Former Buckeyes reflect on Meyer
Former Ohio State football standouts Keith Byars and Jeff Graham labeled Urban Meyer a good fit for OSU football. Byars said Meyer separated himself from other Buckeyes coaches.
“Urban is the first coach since I don’t know when who got to leave Ohio State on his own terms,” said Byars, a Roth High School product who starred at OSU for then-coach Earle Bruce in the mid-1980s and then in the NFL.
“Woody (Hayes) didn’t get to leave on his own terms. Earle Bruce didn’t. ( Jim) Tressel didn’t. ( John) Cooper didn’t. To get to go out on your own terms, when is the right time?”
Meyer announced Tuesday he would retire after seven seasons as the Buckeyes’ coach following the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl against Washington. He’ll be succeeded by OSU offensive coordinator Ryan Day.
Among those former OSU coaches Byars listed, only Tressel wasn’t fired: He resigned amid an NCAA investigation into improper player benefits during the 2010 season.
Buckeye football roots run deep among the area’s historically best high school players who extended their careers at Columbus.
There are five area products on the OSU roster this season: senior tight end Derrick Malone (Thurgood Marshall), junior defensive lineman Robert Landers (Wayne), redshirt freshman offensive lineman Josh Myers (Miamisburg), freshman receiver L’Christian “Blue” Smith (Wayne) and freshman linebacker Ben Schmiesing (Piqua).
Byars had headliner success for Bruce from 198285. His program impact was equal to that of Heisman Trophy runner-up Bob Ferguson of Troy (1959-61).
“I’m happy for (Meyer),” said Byars, whose position coach was Tressel when Byars finished second in the 1984 Heisman voting behind winner Doug Flutie of Boston College. “The program is in good shape. It’s in better shape today than it was when he took over.
“He’s an Ohioan. I think that’s one of the requirements for the job. He won a national championship (2014). He definitely was a good fit. He got the tradition. He got everything. He respected it. When is the right time to leave Ohio State? I don’t know. I’m sure his health is going to be a factor.”
Graham, Trotwood-Madison’s head coach, was a receiver at OSU from 198890 and like Byars also had a long NFL career. Graham was wooed at Alter by Tressel, the recruiting coordinator for Bruce in 1987. Graham recalled Meyer as a Buckeyes graduate assistant.
“We can only speculate, but we have to think that was best for him and the Ohio State family,” Graham said. “I thought that once Urban served his suspension it would rejuvenate him as far having a chance to get away from the game for a while. It also gives you a chance to think about other things.”
Graham said Meyer visited Trotwood during its state-title runs to wish the Rams luck and take a close-up look at possible recruits.
“He was a great fit,” Graham said of Meyer. “He knew the lay of the land for Ohio State and what football in the whole state really meant. We’re tops in the country as far as having recruits and athletes and players that go to Ohio State. I’m sure he thought it was a good decision for him and his family and his health.” Contact this reporter at 937225-2381 or email Marc. Pendleton@coxinc.com. Twitter: @MarcPendleton Staff Writer
After coaching COLUMBUS —
Ohio State in the Rose Bowl in January, Urban Meyer will retire.
Here is a look at some of the numbers from his seven seasons leading the Buckeyes and how they compare to his predecessors at Ohio State:
1. Meyer is fourth in wins at Ohio State.
Only Woody Hayes (205), John Cooper (111) and Jim Tressel (106, counting wins vacated by the NCAA) won more games coaching the Buckeyes.
This season Meyer passed his mentor Earle Bruce (81) and John Wilce (78) on the OSU wins list and stands at 82 with one game left to play.
Hayes, Cooper, Tressel, Bruce and Wilce are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
2. Meyer has the highest winning percentage in school history.
At 82-9, Meyer has won 90.1 percent of his games in leading the Buckeyes.
That edges Carroll C. Widdows, who took over for Paul Ohio State director of athletics Brown and went 16-2 (89.9 percent) in 1944 and ’45.
Jim Tressel is third after going 106-22 (82.8 percent).
3. Meyer is third in wins against Michigan.
A perfect seven for seven in college football’s greatest rivalry, Meyer has the best winning percentage for an OSU coach in the series against Michigan (doesn’t get better than 100).
He trails just Hayes (16) and Tressel (9) in wins by an Ohio State coach against the Wolverines.
The only Michigan coaches with more wins in the series are Fielding Yost (16) and Bo Schembechler (11).
Meyer is the only man to coach in the rivalry more than once without losing. Tressel was 9-1.
4. Four OSU coaches have produced more NFL draft picks than Meyer.
Hayes is far and away the leader at 162, though the draft was much longer when he coached from 1951-78.
Next is Tressel with 67, Cooper with 61 and Bruce with 45.
Meyer stands at 40 after the 2018 draft.
Tressel averaged 6.70 draft picks per year, just edging Meyer’s current mark (6.67).
5. Only two Notre Dame legends have a higher winning percentage than Meyer’s all-time mark.
Including his time at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, Meyer has the highest overall winning percentage among active coaches (85.3).
He is No. 3 in college football history trailing Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy, two legendary Notre Dame leading men.
‘The hallmark of great leadership is to leave a program better than you found it. There is little doubt Urban has done that.’
Gene Smith,