Ohio State places Urban Meyer on administrative leave

Meyer fired a longtime assistant in July after allegations of domestic abuse against the assistant came to light.

Ohio State is placing head football coach Urban Meyer on paid administrative leave, the school announced Wednesday evening.

The news of Meyer’s leave comes amid questions about how he handled abuse allegations against a former assistant coach, Zach Smith.

“The university is conducting an investigation into these allegations,” athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement. “We are focused on supporting our players and getting to the truth as expeditiously as possible.”

“Gene and I agree that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion,” Meyer said in his own statement. “This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter.”

OSU offensive coordinator Ryan Day will serve as the Buckeyes’ interim head coach.

On July 23, Meyer fired Buckeyes wide receivers coach Smith.

The assistant’s ex-wife had repeatedly accused Smith of domestic violence. Those allegations came to widespread light in July.

In 2009, while Smith worked for Meyer at Florida, Gainesville police reportedly arrested Smith for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim — his then-wife, who was 8-10 weeks pregnant at the time. Courtney Smith later declined to press charges.

In 2015, police reportedly went to Courtney Smith’s home twice to investigate reports of domestic abuse. The Smiths were separated at the time and later divorced.

Shortly after firing Smith, Meyer spoke about how he handled the allegations against the coach who worked for him in Gainesville and then followed him to Ohio State:

Well, I’m going to address the 2009, because I’ve been asked about that. In 2009, Zach was an intern, uh, a very young couple. As I do many times — as I imagine most coaches or people in leadership positions — you receive a phone call, the first thing you do is tell your boss. Let the experts do their jobs. We’re certainly not going to investigate.

It came back to me what was reported wasn’t actually what happened, so [wife] Shelley and I both got involved actually — because of our relationship with that family — and advised for counseling and wanted to help as we moved forward.

Meyer said there was “nothing” to reports of Smith abusing his wife in 2015:

In 2015, I got a text late last night that something happened in 2015, and there was nothing — unless, once again, there’s nothing — once again, I don’t know who creates a story like that.

College football insider Brett McMurphy reported weeks later that Courtney Smith told Meyer’s wife, Shelley, of Zach Smith’s abuse in 2015.

McMurphy also shared screenshots of several text exchanges he said were between Courtney Smith and various people connected to the Ohio State program, including Shelley Meyer. Another conversation, between Courtney Smith and the wife of a longtime Meyer staffer, read: “[Urban] just said [Zach Smith] denied everything.”

Meyer has been Ohio State’s head coach since the 2012 season.

During his time in Columbus, the Buckeyes are 73-8. They won 2014’s national championship. Meyer signed a two-year contract extension earlier this year and is making a $7.6 million salary in 2018.

He’s under contract through the 2022 season. Part of that contract includes the following regarding Title IX obligations, per McMurphy:

If Urban Meyer knew about the domestic violence issues, he may have violated his contract and could be fired with cause. The contract says he must “promptly report to Ohio State’s Title IX Coordinator for Athletics any known violations of Ohio State’s Sexual Misconduct Policy (including but not limited to sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, intimate violence and stalking) that involve any student, faculty or staff.”

We will update this story with any additional information.