Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is set to leave the Buckeyes. On Tuesday, December 4, it was announced that Meyer would be calling it quits in Columbus by retiring as head coach at Ohio State. The decision comes following a season full of controversy where he was accused of helping to cover up alleged domestic violence from former wide receiver coach Zach Smith.
Meyer, who will surely be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, will be retiring following Ohio State’s Rose Bowl matchup against the Washington Huskies.
According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Meyer is ready to give the program up to offensive coordinator Ryan Day.
A news conference is set for 2:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Health may have played into Meyer’s decision to call it a career at Ohio State, according to Cleveland.com:
The news comes as no surprise, as retirement was one of the options available to Meyer as he battled the cyst, which caused him to drop to a knee on the sideline during the Indiana game. Meyer had brain surgery to drain the cyst in the spring of 2014, and another surgery is an option for treatment. But Meyer knew he couldn’t go on the way things were this season. Meyer is 82-9 at in seven seasons at Ohio State, with a 7-0 record against Michigan and three Big Ten titles. Seven years was the longest he lasted at any of the four schools where he coached, following two seasons as Bowling Green, two at Utah and six at Florida. At Florida, he retired in similar fashion after the SEC Championship in the 2009 season, then unretired and stayed at Florida for one more year.
Meyer leaves Ohio State with an 82-9 record.
The No. 6 Buckeyes take on the No. 9 Huskies in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019. Kickoff between Ohio State and Washington is set for 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
