Urban Meyer isn't going to ransack Ohio State's staff to build his staff for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
During his introductory press conference as the Jaguars' new coach on Friday, Meyer confirmed he will not be bringing Ohio State director of sports performance Mickey Marotti or director of player personnel Mark Pantoni with him to Jacksonville and that he will not be bringing a multitude of staffers from the Buckeyes to the Jaguars.
“There might be one” staffer from Ohio State joining him in Jacksonville, Meyer said, but he gave Ryan Day and Gene Smith his word that he would not break apart the Buckeyes' infrastructure.
“I talked to Gene and I talked to Coach Day, and you know my affection for both of those guys and the great university that we represented, and I won’t do that,” Meyer said. “Does that mean there might be one? Maybe. I’m not there yet. But I told Gene, ‘Yeah, Coach Marotti, Pantoni, the whole crew’s leaving,’ and they’re like ‘What?’ No, that’s the best infrastructure in college sports, so no, they will not be leaving.
“There might be one, like I said, that will leave, but I am not gonna do that to that organization. And I’m not sure they would go. Ohio State is home to those guys now.”
A source confirmed to Eleven Warriors on Friday that assistant athletic director of player development Ryan Stamper, a Jacksonville native who played for Meyer at Florida, is the one staffer leaving the Buckeyes to join Meyer with the Jaguars, which means none of Ohio State's other staffers are expected to leave for Jacksonville.
