By Carla L. Hancock
COLUMBUS, OH — Urban Meyer is one of the most accomplished coaches in college football history, has been named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class. The 22-member class comprises 18 first-team All-America players and four coaches and is announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame.
Meyer’s induction reflects his storied coaching career, marked by his strategic acumen and leadership at multiple schools. Most notably, it reflects his time with the Buckeyes, where he won a national title and three Big Ten Conference championships while going 7-0 against arch-rival Michigan in a seven-year run. Meyer’s brilliance led the Buckeyes to an overall record of 83-9 and a remarkable 54-4 Big Ten record, including an NCAA record 30 straight league wins.
Meyer’s coaching success is more than just Ohio State. In his first head coaching job at Bowling Green State University, he quickly turned the program into a Mid-American Conference competitor. He later spent time at the University of Utah, where he guided the Utes to their first undefeated season since 1930 and a breakthrough victory in the Fiesta Bowl, making Utah the first school not in a BCS (Bowl Championship Series) conference to emerge victorious in a BCS game.
At the University of Florida, Meyer’s Gators won two national titles and two SEC championships, and he famously coached Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Meyer’s inventive approach to coaching and his keen eye for developing talent and ability led to an NCAA major college record of 165 victories in his first 15 seasons, a mark equaled by few.
Away from the gridiron, Meyer influenced the lives of his players with programs such as “Real Life Wednesdays,” where guest speakers imparted crucial life skills unrelated to football. Meyer’s emphasis on developing players was as unique as his coaching achievements.
Meyer’s excellence also extended to civic life, best exemplified by his work with groups like the Veterans Golfers Association and the Tim Tebow Foundation, not to mention his establishment of an Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center fund for research.
The 2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025. Meyer and the other inductees will be honored at each college institution in the fall for their contributions to college football.
Urban Meyer already joins the pantheon of other greats, a name synonymous with winning, but perhaps just as significant was his huge impact on the players and communities he poured his heart into.
