By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS – Urban Meyer appears to be in jeopardy of losing his job as Ohio State football coach over the handling of a longtime assistant who has been accused of domestic violence.
Meyer has been put on paid leave amid an investigation of abuse claims against a fired assistant.
The university is conducting an investigation into these allegations. During the inquiry, Urban Meyer will be on paid administrative leave. Ryan Day will serve as acting head football coach during the investigation. We are focused on supporting our players and on getting to the truth as expeditiously as possible. -Statement from The Ohio State University
The ex-wife of former assistant coach Zach Smith she told Meyer’s wife in 2015 that her husband had assaulted her, an incident Meyer said last week he was unaware of.
Courtney Smith gave an interview to Stadium and provided text messages to former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy between her and Shelley Meyer and with the wives of other Buckeyes coaches.
Text messages I have obtained, an exclusive interview w/the victim & other information I have learned shows Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knew in 2015 of domestic abuse allegations against a member of his coaching staff despite his denial last week https://t.co/fcxi8GKyeI
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 1, 2018
Courtney Smith also provided threatening texts she claims came from her ex-husband.
Hours after Courtney Smith’s interview was posted online Wednesday, Ohio State said it was conducting an investigation into the allegations and Meyer was being placed on leave.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will serve as acting head coach for the Buckeyes, expected to be one of the top teams in the nation again this season.
Meyer said he and athletic director Gene Smith agree that being on leave during the inquiry was best for the investigation and the team.
Gene and I agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion. This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter. -Statement from Urban Meyer
Zach Smith was fired last week after an Ohio court granted a domestic violence protective order to Courtney Smith.
Zach Smith was charged in May with misdemeanor criminal trespass. At the time of the charge, Zach Smith’s attorney said Courtney Smith had accused him of driving to her apartment after she told him they would meet elsewhere so he could drop off their son. Zach Smith pleaded not guilty last month. A hearing has been scheduled for Friday.
Zach Smith was accused of aggravated battery on his then-pregnant wife in 2009 while he was a graduate assistant on Meyer’s staff at Florida. The charge was dropped because of insufficient evidence. Urban Meyer brought Smith, the grandson of late Buckeyes coach Earle Bruce, to Ohio State in 2012.
Two police reports filed in 2015 in Powell, after the Smiths separated in June of that year, accused Zach Smith of abuse. Charges were never filed.
At Big Ten media days, Meyer said he knew of the incident in 2009 and he and Shelley Meyer addressed it with the Smiths. Asked about the 2015 incident alleged by Courtney Smith, Meyer said:
“I can’t say it didn’t happen because I wasn’t there. I was never told about anything and nothing ever came to light. I’ve never had a conversation about it. I know nothing about it. First I heard about that was last night. No, and I asked some people back at the office to call and say what happened and they came back and said they know nothing about it.”
The Smiths divorced in 2016.