LINCOLN, Neb. -- Urban Meyer has been contacted by Nebraska as the team continues its process of determining candidates for its head coaching vacancy, sources told CBS Sports on Saturday. It was not made clear whether Meyer was asked about his interest in holding the job.
Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts went out of his way this week to caution that names mentioned in connection with the opening may not necessarily be candidates for the position. As such, Meyer may have been contacted as an outside source to vet other potential candidates for the position.
"You're gonna hear about a lot of names. That's good," Alberts said. "That means we're going to talk to a lot of people because we're going to clearly define what our values are, and we're not going to hire coaches who don't believe in what we believe in."
Meyer, a three-time national championship winner, had his name mentioned prominently after last Sunday's firing on Scott Frost. Meyer is in attendance Saturday at the Oklahoma-Nebraska game serving as an analyst for Fox.
Fans in the crowd for Fox's "Big Noon Saturday" pregame show did not hide their interest in Meyer potentially taking over the program.
"We want Urban!" 👀 pic.twitter.com/g0pLheTfOL
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 17, 2022
Meyer was fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 after only 13 games in his lone NFL season. Despite winning championships at Florida (twice) and Ohio State, numerous off-field issues have plagued Meyer throughout his career.
Most recently, Meyer was criticized by Jaguars players, including kicker Josh Lambo, who said he was kicked and cursed at by Meyer during warmups. Also last season, Meyer chose not to return with his team following an away game only to later be caught on film with women at a Columbus, Ohio-area restaurant.
Meyer retired at Ohio State after the 2018 season amid controversy surrounding the hiring and retention of assistant Zach Smith. After leading Florida to a pair of national championships, he chose to leave the Gators late in the 2009 season due to health reasons only to change his mind and return after a day. One year later, Meyer resigned for good, again citing health reasons.
