Often, when we interview head coaches, we ask them what makes a successful coach. You get a lot of different answers, but most share the same idea. Many football coaches focus hard on playbooks, formations, and game plans, but one key piece of advice from Bear Bryant still hits today — scheduling.
What Bryant told Earl Bruce decades ago still rings true, especially as teams like Georgia craft their seasons with precision. Now, Urban Meyer is speaking up, asking if teams are playing smart or just playing it safe.
Urban Meyer Shares Bear Bryant’s Gold Standard Advice
Urban Meyer recently shared a story about football legend Bear Bryant and his secret to coaching success. On the “Triple Option podcast,” Meyer recalled how Bruce, his mentor, once visited Bryant to get advice on becoming a great head coach.
Bruce, who later became Ohio State’s head coach, was still early in his career when he met with Bryant. He asked for just 10 minutes of advice and got it.
Bryant, never one to waste time, told Bruce to sit down and start writing. His first and most important point? Scheduling. Meyer added, “He said, ‘Boy, write this down. No. 1, scheduling.'”
Bryant didn’t stop there. He repeated the point with strong emphasis: “’No. 2, scheduling. Make sure you get control of your scheduling.’ And he said, ‘Write this down, boy. No. 3, scheduling.'”
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The message was simple: Control your schedule, and you control your success. Meyer, a three-time national champion, connected that wisdom to today’s game by pointing at Georgia’s current slate and calling out head coach Kirby Smart.
The former Ohio State coach said, “Marshall, Austin Peay, and Charlotte. They got nine, count them, nine home games. Come on, Kirby. What in the world was that? So that’s the Bear Bryant right there.”
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This tactic isn’t new — it’s commonplace. Bryant knew the value of smart scheduling before it became the norm. His method helped him win six national titles and 323 games, one of the best records in college football history.
Today’s coaches still follow that gold standard. Strong programs often avoid tough matchups early in the year, preferring to open against easier opponents. While this has grown into controversy over time, it’s hit the forefront as debates roar regarding the best practice to get into the College Football Playoff.
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