A few notes to pass along...
a. I spoke with a TV executive today with some insight into Urban Meyer's situation from a Fox perspective. Basically, it's the same information that everyone already knows, which is that the ball is in Urban Meyer's court and that it will simply come down to how Meyer's family feels about the idea of him taking another job that potentially puts his health at risk. Per this source...
1. Urban hasn't told Fox anything yet.
2. If any job is ever going to tempt Meyer back into coaching, it'll be Texas. I was told his interest is significant and that those in the TV industry have known that this was a possibility for months.
b. We mentioned yesterday that there was scuttlebutt of Meyer looking for a deal worth more than the one that Jimbo Fisher signed at Texas A&M. Although we haven't locked down the years attached to the offer, there were whispers of an offer of $12 million per year is in Urban's hands. Again, we're trying to lock down specifics before "officially" reporting it, but in the name of sharing the whispers that we're hearing.... there ya go.
I asked one high-level Texas administrator tonight about the number and I was told that the number was shocking and was met with a huge amount of disbelief.
In talking to Texas administrators prior to this week, there's no doubt in my mind that a 10 year contract would normally be a non-starter for those in charge of approving contracts, so it's possible that the $12 million per year number (which is nearly $3 million more than Nick Saban is making this year at Alabama), is an attempted middle ground in terms of building a total compensation package that ticks all the boxes for Meyer without causing Texas officials to make a deal they have reservations about.
c. On the whole, I've never seen such internal discipline from the Texas side of things as I have in the last week or so with regards to anything involving Meyer. Hell, it's possible that the administrator I communicated with tonight is part of the "Lips Are Sealed" Club and those involved simply aren't going to do anything that so much as threatens this deal by a hair.
d. For all of the talk about BMDs and cooks in the kitchen, the sense I get is that Chris Del Conte is very much steering the ship. One person I spoke with earlier today said that it's not quite like Steve Patterson shutting everyone out except his inner circle of one back in 2013, but it's less of a joint affair as the pursuit of Tom Herman proved to be.
a. I spoke with a TV executive today with some insight into Urban Meyer's situation from a Fox perspective. Basically, it's the same information that everyone already knows, which is that the ball is in Urban Meyer's court and that it will simply come down to how Meyer's family feels about the idea of him taking another job that potentially puts his health at risk. Per this source...
1. Urban hasn't told Fox anything yet.
2. If any job is ever going to tempt Meyer back into coaching, it'll be Texas. I was told his interest is significant and that those in the TV industry have known that this was a possibility for months.
b. We mentioned yesterday that there was scuttlebutt of Meyer looking for a deal worth more than the one that Jimbo Fisher signed at Texas A&M. Although we haven't locked down the years attached to the offer, there were whispers of an offer of $12 million per year is in Urban's hands. Again, we're trying to lock down specifics before "officially" reporting it, but in the name of sharing the whispers that we're hearing.... there ya go.
I asked one high-level Texas administrator tonight about the number and I was told that the number was shocking and was met with a huge amount of disbelief.
In talking to Texas administrators prior to this week, there's no doubt in my mind that a 10 year contract would normally be a non-starter for those in charge of approving contracts, so it's possible that the $12 million per year number (which is nearly $3 million more than Nick Saban is making this year at Alabama), is an attempted middle ground in terms of building a total compensation package that ticks all the boxes for Meyer without causing Texas officials to make a deal they have reservations about.
c. On the whole, I've never seen such internal discipline from the Texas side of things as I have in the last week or so with regards to anything involving Meyer. Hell, it's possible that the administrator I communicated with tonight is part of the "Lips Are Sealed" Club and those involved simply aren't going to do anything that so much as threatens this deal by a hair.
d. For all of the talk about BMDs and cooks in the kitchen, the sense I get is that Chris Del Conte is very much steering the ship. One person I spoke with earlier today said that it's not quite like Steve Patterson shutting everyone out except his inner circle of one back in 2013, but it's less of a joint affair as the pursuit of Tom Herman proved to be.
