Former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer only last 13 games in the NFL before being fired for cause. Now, more details are coming out about the culture that Meyer created in Jacksonville and why he had such a short tenure as an NFL head coach.
Meyer, a three-time national champion at the college level, took over as the Jaguars’ head coach in 2001. Issues started popping up immediately, ultimately culminating in Jacksonville firing its first-year coach in December of that same year.
It was the result of a series of bad decisions, inappropriate behavior and confrontations that derailed the Jaguars’ season. The first reports of Meyer’s having issues surfaced in August, with details on the numerous ‘red flags’ he had as an NFL head coach including lashing out at people on the team.
Meyer’s relationship with the players in the locker room quickly soured and as the losses pile up, Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan faced more public calls to make a coaching change. Shortly after former Jaguars’ kicker Josh Lambo accused Meyer of kicking him, a change was made.
In the year-plus since Meyer was dismissed, a variety of first-hand accounts and in-depth reporting has shed insight on his time in Jacksonville. Now, a new story from inside the locker room is offering a glimpse into Meyer’s pride and how quickly he was willing to wield his authority over players to prove a point.
Ty Dunne of Go Long wrote in-depth about the rise of the Jaguars under head coach Doug Pederson. In comparing the team to what it used to be, one player shared an account of how he almost lost his roster spot over something small he said that angered Meyer.
Related: Report details allegations of ‘toxic environment’ during Urban Meyer’s tenure
After Jacksonville lost 31-7 to the Seattle Seahawks, dropping its record to 1-6, safety Andrew Wingard spoke up during a team meeting. The young safety highlighted that, at the time, the Jaguars had a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach, meaning there was more pressure on the defense to carry the team.
Wingard received a call on Monday night, with the caller ID indicating it was his position coach. When he answered, Meyer immediately ripped him for calling him a rookie head coach.
“Dewey, why the hell did you call me a rookie head coach? Tell me why. If it was anybody else right now, you’d already be cut. Explain yourself to me is essentially what he said. So I had to freaking save face and tell him how much I love him and how he’s the greatest coach ever. … You’re sitting there on your off-night chilling and you get a call from your head coach: ‘Hey, I’m going to cut you if you don’t apologize for calling me a rookie head coach.’”
Urban Meyer to Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (H/T Ty Dunne)
Related: Urban Meyer blames ‘fragile’ players, coaches for his failed NFL stint
Fearing for his future in the NFL and recognizing Meyer’s demand for an apology as a threat, the undrafted safety Met with Meyer the next day and profusely apologized. After hearing what he wanted, Meyer kept Wingard on the team.
A few weeks later, after reports surfaced of Meyer kicking Lambo, Meyer was fired with a 2-11 record. Meyer’s replacement, Doug Pederson, helped turned the Jaguars around last year and the team is now favored to win the division for the first time in years.
