Odds on Next Ohio State Football Coach: Urban Meyer, Mark Stoops the Favorites

Early Monday morning Ohio State announced that Jim Tressel was resigning after 10 years on the job, eight of which were double-digit win seasons. The news cycle and information cycle moves so quickly in sports that the discussion regarding Ohio State football has already progressed into one about their next head coach.

While Luke Fickell will take over the program for the upcoming season, the question is who will become the next head coach of one of the most storied programs in the history of college football. Bodog has already placed odds on the next head coach and they’ve installed former Florida coach Urban Meyer as their favorite. Here are their odds:

Urban Meyer (stepped down at Florida, analyst) – 3:2
Mark Stoops (Florida State defensive coordinator) – 5:2
Jon Gruden (fired from Buccaneers, analyst) – 3:1
Bo Pelini (Nebraska) – 10:1
Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) – 12:1

When Meyer was at Florida, it was said that Notre Dame was his dream job. Now people are saying that because he’s from Ohio and coached at Bowling Green that Ohio State is his dream job.

While we don’t know his feelings on the matter, what we do know is that he stepped down for a day citing health concerns, returned to coach last season, and then stepped down after the year. Who knows if he still feels burnt out from coaching, if he still wants to spend time with his family, or if he’ll be ready to resume coaching after another half-year of rest. We don’t know the answers to those questions, but we figure the job is his if he wants it. Meyer is the best coach available and any program would likely do anything to get him. But if the words of his daughters mean anything, then we know he’s not taking the job.

Meanwhile, Meyer issued a statement through ESPN (via Bryan D. Fischer) and it says:

“I am committed to ESPN and will not pursue any coaching opportunities this fall. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the people at ESPN this spring and remain very excited about my role with the network this fall.

Jim Tressel has been a respected friend and colleague for a long time. I wish Jim and his family the very best now and in the future.

Notice the key part — he won’t pursue any opportunities this fall — which is fine, considering Ohio State isn’t hiring for the upcoming season but for the ’12 season.

For more possible candidates, our friend Mark Kohn has listed his odds.

Photo Credit: ESPN