Urban Meyer wasn’t on Fox’s Saturday college football pregame show Big Noon Kickoff last weekend, and now fans know why. On Wednesday, the former Utah, Florida and Ohio State coach talked to WBNS News in Columbus, Ohio and revealed that he contacted COVID-19. However, Meyer said he has recovered and is expected to be back on Saturday.
“I’ve just recently gotten over it,” Meyer said as reported by Yahoo Sports. “I was relatively symptom-free. I tested positive and that’s why we didn’t do the Big Noon Kickoff last week.” Meyer also talked about another former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel who is urging people to take the coronavirus seriously. “Jim Tressel is one of my dear friends and we were asked to do that and of course we support the great state of Ohio and anything we can do to help with the safety of the citizens,” Meyer stated.
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Last week, Fox announced that the hosts of Big Noon Kickoff – Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Brady Quinn and Rob Stone would miss the show due to COVID-19 protocols. It said the show will be “condensed to one hour” and the crew from Fox NFL Sunday took their place, including Charissa Thompson, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Emmanuel Acho. The show normally starts at 10 a.m. ET and runs to noon. Meyer also said that none of his partners at Fox tested positive for the coronavirus.
Meyer joined the Fox Sports team before the 2019 season and after a very successful college football coaching career. After years of being an assistant coach, Meyer became the head coach for Bowling Green in 2001 where he led the team to 17 wins in two seasons. He then joined Utah in 2003 and won 22 games in two seasons. In 2004, Meyer led the Utes to a perfect 12-0 season and a Fiesta Bowl win.
In 2005, Meyer became the head coach of the Florida Gators and posted a 65-12 record in six seasons. He also led the Gators to national championships wins in 2006 and 2008. In 2012, Meyer became the head coach at Ohio State and led the team to an undefeated season in his first year. The team was ineligible to play for a national title due to NCAA sanctions but won it all in 2014. In seven seasons, Meyer recorded an 83-9 record with the Buckeyes.
