Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer may have been aware of allegations of domestic abuse against a member of his coaching staff in 2015, according to a report by national college football writer Brett McMurphy. Per the report, Meyer’s wife, Shelley, was aware of the incident at the time.
Meyer, who fired the assistant, Zach Smith, on July 23, denied knowing about the 2015 allegations at any point at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on July 24.
The 2015 allegations were investigated by the Powell (Ohio) Police Department. In Chicago, Meyer acknowledged that he had been aware of a previous domestic incident between Smith and his then-wife in 2009, while Meyer was the head coach at Florida and Smith was an assistant on his staff.
McMurphy was the first to report the 2015 incident ahead of the start of Big Ten Media Days.
McMurphy reported that he had obtained text messages and an exclusive interview with Smith’s ex-wife, Courtney, which prove Meyer was aware of the allegations. The text messages, provided by Courtney Smith, were between her and wives of Ohio State coaches, including Shelley Meyer
“All the (coaches) wives knew,” Courtney Smith said, according to the report. “They all did. Every single one.”
In a separate interview with WatchStadium.com, Courtney Smith stated that she was never told by Shelley Meyer that Urban Meyer had been notified of the incident.
EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Urban Meyer assistant Zach Smith’s ex-wife, Courtney Smith, opens up about reported domestic violence and what she believes Meyer knew. pic.twitter.com/dNWA9x2F4y
— Stadium (@WatchStadium) August 1, 2018
McMurphy’s report detailed the allegations against Smith from 2015, and also included Courtney Smith’s comments regarding the 2009 incident and what led to her decision to drop the chargers, reportedly at the urging of multiple individuals close to Meyer and the Smith family.