Urban Meyer is the Next Ohio State Football Coach

Sources at Ohio State have confirmed that Urban Meyer is in talks to coach the Ohio State Buckeyes starting next year while final details of the contract have not been completed. Rumors have been either a $35 million contract over 7 years or a $40 million contract over the same period. An announcement is set for next week after Luke Fickell coaches the Buckeyes in their final regular season game against Michigan in the Big House. Meyer was also considered for the Penn State opening according to a number of different media outlets. If the contract numbers are true, he will be making NFL type money and the most of any NCAA coach, bypassing Alabama’s Nick Saban and Texas’ Mack Brown.

Meyer is still denying that an offer has been made and did so in a statement from ESPN today. He has been an ESPN analyst along side Chris Spielman this season. He won two NCAA championships during his five years at Florida but left due to health issues that almost caused him to retire a year earlier. Meyer is a native of Cincinnati and coached at both Ohio State  and Bowling Green before taking on a Utah position followed by his last coaching job at UF.

Meanwhile the Buckeyes continue to prepare for their game against Michigan with Luke Fickell trying to keep everyone focused on the weekend. If the outcome of the game is negative for OSU, the Meyer announcement could be made on Monday. Interestingly, the top Ohio prospect for 2012, Adolphus Washington, committed to Ohio State yesterday and stated that he expects to play for Meyer when he arrives on campus next year.