Urban Meyer says success in other sports 'no doubt' helps Florida

Urban Meyer said success around Florida athletics no doubt helps the football team. He would know, considering his success with the Gators football program.

Meyer was at Florida during the height of the team as well as other athletic programs. Heck, the basketball team won two national titles in a row under Billy Donovan.

Not only that, but other Olympic sports inspired success. So knowing that, it could help once again during the present day.

“Absolutely no doubt there is,” Meyer said. “You know, Jeremy Foley was our athletic director and obviously one of the greatest of all time. But you remember Rhonda Faehn (from women’s gymnastics), Mary Wise (for volleyball), you had basketball. You had all the sports we’re doing great. Florida is a great place but there’s a lot of great places out there. It’s the people and Jeremy Foley made it very clear, he expected to win. He gave you the tools you needed to win and it did. We king of fed off each other.” 

Meyer recalled talking to other coaches around campus when he was at Florida. It was inspiring on both ends.

“I remember, I would go talk to Rhonda Faehn,” Meyer said. “The reason I bring her up because she was such a great friend and phenomenal coach. Mary Wise, as you know, my daughters played volleyball and I used to talk to her all the time and you learn from each other. 

“Billy Donovan and I spoke to each other’s teams all the time. We went to each other’s games all the time. Winning (inspires winning). Unfortunately, the other side’s true as well losing kind of, you get a losing culture there and it’s so hard to dig out. So there’s no question that does impact other teams.”

A successful second season for Billy Napier at Florida?

Like Meyer before him, Napier wants to bring Florida back to the forefront of college football.

With five-star quarterback DJ Lagway joined by five four-star prospects, Florida currently has the fifth-best 2024 recruiting class in the country. GatorsOnline’s Nick De la Torre believes moves like these are what will keep Napier in the grace of Florida fans.

“Hey, the program is building, Billy Napier is getting his guys, and we’re seeing an upward trajectory,” he said. “I think there’s not one answer. If you go 10-2 [in 2023] maybe you can have a seventh rated class. If you go 6-6, maybe you can be top three.”