Michigan State is looking for a new head football coach. Urban Meyer is arguably the best former college coach currently available. That's led to some, perhaps hopeful Spartans fans, attempting to connect the dots.
On Tuesday, Fox Sports Radio host Bernie Fratto reported on X (formerly Twitter) that he was told Meyer would interview for the opening.
"Yes, it's real. It's possible," Fratto wrote. "He has a lot of backers, so we'll see where this goes."
Meyer's colleague at Fox Sports, Brady Quinn, responded by saying he had heard otherwise. The Big Noon Kickoff analyst sarcastically said Fratto might be "better connected," but the presumption is that Quinn asked Meyer personally.
I’ve heard otherwise… 🤷🏻♂️ but I’m sure you’re better connected.
— Brady Quinn (@Brady_Quinn) October 3, 2023
College football insider Bruce Feldman, also a Fox Sports colleague of Meyer, followed up on Wednesday to say that he "just checked with him" and said there was "zero truth" to this rumor. Feldman made his skepticism apparent by putting "reports" in quotes.
About the “reports” linking Urban Meyer to the Michigan State HC job… I just checked with him. There is zero truth to it with him being a candidate for it. He has no interest in that, and is happy with what he’s doing now at Fox Sports.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 4, 2023
Fratto's information seemed questionable from the start, even if he still has connections to Michigan-area sports from his days working in Detroit radio. But breaking this kind of news over a college football insider like Feldman, ESPN's Pete Thamel, or Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde seems unlikely.
There surely is interest within Michigan State circles in a coach as accomplished as Meyer. And perhaps there is an initiative to interview him. But maybe Meyer will ultimately play more of a consulting role, as he did for Colorado State when the Rams hired Steve Addazio in 2019.
Meyer's baggage would make him a curious choice for the Spartans job, considering that Mel Tucker was fired amid scandal. But his coaching success – a 187-32 record compiled in stints at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State – along with a national championship pedigree will always connect him to potential openings.
