Update (11:10 pm)
A high-level university source has indicated that the Urban Meyer dream has ended after the former Ohio State coach indicated to Texas officials this weekend that he would not be returning to coaching because of his health.
When I asked the source if the pursuit of Meyer was something that might be revisited after the college football season is completed, I was told via text, "It's over."
*****
Update (8PM)
After making a few more calls and consolidating info within the Orangebloods staff, I wanted to update a few things.
a. As it relates to Urban Meyer, I can confirm that Texas has not received an answer from Meyer.
b. Whether it's just nerves, grapevine talk, something absolutely concrete or some combination of all of these things, there's definitely pessimism in the air. In fact, the pessimism that suddenly exists coming out of the weekend is such that I'd be foolish to project 50-50 or better at this point. Hope still exists, but it seems to have caught an elbow in the fact today.
c. While I'm literally getting ready to release a column that all but screams that change has to be made, both Anwar Richardson and I have talked to very high-level sourcing in the last 24 hours that is reporting that if Meyer declines to return to the sidelines, retaining Tom Herman remains on the table.
Multiple reporters in the market have reported that Herman's job security isn't completely in the dumpster this weekend, but I have to admit that I just thought it was athletic department rhetoric while the Meyer stuff and the rest of the season played out. However, in talking to sourcing on multiple layers of the administration hierarchy, there seems to be some real apprehension about what exists outside of Meyer in the coaching pool of candidates.
Basically, I'm not confident that the Texas administration is confident that it has a viable plan B.
d. In talking with Ohio State-centric sourcing today, there seems to be a feeling that Meyer is very interested in the job, but the combination of Meyer's health issues and the problematic timing of potentially trying to poach important Ohio State personnel pieces from the program while the Buckeyes are trying to get into the playoffs in the next two weeks might be what leads to an eventual no from Meyer. One source I spoke with on Sunday that has spoken throughout the week with a member of the Meyer family wondered if the timing of the approach might have been better if it had arrived after the season instead of what has been described to me as a "stressful" month for the Buckeyes.
*****
I've checked in with a couple of sources in the last hour and will continue to do so, but I wanted to pass along a few notes.
a. Urban Meyer has not given Texas an answer.
b. As we've been saying all week, and as recent as last night, the single biggest hurdle that has to be cleared is related to his health and I just communicated with a high-level source that said it remains the biggest issue with Meyer.
That hasn't magically gone away just because Texas is praying for it do so. How do we handicap the situation? I'm not sure. Maybe nerves are increasing and it's leading to a little panic.
As of Sunday afternoon, there's not bad news to report as much as there's nervousness about the current situation that is probably sinking in.
Stay tuned.
A high-level university source has indicated that the Urban Meyer dream has ended after the former Ohio State coach indicated to Texas officials this weekend that he would not be returning to coaching because of his health.
When I asked the source if the pursuit of Meyer was something that might be revisited after the college football season is completed, I was told via text, "It's over."
*****
Update (8PM)
After making a few more calls and consolidating info within the Orangebloods staff, I wanted to update a few things.
a. As it relates to Urban Meyer, I can confirm that Texas has not received an answer from Meyer.
b. Whether it's just nerves, grapevine talk, something absolutely concrete or some combination of all of these things, there's definitely pessimism in the air. In fact, the pessimism that suddenly exists coming out of the weekend is such that I'd be foolish to project 50-50 or better at this point. Hope still exists, but it seems to have caught an elbow in the fact today.
c. While I'm literally getting ready to release a column that all but screams that change has to be made, both Anwar Richardson and I have talked to very high-level sourcing in the last 24 hours that is reporting that if Meyer declines to return to the sidelines, retaining Tom Herman remains on the table.
Multiple reporters in the market have reported that Herman's job security isn't completely in the dumpster this weekend, but I have to admit that I just thought it was athletic department rhetoric while the Meyer stuff and the rest of the season played out. However, in talking to sourcing on multiple layers of the administration hierarchy, there seems to be some real apprehension about what exists outside of Meyer in the coaching pool of candidates.
Basically, I'm not confident that the Texas administration is confident that it has a viable plan B.
d. In talking with Ohio State-centric sourcing today, there seems to be a feeling that Meyer is very interested in the job, but the combination of Meyer's health issues and the problematic timing of potentially trying to poach important Ohio State personnel pieces from the program while the Buckeyes are trying to get into the playoffs in the next two weeks might be what leads to an eventual no from Meyer. One source I spoke with on Sunday that has spoken throughout the week with a member of the Meyer family wondered if the timing of the approach might have been better if it had arrived after the season instead of what has been described to me as a "stressful" month for the Buckeyes.
*****
I've checked in with a couple of sources in the last hour and will continue to do so, but I wanted to pass along a few notes.
a. Urban Meyer has not given Texas an answer.
b. As we've been saying all week, and as recent as last night, the single biggest hurdle that has to be cleared is related to his health and I just communicated with a high-level source that said it remains the biggest issue with Meyer.
That hasn't magically gone away just because Texas is praying for it do so. How do we handicap the situation? I'm not sure. Maybe nerves are increasing and it's leading to a little panic.
As of Sunday afternoon, there's not bad news to report as much as there's nervousness about the current situation that is probably sinking in.
Stay tuned.
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