Amid another round of speculation about his future, which seems to become a topic of debate every few months, Urban Meyer once again restated his commitment as UF's coach.
Saturday, Meyer made an appearance at the 15th Bob Dooley Invitational, a golf tournament that benefits STOP! Children's Cancer, and spoke to those in attendance. During the speech, Meyer addressed the latest rumors, which he described as "nonsense," that came about as a result of a controversial column in The Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register.
"I'm not going to Notre Dame. Ever," Meyer said at the event, according to The Gainesville Sun. "I'm going to be the coach at Florida for a long time, as long as they want me."
Meyer's contract with UF is good through 2013, but he has previously referred to Notre Dame as his "dream job." He was an assistant coach in South Bend, Ind., for five years under Lou Holtz, but he chose UF over Notre Dame in 2004.
The rumors of Meyer's departure after this season were most recently stoked by Paul Finebaum's column in the Press-Register on Tuesday. Finebaum wrote that, despite Meyer's stated desire to remain at UF, he will be leaving for Notre Dame after this coming season and repeatedly called the coach's character into question.
Former Gators coach Steve Spurrier previously fueled the fire by discussing the rumors in May during a radio interview, ironically on the Paul Finebaum Radio Network.
Whether Meyer eventually leaves for Notre Dame or stays at UF until his coaching career comes to an end, his words will reassure players, boosters and recruits of his commitment to UF.
Jamie Newberg, a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said Meyer was wise to make such a public statement. Opposing coaches have already used the rumors to pull recruits away from the Gators.
UF 2010 commit Matt Elam, the nation's No. 5 overall prospect, told Rivals.com he heard rumors during his recruitment that Meyer will leave Gainesville after the 2009 season.
Many recruits could be swayed by the idea that they would be finishing their careers under another coach.
"You would think these kids pick schools because of the schools, but recruiting is about relationships," Newberg said. "And that's the main thing as to why kids pick schools - the relationships they build up with these coaches."
Coaches have made similar statements about their future, however, including Alabama coach Nick Saban. Then the Miami Dolphins head coach, Saban said he would not be the Crimson Tide's coach less than two weeks before announcing he accepted the Alabama job.
"You never know, but I understand why he did it. It's probably smart because they're probably hearing a lot of feedback from kids that coaches are saying he's gone, then you've got other coaches talking about it," Newberg said. "It's probably why he nipped it in the bud now rather than waiting until if and when a job opens up."
Despite Meyer's recent and firm denial, however, Newberg said the Gators' two national championships in three years make Meyer a potential candidate for any job that opens up. So this likely won't be the last time he will be the subject of rumors.
"Things will be floating around anyway, which is something that success brings. It's something he's always going to have to address."
