Urban Meyer to Take Leave of Absence

A day after Urban Meyer shocked the college football world by saying he would resign as head coach at Florida, Meyer has changed his mind.

In a press conference Sunday, Meyer announced that he is planning to take a leave of absence -- but not quit -- to deal with health problems related to issues with his heart. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will fill in as interim head coach while Meyer is out.

Asked whether taking a leave of absence was on the table from the beginning despite his initial resignation, Meyer said, "Some people who are very close to me advised me to step away for a little bit. The option was there from Day 1."

That change from resignation to leave of absence opens the door for a return to coaching sooner or later, and Meyer seems to think he'll be on the sidelines when the Gators open next season. "I do, in my gut, believe that will happen."

MORE ON URBAN MEYER

---

Mariotti: Meyer's Life Decision Turns to Mush
Whitley: Taking a Break Beats Taking a Hike
Travis: 11 Questions If Meyer Leaves
Florida Gators: Schedule | Stats He also explained how he changed his mind in 24 hours: "It's very simple ... I care so much about each individual (on the team). After I saw them out there (at practice Sunday) after the meeting we had (Saturday night) ... it was a heck of a run, a run we're very proud of, and when you sit back and watch the players, to not try (to eventually come back) would not be the right thing to do.

"It was our players. I'm proud of this football team. Not just the wins but the way they go about business. To see them this morning with a great attitude and great work ethic and just go to work, I admire that. I'm dealing with some stuff, my family comes first. That's non-negotiable. My second family are my players and staff. And to see them (at practice Sunday), that was the moment. I immediately went to Jeremy (Foley, Florida's athletics director) and had some discussions."

Meyer wouldn't get into specifics about the condition that is causing him to take the leave, although he did note that he never had a heart attack, as was reported in some places. He began to experience chest pains, he explained, four years ago, and the pain became "rather significant" two years ago. "I started to become very alarmed at that," he said. "I'm a person of faith and I wanted to make sure I have my priorities straight. Most of the time coaches don't. If you put business before God and family, you've got a problem. ... I was advised that I need to get this right or it could lead to damage."

Many have wondered since reports of Meyer's decision change broke how the team would handle having its head coach act as coach-in-waiting. Meyer says he will coach the team at this week's Sugar Bowl. As for how he would handle a return to coaching when his condition is admittedly self-inflicted due to stress and too much work, he said, "It's something I've got to figure out. Obviously other coaches have great careers and have done great things for a long time."

Tim Tebow, who sat directly to Meyer's left, described the feeling amongst the team. "The last 24 hours have definitely been a whirlwind, dealing with everything, just knowing that (Meyer) was going through hard times with his health and just trying to deal with that was hard on me and a lot of players."

Share Addazio has been an assistant to Meyer at Florida since Meyer became the Gators' head coach in 2005. The two also worked together on Notre Dame's staff in 1999 and 2000. Addazio is also a former Syracuse assistant who was once considered a strong candidate to get the head-coaching job at Syracuse.

It's still not clear how long Meyer will be out of coaching, but he made it clear that his family will be the first priority in the decision.

"They're the most important aspect of my life. To put them in jeopardy, I won't do that. They'll know before I do anything ."