Urban Meyer Stepping Down: Florida Gators' Next Coach, Effects on Recruiting

For the second consecutive year Urban Meyer has announced he will be leaving his position as head coach of the Florida Gators.

This time it's a little more believable.

After six seasons at the University of Florida, the Gators finally tripped up under Meyer.

Now the Gators need a new head coach.

Urban Meyer

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TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer talks with players during a timeout during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Gett

Many people will remember that last year Meyer announced he would be taking a leave of absence from the Gators due to health issues.

That leave didn't last very long.

The Gators' basketball coach, Billy Donovan, once accepted a job with the Orlando Magic before running back to the Gators days later.

But this time around, it sounds like Meyer is for real.

What makes it all the more believable is that it comes after a 7-5 season, Meyer's worst at UF.

Meyer may take a year or two off, but expect to see him in a booth very soon.

Dan Mullen

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Coach Dan Mullen of the Mississippi State Bulldogs directs play against the Alabama Crimson Tide November 13, 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Dan Mullen, the coach of Mississippi State, will likely be the front runner.

In only his second year at the school he took them from being a SEC doormat to having an 8-4 record.

Additionally, he was the offensive coordinator at UF when their offense was its best.

Mullen is highly regarded for his work with quarterbacks Alex Smith, Chris Leak and Tim Tebow.

Could John Brantley, Trey Burton or Jordan Reed be his next protege?

Mike Leach

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AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Mike Leach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during play against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Obviously Mike Leach's name has been associated with many teams lately.

Now that Florida has an opening, will he pounce on it?

It would be a tremendous upgrade for him, but I'm not so sure his offense would work at Florida.

I also think Leach's coaching style is more suited for NFL players, not college-aged men.

Chris Petersen

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BOISE, ID - NOVEMBER 19: Head Coach Chris Petersen of the Boise State Broncos looks on against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Bronco Stadium on November 19, 2010 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images)

How about Chris Petersen, Boise State's coach?

His offense would work perfectly at Florida, and he's used to having big-armed quarterbacks.

Not only that, but he would love having all the wrinkles in the offense that the Gators can have with three guys who can play quarterback on their roster.

I'm not sure Petersen is looking to leave Boise, but the allure of the SEC, an automatic qualifier conference and the prestigious Florida job might be enough to get him to leave his team behind.

The hiring would actually be almost identical to that of Meyer, who came from Utah after an undefeated season there.

Effect on Recruiting

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GAINESVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 13: John Brantley #12 of the Florida Gators warms up during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Florida generally has one of the best recruiting classes in the nation.

But after a 7-5 season and the loss of their head coach, how many of their recruits will run for the first SEC rival that comes calling?

This could be a major reason why the Gators will be forced into a big name hire—to keep their recruits committed.

As of now the Gators have zero 5-star recruits, nine 4-star and seven 3-star.

The likelihood of losing some of those players is much higher now than ever, and it will make recruiting tough until a new coach is named.

A win in their bowl game wouldn't hurt either.