Urban Meyer would eventually win two national titles with the Florida Gators and become one of the most iconic coaches in the sport’s history.
But before those championship heights, Meyer was relatively unproven as a head coach at the game’s highest level. Meyer lost three games in his first season at Flordia, including a 30-22 road loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, then coached by the legendary Steve Spurrier, who made his name as a Heisman Trophy winner and championship coach at Florida.
Meyer, speaking on the newly released documentary, Untold: Swamp Kings, revealed that he “lost confidence” as a head coach after that game due to his subsequent treatment by the fans. He also said he questioned his job security after the loss.
“After that loss at South Carolina, I walk into this restaurant in Gainesville, Florida and they boo me … they boo me,” Meyer said in the documentary, according to Brad Crawford of 247 Sports. “People started to question me as a leader and to say that I lost my confidence … I certainly lost my confidence. I’ve never had that much doubt. I thought there’s a decent chance this one’s over.”
Thankfully for Gators fans, their university didn’t get rid of Meyer after a rocky first season at the helm of their program. He would win his first national championship the following year.
