Florida: Coach Urban Meyer feeling better after hospital treatment for dehydration

Florida: Meyer feeling better after hospital stay

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Urban Meyer was treated and released at a hospital for dehydration Sunday, just hours after his team lost to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Meyer was admitted early Sunday morning and released around 2 p.m. School spokesman Steve McClain said the coach was feeling much better.

Speaking on a teleconference for the Sugar Bowl later in the day, Meyer was asked twice about his health. But Sugar Bowl spokesman John Sudsbury refused to let the coach answer, requesting that all questions be related solely to the New Year’s Day game against unbeaten and fourth-ranked Cincinnati.

Sudsbury referred any queries about Meyer’s health to McClain, who declined to divulge any further information.

It remains unclear what caused Meyer to go to Shands at the University of Florida and how long he spent at the hospital. Several reports said Meyer experienced chest pains after his team returned from Atlanta.

The defending national champions lost 32-13 to Alabama in the biggest game of the season, a crushing blow to a team that endured off-the-chart expectations since quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes decided to return for their seniors seasons in January.

The loss snapped Florida’s 22-game winning streak and left the No. 5 Gators to face Cincinnati, Meyer’s alma mater, in New Orleans.

“We’ll get this team going,” Meyer said, pointing out his seniors set an SEC record for most wins in a four-year span. “Our legacy is going to be dependent on how we end this season.”