Skip to main content
Join

PGA Tour golfer Billy Horschel confirms Urban Meyer is done coaching

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•05/30/23•

suzhalliburton

urban meyer
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Pro golfer Billy Horschel isn’t an official Urban Meyer spokesman. But he knows what his friend, the former head coach, tells him.

And according to Horschel, the 58-year-old Urban Meyer has no plans to return to coaching. Meyer last walked a sideline in December 2021, when he was in charge of the Jacksonville Jaguars. His NFL career went up in flames with his controversial, 2-11 stint with the Jaguars. And that’s even with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But that hasn’t stopped fans and members of the media including Meyer’s name in the speculation for every big-time college opening. Plus, he’s left coaching a handful of times, only to return.

Urban Meyer’s last game as a head coach was of Jacksonville versus Tennessee on Dec. 12, 2021. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Horschel is in Dublin, Ohio, this week to defend his championship at the Memorial tournament on the PGA Tour. The Muirfield Course is about a 20-minute drive from the Ohio State campus. And Meyer and his wife, Shelley, used to live there. So of course reporters asked Horschel if he had any insight on Urban Meyer’s coaching plans.

Horschel and Meyer got to know each other from their connection to the Florida Gators. Meyer won two national titles for the Gators and Horschel played golf in Gainesville. The golfer explained that he and Meyer bumped into each other last month when they both were in Chicago. Meyer said no to reviving his coaching career. Plus, the college game has changed so much since Meyer left it at the end of 2018. Horschel said Meyer would need to change the way he recruits and coaches because of the new transfer rules and NIL.

And Urban Meyer does know the ins and outs of NIL. He is on the board of THE Foundation, which is a collective created to help Ohio State NIL opportunities.

Urban Meyer won three NCAA titles. In this photo, he’s celebrating a win over Oklahoma for the 2008 championship. (J. Meric/Getty Images)

Horschel said he knew Meyer was serious about staying out of coaching when he looked at Shelley and she shook her head no. The golfer grinned at the thought.

Meyer said as much in April. He participated in a round table discussion with current Buckeye coach Ryan Day and former coaches Jim Tressel and John Cooper. He’s still available for Day, his former offensive coordinator, any time he needs him. But helping out a friend is the extent of his coaching.

“That book’s closed,” Urban Meyer said of his coaching future. “It’s gonna be TV and grandfather.”.