Urban Meyer prepares to lead the Buckeyes out on to the field prior to the Ohio State-Iowa game on Nov. 4. Ohio State lost 55-24. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
The investigation into Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer’s knowledge of domestic abuse allegations surrounding a former assistant coach will conclude on time, ending exactly on the 14-day deadline originally proposed by the university, Ohio State announced Friday.
The statement went on to say that the investigators will “prepare a report for the working group to be delivered next week.” Once the independent group, chaired by former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, receives the report, they will present it to the Board of Trustees in an executive session to be held next week.
University President Michael Drake will announce his decision for any response to the investigation “following deliberations with the board, and appropriate time for consideration.”
The exact time and date of that meeting was not released in the statement, but the university is required by law to provide advance public notice of at least 24 hours.
Drake told WOSU’s Ann Fisher on Thursday that the investigation would be “finished when it’s finished” without providing an idea of when that might be.
Ohio State placed Meyer on paid administrative leave on Aug. 1 shortly after announcing it was going to examine if Meyer knew about and properly handled reports of domestic abuse from former wide receivers coach Zach Smith in 2015. Smith was fired on July 23 after his ex-wife, Courtney, filed a domestic violence civil protection order against him.
Ohio State originally gave itself a 14-day deadline to complete the investigation on Aug. 5, which means the university will meet the deadline it self-imposed.
The independent group has overseen the efforts of an investigative team led by former Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Mary Jo White, who also is the senior chair with the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton.
