Paul Finebaum discusses possibility of an Urban Meyer, Notre Dame reunion

Notre Dame is searching for a new head coach, and a former assistant better known for his success when he left South Bend has become a major topic of discussion.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer was the wide receivers coach at Notre Dame from 1996-2000. Would he go back the Midwest? ESPN’s Paul Finebaum joined “Get Up” on Tuesday morning to address the speculation.

“No,” Finebaum answered when asked if there was any way that Urban Meyer is the choice at Notre Dame. “He could have had the job when Brian Kelly got it. He turned it down to go to Florida, where he won two national championships.”

Meyer previously said Notre Dame was his “dream job,” and he was in the conversation in 2005 when the Irish vacancy was open. As Finebaum said, he went to Gainesville. Notre Dame hired Charlie Weis.

In addition to the national championships at Florida, Meyer won a national title at Ohio State in 2014. He previously retired from Ohio State in 2018, citing health concerns. The former college head coach continued to work for the Ohio State athletic department and then for Fox Sports as an analyst before taking the job with the Jaguars.

Meyer, 57, is currently in his first year in Jacksonville. Behind rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars are 2-9 this season with the second-worst scoring offense in the nation.

“I think he’s burned that bridge and quite frankly, I think it would be an atrocious choice,” Finebaum added. “He has burned out everywhere he has ever been. He has not shown us anything at Jacksonville and I think Jack Swarbrick, the Notre Dame athletic director, is far too smart than to make a mistake like hiring Urban Meyer.”

In addition to the dismal record on the field this season in Jacksonville, Meyer has been caught up in controversy surrounding a trip to a bar where he was video tapped with a women who is not his wife, Shelley.

Swarbrick had a Tuesday morning press conference, and he did not discuss any specific candidates for the vacancy left by former head coach Brian Kelly. He also declined to name an interim head coach, citing trust in Notre Dame’s assistants. There is no timetable for naming the replacement, although current Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman appears to be a top candidate for the job if Kelly does not lure him to Baton Rouge.

The Irish are still looking to sneak into the College Football Playoff after going 11-1 this season. They are currently No. 6 in the CFP rankings, and the latest rendition of the rankings will be released on Tuesday night.