Urban Meyer to retire after the Rose Bowl

Assistant Ryan Day will take over

December 4, 2018 8:20 PM

Kevin Lewis,

Posted: December 4, 2018 8:20 PM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:28 PM

by Kevin Lewis

Meyer has 186 wins in 17 seasons as a head coach.
The Buckeyes are 82-9 under Urban Meyer.
Meyer won three Big Ten titles at Ohio St.

The Rose Bowl will be Urban Meyer’s final game as Ohio State’s head football coach. Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will be the next head coach.

After seven years and a national championship at Ohio State, the 54-year-old Meyer announced his departure Tuesday at a news conference.

Meyer has said he suffers from debilitating headaches caused by an arachnoid cyst in his brain. He says the headaches he suffers from the cyst that he has in his brain became severe last season during Ohio State’s game at Penn State and have become a persistent problem this season.

He says stepping away would have been more difficult if the program wasn’t healthy. The Buckeyes are 12-1 after winning the Big Ten.

Meyer says the timing of his retirement was based on recruiting. He said the move needed to be made before the early signing period opens on Dec. 19.

He was also battered this year by an offseason issue involving a now-fired assistant coach that led to Meyer’s suspension for the first three games of the season.

Meyer was 81-9 with a national championship at Ohio State after six years at Florida, where he won two national titles. He’s 186-32 in 17 seasons as a head coach (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio St.).