In his first press conference as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday afternoon, Urban Meyer was asked if he plans to hire Ohio State director of player personnel Mark Pantoni, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti or any other staff members away from the Buckeyes.
“I talked to (athletic director) Gene (Smith) and to (head coach Ryan) Day, and you know my affection for both guys and the great university we represented, and I won’t do that,” Meyer said. “Does that mean there might be one? Maybe. I’m not there yet. But I told Gene, ‘Yeah, Coach Marotti, Pantoni, the whole crew’s leaving,’ and they’re like, ‘What?’ No, that’s the best infrastructure in college sports. So, no, they will not be leaving. I’m not touching them.
“There might be one, like I said, that will leave, but I’m not going to do that to that organization. And I’m not sure that they would go. Ohio State is home to those guys now.”
Though Meyer did not specify while staffer that may be, Ohio State director of player development Ryan Stamper, a Jacksonville native who played under Meyer at Florida from 2005-09, is the most likely candidate to follow him to the Jaguars.
Though unlikely, another potential candidate is Meyer’s son-in-law, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, though Meyer said he plans to shuttle his grandkids back and forth to Jacksonville as much as possible now that he’ll no longer be living in Columbus.
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