By Dana Sulonen
Detroit Free Press
Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer released a statement Friday saying that he took proper steps in 2015 when notified of Zach Smith’s “incident.”
The statement comes two days after being placed on paid leave after former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy reported Meyer’s potential knowledge of a 2015 domestic violence claim against Smith, a former Buckeyes assistant.
On Friday afternoon, Meyer, posted that he has “always followed proper reporting protocols and procedures when I have learned of an incident involving a student-athlete, coach or member of our staff by elevating the issues to the proper channels. And, I did so regarding the Zach Smith incident in 2015. I take that responsibility very seriously and any suggestion to the contrary is simply false.”
According to McMurphy’s report, “Courtney Smith, ex-wife of fired Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith, provided text messages between her and the wives of Ohio State coaches —including Urban Meyer’s wife, Shelley —showing Meyer’s knowledge of the situation.”
At Big Ten media days, Meyer said members of the Ohio State staff had looked into the 2015 allegations, and that “there’s nothing.”
Meyer continued, “I don’t know who creates a story like that.”
In Friday’s statement, he has explained his answer.
“The power of what I say and how I say it, especially regarding sensitive and serious domestic issues, has never been more evident than now. My words, whether in a reply to a reporter’s question or in addressing a personnel issue, must be clear, compassionate and most of all, completely accurate. Unfortunately, at Big Ten Media Days on July 24, I failed on many of these fronts. My intention was not to say anything inaccurate or misleading. However, I was not adequately prepared to discuss these sensitive personnel issues with the media, and I apologize for the way I handled those questions.”
At the end, Meyer doubled down on that he took appropriate action in 2015:
“Please know that the truth is the ultimate power and I am confident that I took appropriate action,” Meyer wrote.
