Urban Meyer: 5 Programs Where Meyer Would Be a Perfect Fit

The Urban Meyer saga could be coming to an end soon. 

There are reports the former Florida head coach has agreed in principle on a seven-year, $40 million contract to take over for Luke Fickell at Ohio State. 

Meyer is denying those reports, saying he "has not been offered a job nor is there a deal in place."

Considering the amount of smoke surrounding the situation, I don't put a lot of stock into what he is saying right now. 

But looking at the bigger picture, is Ohio State really the best fit for Meyer? 

Certainly, everyone in and around Columbus would say absolutely. The Buckeyes own the state of Ohio, have played in a BCS game in eight of the previous nine years and are one of the premiere programs in the country. 

Looking around the country, there are a number of intriguing jobs that are available that would be just as perfect for Meyer as Ohio State is. 

Here are five other programs that would be great fits for Meyer.

UCLA Bruins

The Rick Neuheisel era has not gone as well as Bruins fans were hoping when he got the gig in 2008.

They are one win away from playing in the Pac-12 title game this year—only because USC isn't eligible—and they aren't exactly dominating with a 6-5 record right now. 

Something will be done sooner or later, and if the Bruins' athletic director had made a decision with Neuheisel a few weeks ago, they could have gotten involved in negotiations with Meyer.

UCLA is a program that should be much better than it is. California is flush with premiere high school talent, the Bruins play in one of the biggest media markets in the country and their facilities are first-rate.

Meyer could have worked his magic on the Bruins and made them one of the most dominant teams in the Pac-12 for years to come.

Missouri Tigers

A week ago, the idea of the Tigers even having a head coaching vacancy would have been laughable. They had won at least eight games in each of the last five seasons, and they have a chance to reach that number again with a victory over Kansas and a bowl game. 

But that was before Gary Pinkel was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Athletic director Mike Alden suspended him for last week's game and has frozen his salary. That was a black eye to the program and one that could lead to changes. 

With an impending move to the SEC, the Tigers could have used a big splash at head coach. The expectations are not as high in Missouri as they are at Ohio State, so Meyer would have been given the time needed to get his recruits in the mix. 

Meyer knows the SEC very well and could have dominated that area in recruiting and taken all the best prospects in the midwest region also. 

North Carolina Tar Heels

Butch Davis was able to do a great job of recruiting at North Carolina, though there were reasons for that which were made public.

But that does not mean there is no market for this football program. 

Meyer has a history of being able to recruit anywhere he goes—he led Utah to the BCS back in 2004—so it's not like he has to go to a major program in order to have great success. 

The ACC is not much stronger than the Big Ten, and there are no dominant programs in the conference, so Meyer could have turned UNC into one of the best and most prestigious around. 

The only drawback to coaching at North Carolina is that football will always play second fiddle to basketball, which would likely be a deterrent to Meyer if he were offered the job. 

Clemson Tigers

I know Dabo Swinney's squad has performed well this season and will play in the ACC title game, but another late-season meltdown cost them a chance to play for a national championship. 

If Meyer gave them the slightest indication he would be interested, do you think they would say no because they already have Dabo Swinney?

The Tigers have always had the talent to be one of the best teams in the country, but years of constant disappointments always sucked the air out of this program. 

Meyer would be able to take this program to places it hasn't seen since the beginning of the Danny Ford era in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

The ACC is a football goldmine that no one is taking full advantage of.

Save me the Virginia Tech comments, because they are not an elite program. The fact they are fifth in the BCS right now is a joke.

Texas Longhorns

The Mack Brown era is going to come to an end sooner rather than later, and considering they have struggled two straight seasons, that end could be rapidly approaching. 

I know the Longhorns have had to start a number of freshmen this season, but Brown doesn't seem to be maximizing his talent pool.

They have gone from playing in a national championship game two years ago to scratching and clawing their way into the rankings. 

Texas is a recruiting hotbed with as many four- and five-star players in that state as many entire regions have.

Imagine Meyer taking over the recruiting and coaching for this team. They would dominate the Big 12, or whatever conference they end up in, for decades. 

Plus, the irony of Will Muschamp leaving Texas to go to Florida and Meyer jumping to Texas after leaving Florida would be a fun story to talk about.