New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has turned heads with a controversial addition to his staff.
The Jags on Thursday announced the hiring of former Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle as director of sports performance.
Doyle, once the highest-paid strength coach in all of college football, parted ways with Iowa last year amid allegations by several former Hawkeyes players that he had bullied them with racist taunts.
Several players said Doyle, whose tenure at Iowa spanned 22 years, threatened to "send them back to the ghetto" if they didn't perform up to his standards, according to USA Today. Others said he mocked their hairstyles and clothes.
Doyle and longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz denied the allegations.
Meyer on Thursday told reporters that he and the rest of Jaguars brass "thoroughly" vetted Doyle, and he had no reservations about the hire.
“I’ve known Chris for close to 20 years. Our relationship goes back to when I was at Utah and he was the No. 1 strength coach,” Meyer said. "I vetted him thoroughly along with our general manager and owner. Feel great about the hire, about his expertise at that position. So we vetted him thoroughly and sports performance is going to be a high, high priority.”
In 2011, 13 Iowa players were hospitalized with muscle damage due to an overly strenuous workout led by the fiery coach, the New York Daily News reported.
Doyle was paid $800,000 in 2019, his final year at the school. As part of his dismissal, he received $1.1M and over a year's worth of medical benefits, it was reported.
For Meyer, the hire marks the latest questionable personnel decision in a career marred by them.
The three-time national title winner rebuilt the Florida Gators into a perennial contender, but the program was racked with off-field issues, including some of the first missteps in the tragic saga of Aaron Hernandez.
Meyer similarly restored Ohio State to glory, but exited amid controversy amid allegations that he'd protected an assistant accused of domestic violence.
On Thursday, Meyer told reporters he had no concerns there would be further issues with Doyle.
“If I was, I wouldn’t have hired him,” he said.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram