I remember him Corey. After a few years off he came back better than ever. I hope for Meyer's sake he can do the same. Here's a link that says he didn't have a heart attack but was just burned out. Which does sound like Vermeil when he left the first time. Coaching UF Took A Toll On Urban Meyer
Terry, here's a report that Will Muschamp is a candidate and that we will have a coach within a week. Football Scoop
For the older ND guys here, Frank Leahy also burned himself out and retired young. It has been speculated that Leahy also was at odds with the administration.
Terry, I am pretty well assured that Meyer is not at odds with the administration. Here's an article from the NYT that kind of makes it clear why he is doing this. Meyer Interview With NYT I don't have the quote, but Nick Saban made a very classy press release about Urban Meyer.
Knowing as much as I do about heart disease it is surprising that Urban "lost consciousness" and yet didn't suffer from an ischemic event. Maybe he does have blockages as I did but so far they have not led to a measurable attack. This is the same scenario that I experienced except that my blockages were severe enough at age 40 that I had a quad bypass. It wouldn't surprise me if it does come out that Urban has blockages. Maybe his are not severe yet but they have warned him that a serious attack and bypass are in his future if he doesn't make changes. Can't blame him one bit for resigning. If I had his money I would be seeking out the most relaxing situation I could find on a daily basis. Unfortunately for me I have had to continue to try and make a fruitful living as best that I can and mostly I did as well as I could until the automotive meltdown. Now.....still making a living although not as fruitful and vacationing every weekend ( living in Florida you can do that). In any event I wish him well and note that he will be very sorely missed. In the meantime I have already thought about how John Brantley could thrive under a Spurrier or Shanahan....... 8)
As an Eagle fan I certainly remember Dick. He is one of the most popular sport figures in the history of Philadelphia. He was first I person I can that cited burnout as the reason he quit the Birds. I'd never heard of that before. He was the most intense coach I've ever seen. PJ in Jersey
I've waited to chime in on this until after the first wave had passed. I don't revel in the fact that he will be gone from Florida. I have been through heart issues myself and don't wish that on anyone. Here's to your health Urban.
MCG Loosing consciousness without an ischemic event can happen with arrthythmias like ventricular tachycardia. It doesn't have to be blockages.
Cindy....you think stress alone could cause him to lose consciousness? Or....can severe stress by itself cause the tachycardia?
Terry, the stories I've eard in the past say that the school forced his resignation because they saw and were concerned about what was happening to him healthwise, and he wouldn't admit to the problems and wouldn't quit. I don't know how much truth there is to those stories, but that's what I've heard.
Sid on this I actually do have some inside information. If you remember after Ara was hired Hugh Devore stayed for a couple of years as an Asst AD, then left South Bend and moved to Houston where he was employed first by the Houston Oilers and then by the Astros. For awhile he was my patient. When I told him how big a ND fan I was, he told me some stories. One of which was that the Admin really forced Leahy out by clamping down on him. They were afraid of becoming a football factory and in a day of unlimited scholarships they limited him, he fought them and they also thought he was becoming "too big". The Iowa incident caused the priests a lot of distress. Anyway he was at odds with the Admin over a number of things, and no doubt the whole stress of the situation was too much for his health. Terry
Interesting story, Terry. Hugh Devore was much loved by the students (I was there in '63) despite his one-year failure as a head coach. I had forgotten that you once told us about your experience with him as a patient. That's a great memory for you. Thanks for sharing.
Stress can always be a factor in illness. But v-tach is caused by other factors, usually heart muscle irritability. And that can be caused by chemical and/or physical factors.
First of all, I'm shocked and saddened about Meyer's health problems. As the salaries of big time coaches goes up, it seems like the demands and stress created also elevates. You appreciate the ability to survive shown by Bobby Bowden and JoPa. Meyer has laid a strong foundation at UF and they should be OK for some time. Hey Sid Did you ever read that book on Ara I recommended? It discusses the administration and the football factory perception.
Now it's being reported that Meyer will take a leave of absence and perhaps return. If his health allows that I would be happy, but if it would do him serious harm I would not.
I see he supposed to have a news conference late today from New Orleans. If he takes a leave of absence and intends to return to UF, I can't imagine that he will be able to rest and relax and get away from football. I mean the team will move on, recruiting will move on and he'd have to be sorely tempted to stay involved and not really get away because that is the team he will take over when he decides to come back. I would think Addazzio might want to run a lot of things by Urban while he was out.