The Jacksonville Jaguars ended the Urban Meyer era near midnight on Wednesday, announcing their decision to fire the first-year head coach after a tumultuous series of on-field and off-field incidents illustrated just how badly Meyer was out of his depth in the NFL.
His list of offenses runs long — take your pick between his terrible win-loss record, dubiously qualified hires on his coaching staff, illegal practices in offseason workouts, shenanigans at his bar with a woman who was not his wife during a game week, behind-the-scenes belittling of his assistants, and the latest accusation that he kicked a player during warmups, it was past time for him to go.
But not everyone is celebrating his departure. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has long respected Meyer as one of the greatest coaches he ever worked with at Ohio State, and still credits Meyer for much of the success he’s found after turning pro. Thomas responded to the news of Meyer’s dismissal on Twitter, writing:
It’s clear Thomas isn’t happy to see his mentor’s downfall so widely celebrated, and he’s entitled to his own take. But it’s also apparent that he may have had a wildly different experience under Meyer’s tutelage, or else responded better to the brand of coaching Meyer tried and failed to import to the NFL.
