URBAN SHOCKER AT OHIO STATE
Meyer on paid leave after report he knew of assistant’s alleged domestic abuse
Urban Meyer has some explaining to do, and now he’ll have some time away from football to do just that.
The Ohio State coach was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday, hours after a bombshell report was published alleging Meyer and his wife, Shelley, were among those who knew about an assistant coach’s domestic-abuse issues dating back to 2015.
Meyer, who won two national titles with Florida and one with Ohio State in 2014, had said last week he had no knowledge about a pair of alleged domestic-violence incidents involving his former assistant coach Zach Smith — who was fired last week after the cases became public.
“[Athletic director Gene Smith] and I agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion,” Meyer said in a statement released Wednesday night. “This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter.”
Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will serve as acting head coach while Ohio State conducts an investigation.
The Buckeyes are a preseason Top 5 team and a favorite to win the Big 10.
Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of the former Buckeyes wide receivers coach, shared text messages with college football reporter Brett McMurphy that go against what Meyer claimed he knew.
“All the [coaches’] wives knew,” Courtney told McMurphy. “They all did. Every single one.”
Meyer was asked about the allegations last week at Big Ten Media Day, but said if he had known, he would have fired Smith back in 2015.
“I was never told about anything,” Meyer told reporters. “Never anything came to light, never had a conversation about it. So I know nothing about it. I asked people back at the office to call and see what happened, and they came back and said they know nothing.
“I don’t know who creates a story like that,” Meyer added about the 2015 allegations.
The text messages provided by Courtney Smith show that Shelley Meyer — a registered nurse and instructor of clinical practice at Ohio State’s college of nursing — and other wives of Ohio State coaches knew about the alleged domestic violence incidents for years. Smith also said she shared with them pictures of bruises on her neck and arms from past beatings.
“Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban,” Smith said. “I said: ‘That’s fine, you should tell Urban.’ I know Shelley did everything she could.”
While the abuse allegedly dates back to 2009, texts show that Smith began discussing the issues with wives of coaches in 2015. She called the police after an incident that October, when Smith allegedly shoved her against the wall with his hands around her neck, “something he did very often,” Smith said.
“I am with you!” Shelley Meyer allegedly wrote to Smith in a 2015 text. “A lot of women stay hoping it will get better. I don’t blame you! But just want u to be safe. Do you have a restraining order? He scares me.”
Zach Smith is the grandson of Earle Bruce, the former Buckeyes coach who gave Meyer his first coaching job in 1986 at Ohio State. Bruce, who died in April, had been a longtime mentor for Meyer.
Further texts between Courtney Smith and Lindsey Voltolini — the wife of Brian Voltolini, Ohio State’s director of football opera- tions and a longtime member of Meyer’s staff — show Meyer spoke to Zach Smith about the 2015 incident.
“He [Urban] just said he [Zach] denied everything,” Lindsey allegedly wrote to Smith.
Zach Smith has never been convicted of domestic violence, though he was arrested in 2009 for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim following a fight with his wife. The incident happened the night of a party that Meyer threw for his coaches, including Smith, while they were at Florida.
According to Courtney, two of Meyer’s closest friends asked her to drop the charges from that event, which she ultimately agreed to do.
“Zach once told me,” Courtney said, “if he ever got fired and this all comes out: ‘I’ll take everyone at Ohio State down with me.’ ”