Show Urban Renewal Wont Won't t Last at Utah Matt Hayes The Sporting News NeHls He doesn't know what to say He swears it isn't worth discussing because he has no control over it so stop top asking him about it and he wont won't have to respond to it and his answers wont won't sound so longwinded wind long ed and convoluted and he can concentrate concentrate concentrate con con- on winning games and life can return to some semblance of normalcy Whew Urban Meyer is the hottest coach in the nation But he sounds like one of those nattering nuts on talk sports-talk radio when the subject turns to two things that consume him the Bowl Championship Series and his coaching coaching coaching coach coach- ing future at Utah I I cant can't it uh I get uncomfortable uncomfortable uncomfortable talking about it Meyer says OK so I will Sorry Sony to break this to you Utes fans but Meyer isn't long for Salt Lake City God knows mows 1 the Utah bigwigs are trying to keep him here They're building this fancy 7 million indoor practice facility i that would make the boys drool 1 and restructured his contract after J his first full season in town They'd a throw up a bronze statue outside t t Rice-Eccles Rice Stadium if it would f help r r. But it wont And this is where the two things mentioned above the and Meyers Meyer's future inter inter- twine What Meyer wants Utah cant can't give him He is a coach and coaches have egos and want to play for it all Regardless of whether its it's fair the harsh reality is its it's just not going to happen at Utah no matter what the sports sport's kings claim will change with the new contract beginning in 2006 The is founded on human polls and until more voters hop on planes and take in the transformed transformed transformed trans trans- formed Utes and change their own ways Utah will be simply a name and a score every week Nothing else That's why Urban Meyer cant can't stop himself from talking about the Why he cant can't grasp the concept of some writer in Alabama or better yet one of his coaching brethren in inthe inthe inthe the coaches' coaches poll telling him the Utes cant can't compete with the and of the world because well because um urn they just ant cant Meyer and his family love life in Salt alt Lake City a pro-BYU pro town he helas has las turned sideways with his innovative coaching style and outspoken attitude He has invigorated an apathetic apa- apa fan base and developed a cult allowing among a student body that I arely showed its face in previous years Hed He'd be crazy to leave and not reap the rewards of his hard work And hed he'd be just as crazy to never have a chance to play for the national nation nation- al title Utah has just dusted off another Mountain West rival and continued its march to an unbeaten season and all the insane controversy that goes with it and Meyer is speaking peaking with political correctness about this surging program he has rebuilt and his place in it He says he cant can't see himself working anywhere but Utah that its it's a jewel of a job in ina a great city with genuine people He has a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Alex Smith and an offense full of talented skill players and he had two of the top recruits inthe inthe in inthe the nation in town to watch a 49 35 victory over Air Force Why would he want to leave Lets Let's flip the reality switch When his contract was restructured after last season one of the tradeoffs Utah included was a significantly lower buyout clause to for Meyer He is allowed to leave for any of three schools Notre Dame Ohio State and Michigan without adhering to the clause and heres here's the key he can change one of those schools during the length of the contract Agents dont don't add such stipulations in contracts without an eye on the future It would have to be a remarkable situation for Meyer to leave because frankly he does love it in Salt Lake City and because he has built a team that can compete with witha a majority of the schools But Meyer didn't didn't didn't did did- nt want to leave Bowling Green two years ago he says now it was the hardest thing he ever had to do Worst six months of my life he says He never could have t imagined how leaving Bowling Green would impact those around him and how much hed he'd miss his former players Then without hesitation he adds It all worked out for the best because they have a hell of a team Most coaches arent aren't looking to leave their jobs When they do its it's usually for one of two things financial security security security rity or job opportunity When both are available its it's much easier to walk away Meyer is the coach everyone wants a coach Bernie Bemie Machen hired not so long ago as president of Utah Now Machen considered a on hands-on sports-oriented sports administrator during his time in Salt Lake City is the president at a little football school in in Gainesville Fla that has underachieved underachieved underachieved under under- achieved the past two years It was one of those perfect sun- sun splashed Utah afternoons last week and the future never looked so clear Minutes after Meyer led his players and a throng of fans in singing the schools school's alma mater someone gave his wife Shelley a placard that read Four more years If Ron Zook doesn't get things straightened out at Florida Utes fans might be looking at four more months |