Urban Meyer is stepping away...

***BREAKING NEWS****

University of Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer, a 2-time national champion, released a statement this evening stating that he will be "Stepping down as the Head Coach at the University of Florida after the Sugar Bowl".

According to multiple published reports, Meyer will be stepping down due to some health issues. While he didn't elaborate...yet...on those issues, he was recently in the hospital after the SEC Championship game with what was reported as a "Dehydration" issue.

More from the Panama City News Herald RIGHT HERE
ESPN.Com says that he has a "Heart Valve Muscle Defect"...read more RIGHT HERE

((Urban Meyer//Courtesy: Boston.com))

There will apparently be a press conference from New Orleans where the Gators will be arriving in advance of the Sugar Bowl game on January 1st, a game that now appears as though it will be Meyer's last.

Robbie Andreu's piece in the Gainesville Sun reveals that Meyer will address the media at a Sunday afternoon press conference associated with Florida's Sugar Bowl game.

The short list for Meyer's replacement looks like this:
Houston's Kevin Sumlin, Arkansas' Bobby Petrino, TCU's Gary Patterson, Louisville's Charlie Strong, Miss State's Dan Mullen, and Mike Shanahan...

The HQ likes the Strong and Shanahan ideas. As far as we know, Strong has not signed a contract yet and Shanahan has ties dating back to the Galen Hall administration.

CL Brown at the Louisville Courier-Journal notes that Cards AD Tom Jurich "hopes" to hold on to Strong as his head coach. Jurich is not surprised that Strong is appearing on short lists and would not hold him to his seven-figure buyout clause if were to leave.

“Right now there are a lot of emotions for Charlie and his family,” Jurich said. “They've lived there, and that's their home. He's done four different stints there; that's the thing I'm worried about. I want to keep him, but I understand the pressure he's probably going to be under, too.”

Here's team coverage from our friends at Action News Jacksonville- otherwise known as Fox30 and CBS47. FOSG Steve Wrigley starts us off...


Obviously, keep checking OSG Sports, we'll have more on this story as it progresses