.”
"That's our job as educators – to educate people."
– @CoachUrbanMeyer didn't stick to sports as @OhioStateFB head coach, making sure his players were informed politically via bipartisan educational sessions.
Full Urban Analysis ➡️ https://t.co/fz2CUL4tfw
📍 @Speedway pic.twitter.com/aPxw6feUoJ
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 12, 2020
There’s an important caveat to everything Leinart just said. This isn’t the first time Meyer has stepped away from the sidelines.
Remember, he did the same at Florida before accepting his dream job with Ohio State. While the health concerns and love for family time are real, so to is the fact he is an elite football coach that many programs would pay handsomely to bring into the fold.
Big Time Positions Could Be Available
Urban Meyer’s days of coaching the likes of Bowling Green and Utah are in the past. If the three-time national champion returns it will be for a big time program. How many of those positions could be available next year?
The answer is likely many. Michigan would certainly be justified in firing Jim Harbaugh. Okay, that one’s not happening but the others certainly could. Clay Helton is hanging on by a thread at USC, as is former Meyer assistant Tom Herman at Texas. What about a return to the SEC at Tennessee or Auburn should those jobs be made available?
Full transcript of Tom Herman's answer when @AnwarRichardson asked about Urban Meyer speculation and job security today pic.twitter.com/9h7shDDtCX
— Max Olson (@max_olson) November 16, 2020
While it isn’t known for sure which jobs will be open, it seems likely there will be a handful and Meyer would be the first phone call for most of them.
Meyer Return Offering Considerable Value
One thing we all know for certain is things in college football can change on a dime. Something that seems likely today may not be tomorrow. When several big time programs come calling for Meyer in the off-season, it seems highly possible he gets the itch to coach again. Betting on his return is the value play considering the +300 price tag attached to a proposition that doesn’t appear to be a longshot at all.
The Pick: Yes (+300)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
