Urban Meyer reflects on taking Utah job, tells Florida fans what to expect

After taking on Utah in the swamps of Gainesville, FL, the Florida Gators will travel to the Utes’ home in Salt Lake City for the next leg of their home-and-home series. If there is one individual Gator fans can take the word of when it comes to the structure of the Utah program, it’s former head coach Urban Meyer. Before taking on the head coaching position at Florida, Meyer helped establish the Utes as a football power. And recently, the former national championship-winning head coach discussed Utah’s past, present, and it’s altitude advantage.

“When we were hired in 2003, Utah was basically considered a commuter school. The attendance was not very good; they had a really good coach in Ron McBride, but never could really move. They had some really good years,” said Meyer. “But the reason a lot of people really were mad at me when I took that job, I just saw Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas of 2 million people. I saw Utah was very committed budget-wise and facility-wise to being the best in the Mountain West Conference. They had an athletic director Chris Hill; I laid out a plan that we needed this, this, and this to be successful. And he said we’ll do it. And then we went to work.

Meyer helped develop Utah into a dangerous opponent on the field. In his two years heading the program, he had a record of 21-2, including an undefeated season in 2004. Utah ended his final year with a 12-0 record, but Kyle Whittingham, who Meyer anointed as his hire to the program, was credited with their win in the Fiesta Bowl against Pittsburgh.

“I was just with Kyle Winningham about a week ago going, in Salt Lake. We played golf and had lunch together, and Morgan Scalley, his defensive coordinator. And what a place that has turned out to be. It’s only probably 60,000; I want to say, well, the student body was picked by many to be the best in the country now. But we started it; we called it the M.U.S.S. After the 2003 season, we started; we wanted to get student engagement, and we actually asked the students to help us name it, and they came up with the M.U.S.S. It’s the Mighty Utah Student Section.”

As for the altitude Florida will face in Utah, Meyer says it’s the real deal. And unfortunately for the Gators, there is not much they can do to prepare for the change in elevation.

“Oh, buddy, the altitude is real. You’re at 6,000 ft. And I remember we played North Carolina; we beat them, (and) put almost 700 yards of offense on them. And they couldn’t handle the altitude, the speed of our team. I don’t know how you get ready a team ready. You’re at sea level in The Swamp but that’s a long hard trip, and they better be ready.”

Florida will open up their 2023 season on the road against the same opponent they faced in Week 1 of 2022. This matchup against Utah will be a litmus test for the Gators and the program’s trajectory. The matchup is scheduled to take place on Aug 31 at 7 p.m. CDT.