Much to the dismay of Ohio State fans (and to the cheers of Michigan fans), OSU head football coach Urban Meyer, 54, will retire after the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
The loss is a deep one for OSU football, as Meyer led the Buckeyes to an 82-9 record over seven seasons, though not without controversy.
Domestic abuse allegations against former wide receiver coach Zach Smith blemished Meyer’s reputation and successes of his most recent, and now final, season. An investigation of Meyer’s knowledge of the accusations and how he dealt with them resulted in his suspension from the first three games of the season.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Day, who was tapped to act as the next head coach after Meyer’s retirement, snagged three wins while Meyer was suspended.
After Meyer returned from his suspension, rumors swirled around regarding his health, as he looked like he was in pain on the sidelines. He admitted that he had a cyst on his brain, which caused intense headaches and migraines.
In a press conference today, Meyer said the headaches and his health were the biggest reasons for his retirement, and the investigation had little to do with it.
“I am honored to have represented my home state and this great university in these past seven seasons,” he said. “I want to thank Buckeye Nation, our students and faculty, our state high school coaches, Jean Smith for giving me this opportunity, my awesome family, and most importantly, our staff and student athletes for all that they’ve done during this time.”
Header image courtesy of Adam Glanzman via Wikimedia Commons