“I was contacted by one, but I’m not interested. I love it here. We have a lot of work to do. That’s the bottom line.” — Bowling Green coach Urban Meyer, 2002. Six days later, he was coach at Utah.

“All I keep saying is I plan on being the coach here at Utah.” — Utah coach Urban Meyer, 2004. Five days later, he was coach at the University of Florida.
“I’m not going to Notre Dame. Ever.” — UF Coach Urban Meyer, 2009.
So UF Coach Urban Meyer says he is never coaching at Notre Dame. Ever. No way. Nu-uh. Never. Ever. Not in your dreams. Not in a billion years. Nope. Not me.
We’ve heard that one, oh, seemingly a million times.
The question isn’t whether or not we believe him when he says it. Coaches lie. It’s in their job description. They have to please their players, their recruits and their fans. It’s a no-win situation.
Rumors will dog coaches. And, let’s face it, they don’t lie every time they speak. So there must be a way for them to minimize the impact of speculation and innuendo, right?
Perhaps coaches should take notes.
Richard Weiner, a public-relations expert who has written 23 books on media and communications, says:
No. 1: Tell the truth. We’ve already established coaches can’t do that.
No. 2: Respond to the rumor as quickly as possible.
No. 3: Make a definitive statement in writing, and do not respond to further goading. If the rumor comes up again, simply refer back to your original statement.
“The problem with rumors is they take on a life of their own,” Weiner said. “Public relations people who are experts in crisis communication say if you don’t deny a rumor within minutes of it starting, the chances of stopping it diminish because you appear to be defensive in your rebuttal.”
Meyer started this mess back in December, when he told a South Florida radio station that Notre Dame was still his dream job. But instead of responding within minutes or hours, he waited nearly a week to clarify his remarks — after his words were repeated over and over in newspapers, on TV and throughout the Internet.
His response was not exactly emphatic: Meyer said he planned on being in Gainesville a “long, long time.”
Then former Gators coach Steve Spurrier decided to stir the pot on Paul Finebaum’s radio show in Alabama in May, when he said, “They’ve still got that rumor down there that if he has about one more big year he might be the Notre Dame coach.”
Two days later, Meyer said, “I’m not going to Notre Dame.”
Better, but still not enough for some. Because last week, Finebaum wrote a column in which he said Meyer would probably leave for Notre Dame at the end of this season. Finebaum wrote, “So how do I know Meyer is not telling the truth? Easy. Meyer’s lips moved when he denied the story.”
That seemed to do it. Meyer’s response: “I’m not going to Notre Dame. Ever.”
Finally, he has made his emphatic statement. That should be the last statement he makes until something changes (i.e. Notre Dame backing a Brink’s truck into his yard. Though even then, he probably would say he is staying at UF).
For one, there are some who think the more he denies, the more likely he is to leave. What’s that line from Hamlet? The lady doth protest too much.
“If he is totally truthful, he should stand up and say it definitely and then not repeat it. Because, in fact, every time the rumor pops up and he repeats his denial, it adds to the life of the rumor,” Weiner said.
For another, it doesn’t matter what he says. Some people will still think he is lying.
Perhaps Meyer is being honest. He turned down Notre Dame to come to UF.
But who’s to say he won’t change his mind at the end of the season, or in two seasons or in four or in 10?
He has every right to be courted, he has every right to change his mind and he has every right to make decisions in the best interest of himself and his family.
Will it be surprising if he leaves despite his constant reassurances? No.
Will it be surprising if he stays? No.
With that, this will be the last time I write about Urban Meyer going to Notre Dame.
Ever.