Joe Paterno Retiring: 5 Reasons Urban Meyer Shouldn't Even Consider the Job

It was only a matter of time that Joe Paterno would step down as the head coach for Penn State, but the way he's going out is something we could never imagine.

But players, coaches and fans have to move on and it's now time to find a new coach for the Nittany Lions.

One of the names that has surfaced is former Florida head coach Urban Meyer, but if I was Meyer, I would not even consider taking the job.

Here are a few reasons why.

Damage Control

Whoever the next coach is for the Nittany Lions has to clean up the mess that was left by the previous coaching staff before he can start thinking about winning conference championships.

Meyer is not going to have time for that because his focus is on winning conference and national championships and does not want to spend time answering questions about the sex scandal which had nothing to do with him.

If Meyer decides to coach again, he wants to go to a program that is clean and knows he can turn around quickly.

Off the Field Issues

Even if Meyer doesn't have to do damage control, odds are he will never have full control over the team because when he was in Florida, there were numerous players that got arrested.

I believe Meyer wants to go to a place where he can take control of entire program. Penn State is not that place, especially when allegations come to surface like the sex scandal by Paterno's former assistant.

Level of Competition

Penn State is not a bad coaching job because of its history. But Meyer knows that he will have to work extra hard to get the Nittany Lions to the national title game because the Big Ten is not as strong as the SEC.

So in reality, Meyer would be taking a step back if he takes the Penn State job. For a guy that has won two national titles the last five years, I think Meyer is looking for something bigger and better.

Longevity

Paterno has been with the program as a head coach since 1966. So fans, students and alumni want a guy that is going to be a around for a long time.

The next coach does not have a to make a 40-plus year commitment, but 10 years would be a viable option.

Something tells me based on what Meyer did the last year at Florida, he is not ready to make hat type of commitment. Meyer wants to create a level of success, which takes a long time, but when he was at Florida, it took him two years to win his first title and won the second title two years later.

Meyer wants to win and win quickly, and if it's not working right away, he is not going to stick around if things are not going well.

Health Issues

The main reason he should not take the coaching job at Penn State (or any coaching job for that matter) is the health issues he has.

Football is important to Meyer, but being healthy is more important and he has to focus on getting his health in order to get back into the game.

In order for Meyer to be healthy and get back in the coaching game, he can't put too much stress on himself and being the head coach at Penn State is a stressful job.

Meyer should rest at least two more years before he gets back into coaching.