Following news that he kicked the ex-kicker Josh Lambo during warmups, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer was fired early Thursday morning.
The former Florida Gators head coach had been off to a troubled start even by the remarkably low standards of the hapless Jaguars. Meyer’s 13 game tenure was long enough to generate stories of fights with players, berating assistant coaches and one potential case of infidelity.
On the field, Meyer’s team frequently seemed lost. The season is perhaps best summed up by a single play at the end of their most-recent loss, a shutout against the rival Tennessee Titans. With a win already out of reach, wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Laquon Treadwell ran slant routes into each other. The pair fell to the ground in front of a Titans cornerback as a ball from rookie QB Trevor Lawrence sailed overhead. That Titans player admitted to laughing at them after the play, telling an AP reporter “it’s tough for them boys over there.”
Meyer frequently shunted the blame for poor decision-making or odd choices onto his assistant coaches. This came to a head after a bombshell report inside the organization that claimed Meyer called all of the coaches together and made them defend their resumes after berating them for being “losers.”
A recent reveal from former Jags kicker Josh Lambo appeared to be the last straw. Lambo, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, had been off to a rough start. He told the Tampa Bay Times that Meyer’s refusal to learn anyone’s names didn’t help matters.
“It was ‘Kicker, Punter, Long snapper,’ ” Lambo told the Tampa Bay Times. “Or Shitbag, Dipshit or whatever the hell it was.”
Shockingly, Lambo said that Meyer walked up to him while he was stretching and kicked him over not making early preseason kicks.
“I’m in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back,” Lambo said. “Urban Meyer, while I’m in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, ‘Hey Dipshit, make your fucking kicks!’ And kicks me in the leg.”
After that interview spread, Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced that Meyer’s contract would be terminated.
“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” owner Shad Khan shared, saying that it would be his only statement on the matter until the season is over. “I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”
Lambo said he revealed the story because he feared for former teammates who were still dealing with Meyer.
“There’s been a lot of turnover, but those are still my people. Some of those dudes are my dudes, and the staff members I have grown into amazing relationships with over the last five seasons. (Meyer) threatened all of them for speaking the truth. And that’s a bully, and people need to speak up against bullies,” he said.
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This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2021.