Lessons Learned from Urban Meyer

[ronocnikral]

Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida Gators - ESPN

I've not seen my two girls play high school sports. They're both very talented Division I-A volleyball players, so I missed those four years. I missed two already with one away at college. I can't get that time back.

Here is how I am reading this:
-You can have what others view as a dream j*b and still have more important things
-You can love your j*b and still have more important things
-Maximizing your payout may not be aligned with your goals in life
-There are still some people in this world who value family.

At the end of the day, I'm very convinced that you're going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many bowl games we won.

Lazy? Selfish?

Regardless, my hat is off to you Monsieur Meyer.

 

[Dawg52]

He has also made a ton of money so he can now step away and be a full time family man. That helps.

 

[Automatika]

Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida Gators - ESPN

Here is how I am reading this:
-You can have what others view as a dream j*b and still have more important things
-You can love your j*b and still have more important things
-Maximizing your payout may not be aligned with your goals in life
-There are still some people in this world who value family.

Lazy? Selfish?

Regardless, my hat is off to you Monsieur Meyer.

It helps when you have made ~$50 million during your career...

 

[W2R]

Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida Gators - ESPN

Here is how I am reading this:
-You can have what others view as a dream j*b and still have more important things
-You can love your j*b and still have more important things
-Maximizing your payout may not be aligned with your goals in life
-There are still some people in this world who value family.

Lazy? Selfish?

Regardless, my hat is off to you Monsieur Meyer.

I think these are great lessons for any of us to learn. Even those who have a dream job are still w*rking and are not free.

And at how much do we value our freedom?

It helps when you have made ~$50 million during your career...

If it is "easy" to retire at $50,000,000, why not $40,000,000? Or $400,000? For some it might be $100,000,000. No matter how high one's trigger point, it sounds like the thought processes can be very similar.

Glad he didn't have one-more-year syndrome.

 

[Westernskies]

Good riddance. His exorbitant compensation far outweighed his contribution to education, and the media focus on this guy exemplifies what is wrong with our higher education system in America, IMO. According to the article in USA Today yesterday, coaches at the top 120 US Universities earn an average of ~$1.3 Million/year. That's fine, if the alumni are footing the bill, not the taxpayers who have no say in the matter. I'd rather see my tax dollars go toward making higher education more affordable and funding academic programs and research that benefits successive generations. University athletic programs that do little more than churn out illiterate, narcissistic, spoiled, future felons for the NFL and NBA is not an accomplishment, but a waste of public funding.

But maybe that's just me.

 

[ziggy29]

Glad he didn't have one-more-year syndrome.

Actually, he sort of did. He announced a leave of absence a year ago, that he was taking the 2010 season off -- and not much longer he announced he would be back.

 

[ziggy29]

According to the article in USA Today yesterday, coaches at the top 120 US Universities earn an average of ~$1.3 Million/year. That's fine, if the alumni are footing the bill, not the taxpayers who have no say in the matter.

I believe most of the big-time programs make enough money that these salaries are funded by the athletic programs themselves. In fact, in some states I believe the law prohibits use of the general fund or money from taxpayers on athletic programs.

Having said that, I hate what college football has become. It's even more cutthroat, underhanded and Darwinistic than the blatantly capitalist, for-profit NFL. Ever since the Supreme Court took control of the TV contract away from the NCAA in the 1980s and gave it to the teams and conferences, geography and traditional rivalry has mattered less than being in the right conference and TV markets -- leading to jumping ship on your conference mates, leaving them to twist in the wind and sometimes struggle to survive. It stinks. And I've said nothing about the majority of players on big-time programs not really even being interested in the education, which is really a shame given that a lot of bright kids who want the education either can't get in or can't afford it because some jock with a 900 SAT is given a free ride.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Urban is a frequent topic of conversation in these parts. My take is that he does not do well with severe stress (not many do, given that type of career) and is emotionally drained. How much is just needing to get out of it for his own mental health, versus wanting more time with family remains to be seen.

Time will tell. A new career as an 80 hour/week commentator, for example, would suggest to me that the issue was not entirely family-driven. But, hey, it's his choice all the way.

 

[Dimsumkid]

Actually, he sort of did. He announced a leave of absence a year ago, that he was taking the 2010 season off -- and not much longer he announced he would be back.

He unretired the next day! Don't be surprised if he pulls a Michael Jordan/Brett Favre in a couple of years, or months from now.

 

[ronocnikral]

please excuse. i was unaware this option was only available to the uber rich.

 

[Leonidas]

I believe most of the big-time programs make enough money that these salaries are funded by the athletic programs themselves. In fact, in some states I believe the law prohibits use of the general fund or money from taxpayers on athletic programs.

The Water Boy's Mamma figured it out - there's big money in the foosball.

Having said that, I hate what college football has become. It's even more cutthroat, underhanded and Darwinistic than the blatantly capitalist, for-profit NFL.

It's why the only football I watch these days is the local high school and the Super Bowl and that's it. I don't have a clue who is the QB for the local NFL team.

Regardless how the man arrived at the decisions, I know how painful it is to come to this realization:

I can't get that time back.

However, I do give myself credit for doing it on a lot less than $50 million and not waiting until my kids were grown.

 

[Texas Proud]

One of the things that amaze me is that he thinks he is out of the norm....

I have known a lot of people who worked 60 to 80 hours a week to 'make ends meet'.... they do not have a stash of money to stop....

I remember a long time ago one lady who worked a full time job where I worked and then went to another full time job after working all day... she had been doing it for two years before I heard anything about it...

 

[W2R]

the only football I watch these days is the local high school and the Super Bowl and that's it. I don't have a clue who is the QB for the local NFL team.

Someone who knows less about the NFL than me! That's great.

I most DEFINITELY know who Drew Brees is.

 

[jwkde]

Who will come out of retirment in 2011 first - Urban Myer or Brett Farve?

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

He made the right call, but it's relatively easy to do with serious money already in the bank. It's the same scenario I've seen played out in Silicon Valley. High stress environment where many folks decide to call it quits after banking several million in options/stock. They dump most of their company's stock, rebalance, buy a house in a relaxing location (some stay in the Bay area, but move North to Marin County), and enjoy their family lives. After a few years, they start or join another business, but have the financial freedom to limit their commitment.

In Meyer's case, he seems to have a 100% commitment to whatever he puts his mind to. He has now realized that wasn't in the best interests of his family or his physical health.