It's the Internet version of a ghost town.
After scavenging through the seemingly deserted FireCoachMeyer.com for about 30 seconds, I almost expected a pixelated tumbleweed to roll across my laptop's screen.
In a time where Web sites like FireRRod.com - urging the dismissal of highly paid Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez - or CanCharlie.com - demanding the removal of Notre Dame head man Charlie Weis - are running rampant, it is amazing to see a fan base so satisfied with its squad leader.
The last update on FireCoachMeyer.com? That would be after the Mississippi loss this season. The entry to the Web site says, "The #4 ranked Gators were exposed as a 2-man team…and couldn't get it done vs the Rebels." Poor grammar left unchanged.
Six games and six thrashings later, it looks like Meyer and the Gators have shut up even their harshest doubters. There's no rebuttal for outscoring opponents 299-63 in that span.
As Meyer continues to bring top athletes to Gainesville from across the country, he fortifies his reputation as one of the best coaches in the country and builds a continuously refreshing foundation for this program for years to come. When he was hired from Utah four years ago, skeptics wondered if his success could carry over to a program in a BCS conference. It carried, past tense, and it's carrying, present tense. UF is en route to its second Southeastern Conference Championship in three years and quite possibly more.
FireCoachMeyer.com also sells apparel, including a shirt with the slogan "The Legend Has Arrived: Urban Crier" emblazoned on the back and a crying cartoon baby. Cute.
The site even has its own message board for some reason. No one has offered the creator any "Site Suggestions" since Oct. 27.
2007, that is.
The site proudly heralds a link to its 2005 season recap - its only season recap - on the left-hand margin. The administrator is clearly out of the loop.
Before this season began, CBSSports.com ran a feature where writer Dennis Dodd ranked college football's top coaches. After Southern Cal's Pete Carroll was named No. 1, Meyer was listed among seven other top choices listed in alphabetical order.
And it's not just the head coaches. Dodd ranked position coaches from tight ends up to offensive coordinator, and it's no surprise to see five coaches recognized from Gainesville, tied for the most from any school with USC. It's not just Meyer's talent. It's the people surrounding him.
In just four years calling UF home, Meyer has not quite made alumni forget about the great Steve Spurrier, but Meyer has definitely brought himself up to that level. And if UF brings home a second national title in three years? You could argue Meyer has done more in his brief time here than Spurrier did, though you can't discount Spurrier building the program up from nothing. But Meyer will eclipse Spurrier's win totals if he stays here. It's only a matter of when.
Right in the middle of FireCoachMeyer.com is a simple message, a statement of the Web site's purpose.
"Have we placed too much hype on Urban?" the site asks. "ONE WORD = Probably."
After three successful years and a fourth in progress, the answer to that question is a much simpler, single word. No.
