Zach Gelb: Urban Meyer had ‘great interest’ in Penn State but NIL concerns derailed talks

With each college football head coaching gig that has opened up this season, and there have been quite a few, one of the first names that anyone mentions is Urban Meyer.

The three-time national champion and current Fox Sports CFB analyst has said that he has no desire to coach again, though it wouldn’t be the first time he’s feigned disinterest in returning to the sidelines before eventually doing so.

However, there were rumblings last week about the 61-year-old’s interest in the Penn State vacancy after he was spotted with Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick. On Friday, Zach Gelb, whose radio show is heard on the Infinity Sports Network, SiriusXM, and Audacy, shared that he had heard from two sources that Meyer had conversations with higher-ups at the school. However, any interest from the PSU side dried up when the topic of NIL was introduced.

“I’ve talked to two sources, and two sources told me that Urban Meyer had a great interest level in becoming the next head football coach at Penn State,” said Gelb on Friday. “And those sources told me he had conversations with the powers that be at Penn State about becoming their next head football coach. The reason why those talks did break down is when they got to the topic of NIL, which Urban Meyer has never been a head coach during the NIL era. His plan and his answers in terms of navigating those name, image, and likeness waters were not viewed satisfactory enough. And that’s ultimately why Penn State is not going to view Urban Meyer as a fit for their program.

“…So Urban Meyer has already had conversations with Penn State. He’s not going to be the next Penn State head coach, but he could be having future conversations with Penn State, and it’s not going to pertain to him getting the job because that is already over. Those conversations are done. They’re finished. Urban Meyer will not be the next head coach at Penn State.”

Gelb added that the discussion later shifted to Meyer advocating for Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to get the job.

“In further conversations with those sources, they went out of their way to tell me Urban Meyer is going to do whatever it takes to advocate for whatever job Brian Hartline wants,” he said. “He thinks Brian Hartline is ready to be a coach, and he’s going to advocate on the behalf of Brian Hartline.”

Meyer himself said he was a “big Brian Hartline fan, always have been,” so Gelb’s reporting on that front would align with what the former OSU head coach has said himself.

Meyer will be in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday for Penn State’s game against Ohio State as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. Perhaps he’ll add context to the reports and rumors about his potential return to coaching.