Report: Urban Meyer Has 'Strong Interest' from Browns for Head Coach Position

The Cleveland Browns have "strong interest" in former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer to fill their head-coaching vacancy, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Thursday.

Meyer retired from Ohio State following the 2018 college football season because of lingering health concerns and the availability of a clear successor in Ryan Day.

"I believe I will not coach again," he told reporters in December 2018.

He doubled down on that stance in April, saying he expected his retirement to stick this time around after stepping away from Florida in 2010, only to accept the OSU job in 2012.

"I think it is," Meyer said. "I know people get tired of hearing that, but I think it is. I knew when I stepped away [from the Gators] pretty quickly that I had made a mistake, that I wasn't ready to step away, but I think this one's different."

He served as head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons (2001-02) and Utah Utes (2003-04) in addition to his six seasons at Florida (2005-10) and seven years at Ohio State (2012-18). He's never held a coaching job at the NFL level.

He faces plenty of competition for the Browns' coaching job.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported Thursday that four NFL offensive coordinators are also under consideration: the Buffalo Bills' Brian Daboll, Kansas City Chiefs' Eric Bieniemy, Minnesota Vikings' Kevin Stefanski and New England Patriots' Josh McDaniels.

All four of those assistants are part of staffs preparing for the NFL playoffs, which kick off Saturday, so it could take a while for the Browns' hiring process to play out.