Urban Meyer’s 2-year contract extension approved by Board of Trustees

We knew a few months ago that Urban Meyer and Ohio State were working on a contract extension for the football head coach, and it looks like terms were finally agreed upon. The university’s Board of Trustees Talent and Compensation Committee has approved an extension for Meyer that will keep him as the program’s head coach through Jan. 31, 2023.

As part of the deal, Meyer will receive a raise of roughly $1.2 million, for a total salary of $7.6 million for the 2018 season — making him the highest paid coach in the Big Ten and third highest-paid nationally. The coach’s 2017 guaranteed salary was $5.7 million, plus incentives.

Meyer had noted during the time between the Early Signing Period in late-December and the official National Signing Day in February that his intention was to stay in Columbus for awhile longer, and that he was working with the university on an extension. Normally coaches aren’t so forthcoming with that kind of information, but a coach’s commitment to a team has been an increasingly important part of recruiting; especially as rivals begin to go negative.

You might remember that certain coaches— cough Dabo cough— were reportedly telling mutual recruits that Meyer was likely at the tail-end of his coaching career. Those rumors should be laid to rest now that Meyer is locked into leading Ohio State through the next few years.