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Who takes over when Meyer's done?

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MiamiBuckeye's picture
January 17, 2017 at 7:12pm
117 Comments

I understand this probably isn't something we Buckeye fans want to think about, and with good fortune it won't be an issue for the next decade (I like the sound of "Meyer's sixth national championship in 2024").

That said, the world being as it is, eventually Meyer will either retire, go to the NFL (I don't see any other college program stealing him at this point, not even Alabama or Notre Dame), lose his job for various reasons, or maybe even die on the sideline at the ripe age of 89 while yelling at his wide receivers to get separation (at this point I imagine football will be played with jetpacks).

So who does the Ohio State athletics director call up to fill Meyer's enormous shoes?

I can see five candidates, each with reasons for and against them.

1. Tom Herman.

Pros: This one's a no-brainer. Proven quality albeit in a small sampling size, good recruiter, keen offensive mind, founded MENSA, former Ohio State assistant.

Cons: Limited sampling size. We'll see how he does at Texas with the expectations of a massive program and a stronger schedule than he had to contend with at Houston.

2. Dabo Swinney.

Pros: Won a national championship or so I've heard. Good recruiter, sound tactical acumen, good at hiring the right people around him. Relatively young compared to most head coaches of his level and I don't think Clemson could keep him forever if the right offer comes along from a more prestigious and historic program with deep pockets.

Cons: Don't like the guy. Also he has some off-the-field baggage that might not be as easy to overlook in Ohio as it is in South Carolina. Next season will also be very telling of what caliber coach Dabo is--if he can get Clemson back to the playoff after losing Deshaun Watson and company to the draft, then he's a truly elite coach, if not, then maybe he just had an incredibly stacked team. Also, it's the worst kept secret in college football that Dabo is tapped to take over Alabama once Saban's done, and no one leaves Alabama by choice.

3. PJ Fleck.

Pros: ROW THE BOAT! Young, full of positive energy, great recruiter, SEC-speed in his cross-field sprints between quarters. Also a former Tressel assistant so he must have absorbed some of the Senator's greatness.

Cons: Same with Herman but even more pronounced. He brought Western Michigan from obscurity to the kings of the MAC and got them to a 13-0 record before losing by 8 points to one of the strongest Wisconsin teams in recent memory, but his true measure will come after he takes over Minnesota.

4. Jim Tressel.

Pros: I heard from a friend that he coached us once and did an okay job.

Cons: He seems pretty settled as President of YSU, and maybe he doesn't want to go back to coaching if he can make a decent living in academic administration.

5. JT Barrett.

Pros: I know this seems like a long-shot, and it probably is, but I firmly believe that while JT Barrett's future as an NFL quarterback is far from assured, he's going to make a fine coach one day. His leadership qualities and experience as a quarterback under Urban Meyer should give him solid groundwork for a coaching career. You know he bleeds Scarlet and Gray, any job he'd take elsewhere would just be a temporary stepping stone to getting into the staff of Ohio State, maybe as a positions coach at first, then coordinator, and finally head coach. I'd love to be watching Ohio State football in the 2030s or 40s and see JT's deadpan I-ain't-got-a-weenie-arm scowl surveying the field as his Buckeyes charge to victory.

Cons: Improbability?

What do the rest of you think?

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