Urban Meyer shocked the college football world yesterday by announcing that he will step down as head coach of the Florida Gators after the Sugar Bowl on January 1st. What is not so shocking is the reason why. The stress of being a head coach is causing him health problems that he can no longer ignore.
Napoleon Hill said, “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” Meyer’s commitment to this principle has earned him the highest honor in the college coaching profession – two national championships. Unfortunately, this sacrifice brought a health issues penalty that was beyond his control.
Give Meyer some credit for recognizing that his health is a higher priority than coaching football. Anyone who is a competitor knows the difficulty of saying I can no longer give elite level effort. Looking in that mirror and admitting vulnerability is painful. Meyer’s acceptance took some time to occur, but he finally realized could not coach his way out of the problem.
College football needs more Meyer’s in the profession. He’s innovative, a teacher and a motivator. The game will move on, but his style will be missed beyond the Florida Gators. Hopefully he will recover and return to the sidelines one day.
Recent Comments