Meyer allowed to meet team
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s current suspension and previous paid leave have restricted him from talking football with his staff and athletes during August with one exception — a team meeting the day after the suspension was announced.
Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith were allowed to meet with the players and coaches for about 45 minutes last Thursday, according to emails sent to Meyer by the senior vice president for human resources, Susan Basso.
The emails outlining the details of Meyer’s suspension were obtained by The Associated Press yesterday through an open records request and first reported by Ohio State’s campus newspaper, The Lantern. Meyer can’t attend practices, meetings or official events, and can’t conduct any business related to being head coach. He also will lose six weeks of salary — approximately $500,000 — in a year he is slated to earn $7.6 million under a deal that runs through 2022.
Meyer and Smith were suspended over their handling of a now-fired assistant coach who was accused of domestic violence. Meyer resumes some coaching duties Monday but can’t coach during the first three games. He will be allowed to run practices after the team’s first game.
• Vanderbilt sophomore safety Zaire Jones has been suspended for the Commodores’ season opener with Middle Tennessee after being arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against an off-duty police officer.
• Four-time European champion Ajax qualified for the Champions League group stage yesterday for the first time in four years.
Ajax went to Dynamo Kiev with a 3-1 lead and that was the final aggregate result after the Dutch team was held to a 0-0 draw despite dominating.
• Martin Brodeur is leaving the St. Louis Blues after spending the past three years as assistant general manager.
The team said Brodeur is departing to pursue other opportunities. Brodeur ended his goaltending career with the Blues, joined the front office as assistant to the GM in January 2015.
• The Memphis Grizzlies waived guard Kobi Simmons, who started 12 games last season. The 6-foot-4, 170-pounder played 32 games and averaged 6.1 points as a rookie.