Anthony Weaver, Chris Ash amongst names to watch for Urban Meyer’s staff
Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars are closing in on a deal for the former Gators coach to try his hand in the NFL. Of course, when that happens he will be tasked with naming a staff, which reportedly will include college and NFL assistants.
Former Ohio State HC Urban Meyer has been assembling a coaching staff, including some assistants from the college ranks, should he decide to become the Jaguars' next HC, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2021
Per Jeremey Fowler two names to watch are Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash and Houston Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Both names are two who worked with Meyer during his time at Ohio State and Florida, respectively.
Two potential moves I'm watching for with Urban Meyer and Jaguars: Chris Ash (Urban's DC at Ohio State) as DBs coach, #Texans DC Anthony Weaver (Urban's GA at Florida) as a head defensive assistant/DL.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 14, 2021
With Texas firing their head coach Tom Herman (another former assistant of Meyer to watch) on Jan. 2, Ash looks to be a free-agent. However, their could be competition for him as Florida head coach Dan Mullen (another Meyer assistant) could be looking to grab Ash, too.
Weaver, on the other hand, has NFL experience and has been coaching in the league since 2012. He started his NFL coaching career with the New York Jets as a defensive line assistant and made stops with the Buffalo Bills (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), and Texans (2016-2020) as a defensive line coach.
While with the Texans, Weaver received a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2020 while also remaining the defensive line coach. Under his coaching, Houston was 32nd against the rush (160.3 YPG), 25th against the pass (270.3 YPG) and 30th overall (416.9 YPG).
Other notable assistants who’ve worked with Meyer include names like Charlie Strong, Everett Withers, Kerry Coombs, Taver Johnson, Teryl Austin, and Stan Drayton. He also has called Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, a mentor of his. While there haven’t been reports of interest in any of the aforementioned names, it’s clear Meyer will partly lean on his connections of the past.
