Urban Meyer posted a 38-3 record in three years as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he was rewarded Monday with a lucrative contract extension.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported Meyer signed a contract extension through 2020 that will pay him an average of $6.5 million over the next six seasons.
NFL Network's Albert Breer reacted to the news:
According to Austin Ward of ESPN.com, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said:
Urban Meyer has done an excellent job strengthening our culture of commitment to academics, career development and winning championships. Our young men continue to thrive under his leadership, whether on the playing field where they are national champions, through life skills pursuits like Real Life Wednesdays, internships and job fairs, and academically through program-wide efforts to monitor the progress of every student-athlete which has helped the team achieve its highest graduation success rate at 78 percent.
Additionally, he continues to develop his coaches and attract talented leaders when needed.
If the NFL ever becomes a temptation, Meyer, 50, would be leaving behind a powerhouse program and a ton of money. After enduring a postseason ban in his first year at the helm, when OSU went undefeated, Meyer guided the Buckeyes to a 12-2 mark in 2013, but they lost in the Orange Bowl.
All Meyer did in his third year was overcome injuries to two highly productive starting quarterbacks (Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett), improve to 24-0 in the Big Ten and win the inaugural College Football Playoff for the national title.
It comes as little surprise that Ohio State wanted to reaffirm its faith in Meyer after conference success and a magnificent national championship run with such a young team.
The Buckeyes figure to be favorites to repeat as champions in 2015. They have three capable QBs set to battle it out for the starting job with Cardale Jones, Miller and Barrett, along with a talented defense headlined by pass-rusher Joey Bosa and versatile linebacker Darron Lee.
Meyer's extension bodes well for how Ohio State will fare in the years to come. Recruits who are intrigued by the possibility of playing for Meyer can take comfort in the coach's long-term commitment.
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