Another year of voting comes another Hall of Fame Buckeye. In terms of all-time winning percentage, the Ohio State Buckeyes sit atop the highest level of college football with an official record of 977-335-53. In the 114 (including 2024) seasons, the Buckeyes have eight recognized National Championships leading up to this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game. A big reason why Ohio State is where it is today is thanks to Urban Meyer revolutionizing the program.
After seven years at the helm, Meyer retired from coaching college football and literally handed over the keys to Ryan Day, who has now led the team to two National Championship game appearances over the last five years. In those seven years, Meyer amassed a dominant 83-9 record with three Big Ten Championships, two CFP appearances, a National Championship (2014), and a perfect 7-0 mark against Michigan.
Meyer joins Howard Jones (1910), John Wilce (1913-28), Francis Schmidt (1934-40), Woody Hayes (1951-78), Earle Bruce (1979-87), John Cooper (1988-2000) and Jim Tressel (2001-10) as Buckeye head coaches to earn enshrinement. Additionally, Ohio State’s run of Hall of Fame coaches over the last 70 years continues. He also becomes the 35th Buckeye to be inducted.
National Championship-Winning Coach Becomes Latest Hall of Fame Buckeye
Meyer got his coaching start at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio before serving as a Graduate Assistant under Coach Bruce in 1986 and 1987. Then, between 1988 and 2000, Meyer served as an assistant coach for Illinois State (linebackers coach then quarterbacks and wide receivers coach), Colorado State (wide receivers coach), and Notre Dame (wide receivers coach).
In 2001, he got his first shot at a head coaching job for Bowling Green. Over the previous six seasons, the Falcons averaged four wins per season. In Meyers’ two seasons at the helm, he won eight and nine games but was not invited to any bowls.
In 2003, he moved on to Utah. From 1095 through 2002, the Utes had one 10-win season. In his two seasons, Meyer won 10 and 11 games. The 2004 season was special as Utah crashed the BCS as a member of the Mountain West and earned a spot in the Fiest Bowl.
However, in the weeks leading up to that matchup with Alabama, Meyer was offered the job at Florida. He led the Gators to a 65-15 record, three SEC East Division titles, two SEC titles, and two BCS National Championships. The first of those two titles was a 41-14 beatdown of Ohio State in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. After the 2010 season, Meyer retired due to health reasons. Despite that, he picked it back up to lead the Buckeyes starting in 2012.
Across 17 seasons, Meyer amassed a 187-32 record, notching him third all-time with an 85.4 percent winning percentage. He won seven conference championships and three national titles.
Fun fact, the Hall of Fame Buckeye was also a 13th-round pick in the 1982 MLB Draft. Meyer spent two years in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system.
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