Urban Meyer Penn State: Why Former Florida Coach Would Save Recruiting

The scandal that has engulfed Penn State University and that has led to the downfall of iconic coach Joe Paterno has created the need for a strong coach who can find success on the field and can make sure the program's employees act ethically off of it.

Urban Meyer is the strong coach that can help rebuild Nittany Lions football and sustain its Big 10 excellence. He will be able to convince recruits to come to Penn State, who, right now, are reconsidering Penn State or maybe have even crossed the school of their list of college destinations.

Meyer is a coach everyone wants to play for. He's a great guy who his players and fellow coaches love and respect, and he has had great success on the field.

After turning Utah into a BCS Bowl-winning program, he led Florida to two BCS national championships and numerous other Bowl game appearances. 

As Florida head coach, he went 65-15 and and is 7-1 all-time in Bowl games.

People have watched him develop unbelievable talent and teach players what they need to know to become great NFL talents.

Meyer has been working for ESPN as part of the network's college football coverage, but it would be hard to imagine him not returning to coaching in the near future. He's 47 years old and has had some time away from the demanding schedule and job of coaching. 

Meyer recently released a statement surrounding the rumors of him being a candidate for a Penn State head coach job. 

"I am very happy with my role at ESPN,” Meyer said in a statement. “I have no plans to return to coaching at this time."

I have no doubt he is happy at ESPN, but jobs like Penn State don't come around that often. Only one man had the Penn State head coaching job during the last 46 years. The prestige and pride that comes with being the Penn State coach is something few people can ignore, and I'm sure the university would make sure Meyer would be paid among the top coaches in the nation.

To save football recruiting, Penn State needs a respected coach who has previous success and who can come in and persuade players that Happy Valley is where they should attend college and play football.

Urban Meyer is a players' coach, and he is a great man. Parents will have no problem sending their kids to Penn State with Meyer in charge.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates. Follow @NicholasGoss35