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Longtime college basketball coach Jeff Meyer is retiring after 41 seasons on the sideline, most recently at Butler University, citing family considerations and COVID-19 concerns.
Meyer, 66, spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Butler, where he reunited with LaVall Jordan after Jordan took the Bulldogs’ head coaching job in 2017. Jordan and Meyer previously worked together on John Beilein’s staff at Michigan.
Jordan is promoting Will Vergollo to replace Meyer. Vergollo spent the last three seasons overseeing the Bulldogs’ video operations and analytics.
“Although the timing is not ideal, I am confident that Coach Vall and his Leadership Team will move forward the Butler Way,” Meyer said in a statement released by the athletic department. “Coach Vall has been amazing to my family and me. We appreciate, more than words can say, the opportunity we have had to return to Butler University and Butler basketball.”
Meyer was a familiar face around the college ranks.
The Indiana native began his career as an assistant coach at Purdue in 1978—starting a journey that included stops at South Florida, Liberty, Winthrop, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan—as well as two stints at Butler.
His only head coaching job was at Liberty, where he went 259-206 in 16 seasons and still holds the school record for victories.
Overall, Meyer coached in 1,290 games, with his teams going 794-496. He made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and was part of Butler’s Sweet 16 run in 2003, as well as Purdue’s most recent Final Four run in 1980 and Michigan’s championship game appearance in 2013.
“Jeff has been a tremendous mentor for several generations of student-athletes and coaches alike,” Jordan said. “He’s been a loyal friend for nearly 20 years and his mentorship to me, personally, has been invaluable throughout my career. We will miss his everyday energy, his vast basketball knowledge and his experience.”
Jordan also hired Vergollo in 2017 after the two worked together in Jordan’s only season as head coach at Milwaukee in 2016-17. Vergollo followed Jordan from Michigan to Milwaukee before heading to Butler.
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