GAINESVILLE — Florida’s first home game in more than a month was a chance to celebrate former coach Urban Meyer’s Dec. 9 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The school even had a surprise in store: the two-time national championship coach will become the seventh member of the school’s Ring of Honor in 2026.
But Meyer’s presence did a little to inspire the Gators (3-8, 2-6) against rival Tennessee as the rival Vols thrashed Florida 31-11, breaking a 10-game skid in Gainesville dating to 2003.
Meyer traveled to Gainesville to be honored between the first and second quarters — when UF trailed 14-0. While at the Swamp, UF unveiled a Hall of Fame plaque that will be displayed at the southwest corner outside the stadium next on his former quarterback Tim Tebow’s plaque featuring the words from his “Promise” speech during the 2008 national championship season.
Meyer will join Tebow in the Ring of Honor alongside Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Jack Youngblood.
“There is nothing like game day in the Swamp: the energy of 90,000 fans behind you, pushing and willing you to victory,” Meyer said during the celebration.
UF unveiled a plaque outside the southwest corner of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to to celebrate former coach Urban Meyer’s induction in the College Football Hall of Fame. (Liana Handler / Orlando Sentinel).
The sellout crowd of 90,465 gave him a tepid response amid a lackluster performance by his former team, which under Meyer was 6-0 against Tennessee.
Despite this — or perhaps to remind the fans filling the stadium of better times — Florida played clips of the 2006 and 2008 championship years on both scoreboards. During his six-year coaching stint with the Gators, Meyer held a 65-15 record and a .813 winning percentage, ranking second all-time in program history.
Meyer stocked Florida’s trophy case, winning two SEC championships, three SEC Eastern Division titles and two national championships. Meyer was also the first coach in FBS history to post consecutive 13-win seasons in 2008 and 2009.
Interim head coach Billy Gonzales was Meyer’s receiver coach during the national-title seasons. Before coming to UF, Gonzales coached under Meyer at Bowling Green and Utah.
When athletic director Scott Stricklin informed him of his new role following Billy Napier’s firing, Gonzales called Meyer, who coached him as a wide receiver at Colorado State.
“I think of him as a mentor,” Gonzales said. “I don’t call him Urban. He’s my coach. I call him ‘Coach’ if I see him.”
After winning two national championships with the Gators, Meyer went to Ohio State between 2012 and 2018, where he won a third national championship in 2014. In 2021, Meyer coached the Jacksonville Jaguars, though his time there was short-lived, lasting less than a season.
“The championships were certainly special, but the bonds forged with our players, staff and countless members of Gator Nation will last a lifetime,” Meyer said. “I am grateful to have been part of Florida’s storied football tradition, and I want to thank Gator Nation for the passion and pride you continue to bring to this program. This recognition means more to me and my family than words can express.”
Having once been recruited by the Gators, Meyer encouraged positivity in the team’s continued coaching search.
“There is some transition going on,” he told FloridaGators.com earlier in the week. “It’s one of the best jobs in the country. I know they have gone through some hard times, but I think good times are around the corner.”
Meyer will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Football Foundation’s 67th Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com