Florida's Urban Meyer headlines Holtz HOF class
By JAKE GLAVIESPrinted in East Liverpool Review Online Posted June 14, 2009
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EAST LIVERPOOL - As always, the Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame induction ceremonies bring with it a certain excitement.
EAST LIVERPOOL - Two of college football's biggest names met in East Liverpool, Saturday for the annual Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame inductions.
The University of Florida's Urban Meyer and former Notre Dame and South Carolina coach Lou Holtz sat talking football and catching up prior to Meyer receiving the 2009 Distinguished American Award at an induction ceremony at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland.
But this was far more than just a meeting between old friends.
This was the coming together of two coaching legends.
The pair have combined for three NCAA FBS championships, 332 wins and various coach of the year awards - not to mention 17 bowl victories.
The two first met in January 1996 when Meyer was a 29-year-old, wide receivers coach at Colorado State.
Since that time, he's learned all he can from Holtz. Even infusing his current program with what he's picked up.
"It was pretty intimidating," Meyer said of that first meeting. "He's a mentor. Every piece of our program has Lou Holtz in our program."
It wasn't easy to get the coach of the 2008 National Champions to East Liverpool, though.
Meyer had to tear himself away from practice with his Florida Gators to join Holtz and the rest of this year's inductees - which included Oak Glen wrestling coach Larry Shaw, Martin "Tim Sheerer, Joseph Wells III and Florence Updegraff.
And, according to Meyer, the former Fighting Irish headman is the only coach who could get him away from Gainesville, Fla. team this time of year.
"There's only two people that can call and ask and I'm going to do it regardless of what it is, and that's coach Holtz and my wife Shelley," Meyer said with a laugh. "I'm very honored to be up here. My admiration and friendship for coach is strong. I'm just honored to be here."
The importance of Meyer's trip to East Liverpool wasn't lost on the man whose image covers nearly every square inch of the hall.
"We are honored to have him. He's doing us a favor by being here," Holtz said.
The hall was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people just hoping to catch a glimpse of the two coaches.
Even the Ohio State fans couldn't miss the chance to meet the coach that thwarted their title hopes with a 4114 blowout in the 2007 National Championship game.
"The Ohio State guys asked me to sign Florida helmets," Meyer said, referring to a pair of fans outside the hall decked out in OSU gear. "I'm a big Ohio State guy, I graduated from Ohio State grad school."
Despite winning his first title at the Buckeyes' expense, Meyer's had quite a bit of history in the state.
He was born in Ashtabula, Ohio and played defensive back at the University of Cincinnati from 1983-86. He began his coaching career at Ohio State before accepting his first head coaching job at Bowling Green.
But now Meyer bleeds blue and orange.
In an area of the country full of Buckeye, West Virginia and Pitt fans, one member of the Gator faithful got the surprise of a lifetime.
Wearing an autographed Tim Tebow jersey and a Florida hat, Nicklaus Bayer, 12 years old, of Wellsville got to meet the coach of his favorite team.
"She just put me in the car and said we were going somewhere else," Bayer said, referring to his mother. "We ended up down here. I asked 'what are we doing down here?' She said we got tickets to come.
"I was real surprised. I was happy."
With Meyer and Holtz making the rounds Saturday, it wasn't just Bayer that had a smile on his face.