OSU coaches Tony Alford (left) and Zach Smith stand together before the Buckeyes game against Rutgers on Oct. 1. Credit: Alexa Mavrogianis | Photo Editor
A report made Wednesday by former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy detailed domestic violence allegations made against former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith in both 2009 and 2015. The report suggests Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer knew about the allegations, something which he denied at Big Ten Media Days last week.
The report showed pictures of the abuse of Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of Zach Smith, and included text messages exchanged between Courtney Smith and Shelley Meyer, Urban Meyer’s wife, which specifically discusses Zach Smith’s domestic abuse.
“All the [coaches’] wives knew,” Courtney said to McMurphy. “They all did. Every single one.”
Meyer said at Big Ten Media Days that he had no knowledge of a domestic violence incident in 2015, where Smith was investigated by the Powell Police Department, according to the report.
According to the report, Zach Smith “took (Courtney) and shoved me up against the wall, with his hands around my neck,” something she said happened very often.
McMurphy reported that in 2009, Courtney Smith was pressured by former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce and special assistant Hiram DeFries to not press charges against Zach Smith after he was arrested by Gainesville Police after an alleged assault.
Ohio State fired Zach Smith on July 23 after the domestic violence allegations became public and Courtney Smith filed a domestic protection order against him, which was filed on July 20 after Zach Smith appeared in Delaware County Municipal Court for criminal trespassing on July 18.
The Ohio State football program could not be reached for comment.
In a media advisory distributed on July 27, an Ohio State spokesman anticipated Meyer would next be available for comment on August 7. There has been no further update since then.
