Customer Reviews

Urban's Way: Urban Meyer, the Florida Gators, and His Plan to Win

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not one of those typical chronicles of a special season that delves about as deep as speeches at a booster club confab.

Author Buddy Martin - in this authorized biography - delves into the life of Urban Meyer and produces an excellent exploration into what may have appeared to be an open-field scamper from the mid-level head coaching ranks to leading one of the most storied programs in the rich history of college football.

But a cursory glance of a career hardly tells the real story.

With his family roots in a state that is a hotbed for football - Ohio - Meyer was a solid athlete for Saints John & Paul Catholic School in Ashtabula, a defensive back for the Cincinnati Bearcats - graduating in 1986 - and a minor-league prospect in the Atlanta Braves farm system.

The real challenge, though, was on the horizon, as Meyer entered the collegiate coaching ranks, spending 1986-2000 in a variety of capacities with Ohio State, Illinois State, Colorado State and Notre Dame. Martin tackles these oftentimes frustrating years for Meyer, where self-doubt and concerns about a stalled career are juxtaposed with mentors like the legendary head coaches Earle Bruce and Lou Holtz.

When the door opened in 2001 for a head coaching opportunity at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, though, Meyer placed himself on an amazing fast-track in the rugged profession. Two seasons at BGSU landed him the head coaching post at Utah, where his teams - in 2003-2004 - tallied a 22-2 mark and two bowl victories, including the Fiesta Bowl.

And the next logical step was tackling a major program, with several opportunities on the table - including his dream job at Notre Dame - but Meyer accepting the task of bringing glory back to the University of Florida.

The exploration of the National Championship season is outstanding and Martin's reporting of 2007 has more important gems than the continued media focus on Meyer's harsh comments concerning "The Celebration."

Covering Meyer's game plan for life - personal faith and philosophies - and playbook for the turf wars - the breakdown of the Spread Offense is a must for any fan - Martin shows the continuing growth of a true educator.

Meyer is not just achieving victories on Saturday afternoons in "The Swamp," he is a role model to each player on the biggest field of the all....life. Ultimately, that is Urban's Way.

Got my husband this book as a gift for his birthday. It arrived right on time. He read the first 200 pages waiting for his turn at jury duty, and is really enjoying this book. He said that although there's nothing amazing about the writing style, it has a lot of really great insights into the coach and the team ... a great behind-the-scenes look at Gator Football.

Hard to put down, very enjoyable both for football fans, Gator fans, and really gives you a new respect for Urban Meyer.

I brought this book for my grandson who is a Gator Fan.
He really enjoy reading the book and recommends this for any one

This is one of the best books about the philosophy of football and how to balance family with football and how to maximize what your players can become on and off the field.

This book gives the reader a tremendous insight into Urban Meyer, his leadership methods, and why Florida has become THE dominant program in college football since Meyer's arrival. Highly recommend

I loved it!. great isights of how Coach Meyer developed and put together the Plan to Win. I will take a lot of things said and written and apply it to my own coaching philosophy.

Best book on a coach I've ever read. And I've read a few. I am a high school football head coach and this book is excellent. It blends the game and life together in a great story.

I was hoping this book would bring insight through details and anecdotes from Urban Meyer's life. I was disappointed. This book is well written and easy to read, but more about the people surrounding Urban Meyer than the man himself. This book spends much detail describing the 2005-2007 seasons of Florida football. If that is what you are looking for, go ahead and buy it. Otherwise, wait for a better bio.

I am not even a Florida Gator's fan, but wanted to learn more about Urban Meyer who was recently hired as the new head coach at the Ohio State University. I am glad I did. What a great read! This was a very well written, easy to read page turner. I also gained an even greater respect for Urban Meyer, who I already knew was one of the best coaches in college football. I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of college football.