Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Urban Meyer has been named as a candidate for a college football job that recently opened.
In a column for the Arizona Republic, writer Greg Moore proposed that Arizona State should give Meyer a call. Arizona State fired head coach Herm Edwards last week, but their first game under interim head coach Shaun Aguano led them to a 34-13 blowout loss to rival Utah.
“Arizona State’s 34-13 loss to Utah at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday makes an obvious and hugely controversial point: Ray Anderson needs to call Urban Meyer,” Moore wrote. “ASU is in search of a new leader after the abrupt departure of Herm Edwards, and there’s pressure on Anderson to make a bold impression with the hire as major programs realign into lucrative super-conferences… Talking to Meyer is nothing if not bold.”
It would certainly be a bold move for the Sun Devils to land one of the most accomplished head coaches in college football. But there’s a bunch of potential issues there.
The first and most obvious issue is the very high likelihood that Urban Meyer simply wouldn’t accept the Arizona State job. While Meyer has coached in the Mountain-West region before during his stint with Utah, he’s passed the point where he needs to take any Power Five job that becomes available.
The second potential hurdle is how hiring Meyer would go over in the press. His time with the Jacksonville Jaguars really did a number on the respect people have for him. Hiring Meyer wouldn’t be met with the same level of support that it might have been in the past.
But the Sun Devils won’t know for sure if they don’t call Meyer and gauge his interest first.
Should Arizona State give the three-time national champion a call?