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Following a two-week investigation, Ohio State has suspended head coach Urban Meyer for the first three games of the 2018-2019 season.
Breaking: Ohio State suspends Urban Meyer for three games without pay. pic.twitter.com/pBMCboUg27
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 23, 2018
The former University of Florida and current Ohio State head coach will be banned from interacting with his team through September 2nd. He will miss games against Oregon State, Rutgers, and No. 16-ranked TCU.
Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith will also be suspended without pay. His suspension will last from August 31st to September 16th.
Looking Back at What Happened
Following domestic incidents between Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith and his wife, Courtney Smith in 2009 and 2015, another dispute over child custody led OSU to fire Smith after he violated a civil protection order.
After the incidents became public, Meyer said he knew of the 2009 interaction but not the 2015 incident.
Meyer was placed on administrative leave while OSU hired a group to investigate the school’s involvement in the situation.
After two weeks, the investigation found Meyer mishandled the domestic assault allegations against his former assistant coach.
The investigation also stated that Meyer misrepresented his knowledge of the situation back in July.
The investigation did not, however, prove that Meyer intentionally lied.
Meyer’s Press Conference
In a press conference Wednesday night, Urban Meyer apologized for his handling of the situation. Meyer claimed responsibility of his handling of the whole situation and accepted his suspension, saying this:
During the press conference, Meyer gave a reason as to why he misjudged the situation so poorly.
Meyer blamed his loyalty to former mentor and OSU coach Earle Bruce, who is Smith’s grandfather, as the reason for his ignorance.
When asked to if he had a message for Courtney Smith, Meyer addressed the situation as a whole instead, saying:
What’ Next?
In Meyer’s absence, Offensive Coordinator Ryan Day will take on the role of interim head coach to begin the season.
Despite Meyer’s suspension, the fifth-ranked Buckeyes will be heavy favorites in their first two games of the season. They will have a tougher matchup, however, when they travel to TCU.
