Urban Meyer compares pandemic to Sept. 11: 'It's at times overwhelming'

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Retired head coach Urban Meyer can see some similarities between the coronavirus pandemic and Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

"It's much different, but the only time that I reflected on it and actually talked to people about this was 9/11," Meyer said in an interview with Josh Pate of 247Sports. "I was 36 years old, first-time head coach. I started the season at Bowling Green. It was a really, really struggling (program), we were like 3-0. The first time in many, many years and we're getting ready to go play South Carolina and sure enough, those planes hit that building. And I can speak on behalf of being a parent and a coach, the only thing you think about until it gets stabilized is the health and well-being of your people you're in charge of. It's at times overwhelming.

Meyer continued: "One of the things I had the biggest conflict of is that people are wanting to play that game and I remember on Thursday, and I had a couple of calls from families, saying, 'Coach, are you really going to put my kid on that plane?' ... That's a decision that I'm not equipped to make.

"Are you really going to put those people on a plane and people that you care about and people that you're entrusted to? It's a little bit the same with this issue here. Are you really gonna let people return to work?"

Though the NCAA hasn't spoken recently about its football calendar in 2020, the organization has discussed contingency plans. The proposals reportedly include holding the College Football Playoff in May or June, dividing up the regular season between the fall and spring semesters or reducing games, and allowing student-athletes back on campus to play in empty stadiums.

The 55-year-old retired following the 2018 season with a career record of 187-32 and three national championships on his resume. Over his 17-season career, Meyer coached Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04), Florida (2005-10), and Ohio State (2012-18).