Nearly nine months after the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Urban Meyer as head coach, the bar video that led to multiple apologies might have things at a crisis point for the iconic coach and his team.
Following a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, which dropped the Jaguars to 0-4, Meyer stayed in Ohio and went to dinner Friday at his restaurant/bar in Columbus with his family. At Urban Meyer’s Pint House, the Jaguars’ coach allowed a young woman to dance very close to his lap and the video went viral over the weekend.
Meyer apologized to the team privately and expressed remorse during a press conference Monday for ‘being a distraction.’ But, according to NFL insider Michael Silver, the problems aren’t going away.
According to Silver, players are particularly taking issue with what transpired on Monday. Meyer reportedly canceled a team meeting to deal with the situation he created, with one player believing it was done because the head coach was “too scared.”
Rather than address the team, Meyer met with specific position groups and allegedly downplayed the incident. According to Silver’s reporting from a player in the room, Meyer portrayed the young woman in the video as a random stranger who was just dancing.
Players reportedly didn’t buy into Meyer’s story nor apology and laughed when he left the room. Now, at least based on the player Silver spoke with, there is concern about how Meyer will function in a locker room where there isn’t strong trust and respect.
Urban Meyer’s recent issues in Jacksonville
The bar incident isn’t the lone issue created by Meyer since he arrived in Jacksonville. In his first year as an NFL head coach, Meyer has made decisions that drew fines, received significant backlash and caused some rifts during the summer.
Allowed to assemble his coaching staff, Meyer hired longtime friend Chris Doyle. Doyle, who was let go by Iowa after multiple claims of his racism towards student-athletes, resigned a day later after Meyer faced immediate criticism for the hire.
Meyer and the Jaguars were also fined for practice violations. The NFL docked Jacksonville $200,000 and two OTA practices in 2022 and hit Meyer with a $100,000 fine after the team broke held contact 11-on-11 drills.
Things didn’t get any better as the year went on. Meyer brought in personal friend Tim Tebow at tight end, despite the fact he was 33 years old and hadn’t played an NFL snap in years. Tebow was among the Jaguars’ first roster cuts in August.
The Jaguars also struggled during the preseason and those woes have continued into the regular season. Along the way, there have been reports of Meyer clashing with staff, lashing out at people and becoming unhinged at times.
Find out where Urban Meyer lands on the NFL coaching hot seat
Just a few months into his first NFL stint and a multi-year contract, it might not be long before Meyer medically retires or is let go. If that happens, with everything going on, the USC job might not be on the table.