After being fired “with cause” by Jacksonville in 2021, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer appealed the decision. The dispute later went to arbitration, and today, the decision went against Meyer, essentially costing him millions of dollars.

According to On3, the arbitration ruled in favor of the Jaguars in their firing of Meyer. He was let go by the franchise 13 games into the 2021 season, which was also his first year in Jacksonville. If the decision had been the opposite, Meyer would have received the remaining four years of his contract, estimated at more than $30 million.

At the time, the team was 2-11. However, Jacksonville owner Shad Khan indicated that the decision had more to do with off-the-field stuff rather than what the team was producing on the field.

“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” Khan said in the 2021 statement. “I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”

But how did the former OSU head coach break the trust of the Jaguars?

His 11-month tenure with Jacksonville was derailed by a continuous sequence of off-field scandals. Among them, October 2021’s Ohio Bar incident and abandoning his team played a huge role in his firing.

After a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Urban Meyer took the unprecedented step of refusing to fly home with his team. Days later, viral videos emerged showing the head coach at his Columbus restaurant where a young woman, who was not his wife, was dancing on his lap. Following that, Jaguars owner Shad Khan issued a public reprimand, stating that Meyer had entirely lost the franchise’s trust.

“What I will say is his conduct last weekend was inexcusable. I appreciate Urban’s remorse, which I believe is sincere,” said Khan.

However, the final catalyst occurred in mid-December when former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo went public with an allegation that Urban Meyer had kicked him in the leg during warmups before a preseason game while cursing at him. “It certainly wasn’t as hard as he could’ve done it, but it certainly wasn’t a love tap,” said Lambo. “Which in the workplace, I don’t care if it’s football or not, the boss can’t strike an employee.”

Hours after this news, Shad Khan officially terminated Meyer’s contract. But that’s not all, as there are several severe infractions.

The controversies that triggered Urban Meyer’s termination

After taking the Jacksonville job in February 2021, Urban Meyer hired Chris Doyle as the team’s performance director. But Doyle was selected from Iowa following widespread allegations of racism and bullying toward Black players. That’s why only 35 hours after hiring, amid severe public and internal backlash, Doyle was forced to resign.

Then, Meyer brought a collegiate practice mentality to the pros, which quickly violated league rules. Following that, the NFL fined the Jaguars $200,000 and the coach personally $100,000 for illegal physical contact. Moreover, he benched star RB James Robinson after a fumble, leading to public confusion. He also insulted WR group, sparking an argument that temporarily forced Marvin Jones Jr. to leave the team facility in protest.

Given all, Urban Meyer fostered a toxic workplace culture, as per the report. During a staff meeting, he allegedly berated his assistant coaches, calling them “losers” and demanding they defend their resumes to him.