Urban Meyer Loses Arbitration Case Against Jaguars

Urban Meyer won’t be pocketing $30 million just for his poor performance.

The former head coach of the Jaguars ended up losing an arbitration case worth over $30 million after being dismissed just 13 games into the 2021 season.

The main point of contention revolves around whether the Jaguars had “just cause” for his firing, which, if deemed valid, would relieve the team of its contractual obligations.

Meyer, who is 61, had signed a five-year deal reportedly worth between $10 million and $12 million per year before the 2021 season. Unfortunately for him, he managed only a 2-11 record, generating more headlines for controversies than actual victories.

One notable incident involved Meyer being fined $300,000—a breakdown of $100,000 for himself and $200,000 for the team—after he neglected to return home with the team post-game in Cincinnati. Instead, he was spotted at a bar with a woman who wasn’t his wife. Plus, accusations from former kicker Josh Lambo claimed that Meyer had kicked him during practice, among other issues.

In December, Jaguars owner Shad Khan clarified that Meyer’s firing wasn’t exclusively linked to Lambo’s allegations that surfaced just a day prior to his dismissal.

Lambo’s representatives pointed out that the team was informed of the incident back in August, suggesting that a delay in action would complicate any claim of “just cause” for the firing.

Shad Khan reportedly took his time to announce the decision to fire Meyer, partly to allow staff to regroup. The formal announcement came early on December 16, stating that the choice wasn’t merely in response to a single news report, but rather a conclusion reached after extensive deliberation.

The arbitration process saw participation from Meyer, Lambo, and various team members, and it’s worth noting that Meyer might still dispute the decision in court, given that it resulted from a ruling by an independent arbitrator.