How does Urban Meyer compare to Ohio State’s greatest coaches?

After coaching Ohio State in the Rose Bowl in January, Urban Meyer plans to retire.

Here is a look at some of the numbers from his seven seasons leading the Buckeyes and how they compare to his predecessors:

1. Meyer is fourth in wins at Ohio State. 

Only Woody Hayes (205), John Cooper (111) and Jim Tressel (106, counting wins vacated by the NCAA) won more games coaching the Buckeyes.

This season Meyer passed his mentor Earle Bruce (81) and John Wilce (78) on the OSU wins list and stands at 82 with one left to play.

Hayes, Cooper, Tressel, Bruce and Wilce are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

 

2. Meyer has the highest winning percentage in school history. 

At 82-9, Meyer has won 90.1 percent of his games in leading the Buckeyes.

That edges Carroll C. Widdows, who took over for Paul Brown and went 16-2 (89.9 percent) in 1944 and ’45.

Jim Tressel is third after going 106-22 (82.8 percent).

3. Meyer is third in wins against Michigan. 

A perfect seven for seven in college football’s greatest rivalry, Meyer has the best winning percentage for an OSU coach in the series against Michigan (doesn’t get better than 100).

He trails just Hayes (16) and Tressel (9) in wins by an Ohio State coach against the Wolverines.

>>RELATED: 7 numbers to know about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry

The only Michigan coaches with more wins in the series are Fielding Yost (16) and Bo Schembechler (11).

Meyer is the only man to coach in the rivalry more than once without losing.

Tressel was 9-1.

4. Four OSU coaches have produced more NFL draft picks than Meyer.  

Hayes is far and away the leader at 162, though the draft was much longer when he coached from 1951-78.

Next is Tressel with 67, Cooper with 61 and Bruce with 45.

Meyer stands at 40 after the 2018 draft.

Tressel averaged 6.70 draft picks per year, just edging Meyer’s current mark (6.67).

5. Only two Notre Dame legends have a higher winning percentage than Meyer’s all-time mark. 

Including his time at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, Meyer has the highest overall winning percentage among active coaches (85.3).

He is No. 3 in college football history trailing Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy, two legendary Notre Dame leading men.

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