Zach Smith 2017 performance review may show Urban knew about domestic issues
I, like many other people on the board have been following the whole saga happening at OSU with some interest, especially since I have had a sister who endured a domestic abuse situation where she was abused by her then-husband.
I stumbled upon the site below that was set up by OSU to disseminate Public Records related to the investigation into Urban Meyer.
When I pulled up Zach Smith's personnel file, I noticed something interesting in his 2017 Performance Review (see pic below)
As you can see, Urban noted that he needs to improve and work on some "Personal Matters."
There is no indication or detail on what Zach's personal matters were or why they were negatively affecting his performance as a coach but I do think it's interesting and significant that it was something noted on his official performance review.
I think it's likely that this refers to his relationship with his ex-wife because given what we now know, I can't think of anything that would be more likely to influence his performance or ability to do his job as a coach. It also logically follows that these "personal matters" were things that were under Zach's control to influence and change (as opposed to the delusional OSU Fanboy narrative that Courtney was a crazy, delusional and vindictive ex who was out to get Zach.)
That could literally mean anything. Like, maybe the dude refused to wear deodorant on hot summer days? Maybe he liked to reply to people with "I heard that" too often, still said "talk to the hand" when people irritated him, or overused the phrase "low-hanging fruit"???
Well, we know he told his wife to "talk to the hand" when she irritated him
Daaaaaaaaammmmmmnnnnnnnn!
It could be anything. Had a woman at work who seemed not to bathe. She was quite a bit over weight and some people suggested she couldn't wipe well. Years later I had an EVP level boss who was finely groomed, executive style-hair, handsome, well dressed and he smelled the same way. I looked it up and there is a condition called fecal body oder. These people just smell like shit and there is nothing they can do about it.
If Urban was referring to the fecal body oder, it is unfair of him to list it on Smith's review. If it was the domestic violence, that's probably a good thing to fix. Either way, I guarantee Zach Smith smells like shit.
The more you know!
I felt genuine sorrow reading this comment.
Agreed, that's gotta be a pretty shitty life. I would be so down in the dumps if I had that condition. My life would be in the crapper. Poo, shit, diahrrea
It is almost certainly what that is referring to and it is not anywhere near definitive enough to use as proof. Urban also admitted to knowing since at least 2015 so unfortunately this may not be helpful. Another nail in the coffin however
If/when he is reinstated, it is something reporters could ask him about at a press conference.
"When you mentioned personal reviews as an issue in his performance review, what exactly were you referring to?"
Also, what kind of half ass performance review format is that?
no kidding about the review format. I recently completed mid-year reviews on my team and had a whole lot more meaningful detail than that. I guess in that particular industry you can just hold up School X, Position Unit Y, years this and that, your results largely speak for themselves and nobody really cares what type of human being you are?
Zack had an alcohol problem. This might be the "personal problem" referenced.
August 6th, 2018 at 11:11 PM ^
Wonder if he ever improved at "Equate meeting room?"
Maybe - but that's awful vague. Very difficult to really prove anything there.
For instance: Zach Smith was always getting into Twitter battles, some of which were rather absurd. A lawyer could easily argue that "controlling yourself better on social media" were the "personal issues" Urban was talking about.
Not sure Twitter as it relates to his job is a personal issue. More likely something in his home life...could be his wife..could be drinking, drugs, any sort of addiction. Hygiene likely isn't a part of that. It's probably related to the issue, but without any explanation or further documentation it's useless because it could be said to describe anything.
That's true.
And it could also be true that Zach had issues with other coaches, came into to work late, didnt use deodorant and a million other things that somebody giving a performance review would lump under the general heading of "personal matters".
This is definitely reaching IMO.
Maybe the guy is just a jackass in how he interacts with others? Or he angers too easily—there’s a good possibility. Or has a personality that is a bit too gruff for Urban’s sensibilities? Who knows? Pretty much sheer speculation that it referred to the domestic violence issue. It could, but it could also refer to a lot of other things.
When I consider just what an inveterate dick this guy is, it strikes me that when you force yourself to imagine what a consummate average Buckeye fan is, you come up with someone who looks, talks, and acts like Zach Smith.
And while we rightly wonder, "How could they keep this total asshole around the program for so long? we are not considering that around the OSU football program he actually fits right in!
If it even had anything to do with Smith's relationship with his ex, then it more likely would be about keeping up a wall between personal and professional matters. This proves nothing and is even fairly weak as a piece of corroborative evidence.
Frankly, keeping up a wall between personal and professional lives tended to be pro forma on performance feedback for just about anyone getting a divorce in the military(strangely ever since then I really haven't encountered many people in the middle of a divorce) as it does tend to overwhelm ones life.
This could be anything, including Smith's known alcohol problem, which could cause issues regardless of what is going on at home.
We know Urban knew. He knew about 2009 and 2015. He knew.
Totally agree that it's vague and could mean many things, but I do think it's one more thing that could be examined further. At a bare minimum, it does show that Urban was very aware of stuff going on in Zach's personal life and that he considered it to be an influence on the football program.
I think someone should talk with Urban about how to set SMART goals for his employees. How the hell is he going to hold someone accountable with such vague guidance!?
That is a possibility, more likely he knew this was subject to FOIA and wants to keep it vague on paper and give specifics in the actual meeting?
It also looks like the notes I wrote to myself before doing a performance check-in with someone I was supervising.
Well then, how about we sit down sometime and talk through how to set SMART goals with your direct reports... :)
The issue isn't whether or not Urban knew, because he did know and admitted as much on Friday; the issue is whether he followed required reporting procedures.
I think the secondary issue is why Urban felt like it was okay to keep Z. Smith on staff even when he knew about the 2009 and 2015 incidents, but then it wasn't okay when it was made public and they fired Smith.
This is actually the primary issue IMO. I am all for second chances, and 2009 was just that. The 2015 stuff broke and he fired Smith the day before the B1G media event saying "had I known, I would have fired him then." Well, he did know. Admittedly he knew. And he did not fire him then. So you can't have it both ways. Either there was nothing to see there, and he was right to keep him on staff. Or it was a fireable offense and then you have to ask why he waited until it became public? Three years later. Seriously.
I don't care either way if they keep him or let him go. But the victim blaming and blind loyalty to someone that half these cooler poopers haven't even met is shameful. But then again every coach they've ever had ends up fired one way or another. If the shoe fits...
In response to JRoMeGoBlue . . . YES, YES, YES, a million times YES!!!!!!!!!
I hate to be a dick about this, but for the the love of all that is holy please stop all the discussion about following reporting protocol.
If the horseshoe fits...
There, fixed if for you.
That's all I would need too. He admits knowing of two incidents and likely of several more and yet he continued to keep him on the staff. Meyer should be fired just for that. Pay his buyout, whatever. You're the preeminent academic institution in the state of Ohio. You cannot let the fucking gym teacher be in charge.
Probably meant to stop being a jackass on twitter too
I know we’re focusing on the “personal matters” part but the rest of the negatives show that Smith was a pretty bad coach and that’s Urban knew it.
I don't think it's worth getting excited over. "(PUBLIC)" tells me that they aren't going to disseminate anything more than what is already known or vague enough to draw several different conclusions. "Personal Matters" could be something like an ailing Earle Bruce, to their pending divorce, to his alcoholism, or that Hooker in Laguna Beach (her name was April. Just ask Bob Sugar).
At least they aren't like sparty and redact the hell out of everything to all you can read is How. . . . . . . . . . . .are.. . . . . . . my.. . . . . .socks?
My personal prediction is the Powell police report from the 2015 incident is going to either clear or fry Meyer and so far they are refusing to release it. What I find a bit odd however is the absence of Smith's wife demanding to have it released. She is strangely, to me anyways, quiet on the issue and that would seem to be the one thing that's going to tip this one way or the other.
With all the death threats she’s probably receiving nowadays, I would be quiet as well! Plus I’m not sure what or how much she could do to have the police department release it
The fact the police report hasn’t been leaked yet probably means at a bare minimum that it contains nothing that will exonerate Urban.
personal hygiene, dude smells like a horse's ass.... in august, in mississippi.
That's pretty vague...but since I want him fired I think we should allow it.
In the end, how Meyer is graded on his own paper trail of supervision will decide his fate at The Ohio State.
The investigators have been diversely chosen from a variety of fields with solid credentials along with three elected members of the school's board of overseers. So the school is well served in making a decision that clearly impacts its PR image and football future as one of the nation's best football programs. It's hard to know how this will be resolved on legal or moral grounds.
And I don't envy the school president whose decision this will be. Obviously, we are curious about what will happen. And many are skeptical about the priorities inherent in making that decision.
I have no clue whatsoever what legal exposure Meyer faces vis a vi his supervisory and contractual responsibility in meeting certain reporting requirements in connection with Zach Smith's employment. And I am thus assuming no one else does either, even if they claim one based on the available public record.
What I find remarkably dumb is the perception that Meyer is being falsely accused and thus victimized, either by bad reporting or by insufficient evidence to warrant the decision to put him on administrative leave while this controversy is fully investigated. He did this to himself. And he did it publicly, regardless of how you review the records and his response to the reporting about it.
He lied about his behavior and then acknowledged it. Why he did is unclear. So, if his superiors didn't seek an investigation, they would be under the gun for that failure. They took the appropriate action and now we wait to see how they pursue the truth in making their judgment to the ultimate decider.
A Hardy Boy, sir, you are not
How about Chet Morton?
I've heard he had a drinking problem from Reddit OSU fans. This could easily be referring to that.
Maybe Urban finds the English language difficult - personal vs personnel?
I agree with the rest of the posters that the Personal Matters doesn't really mean much.
However, the Public Records website is pretty cool. If someone is so inclined, he should F5 there until his fingers fall off, since that seems to be the link to what the investigating committee is reviewing, and the records they publish will be the tea leaves to tell us where it's headed.
I just flipped through the HC contract, specifically the for cause section. Very interesting to see what he can be fired for, and how. Also, the latest extension confirms the buy-out to be north of $38M.
Also fascinating to see Smith got a 38% raise last year. Unbelievable.
You better stretch the next time you reach like this or you'll pull a muscle
I think you're missing something. The appearance is that Meyer new 100% that there were both marriage problems with Smith and that there were at least accusations of DV. That seems pretty solid. Now, the issue is did he report it to the AD and why did he retain a guy like that on his staff. If Meyer didn't report it, then it's a title ix fireable offense. If he did report it but kept Smith on the payroll then it changes to bad bad optics.
"Work on" issue #5 out of 6??
If alcoholism and/or domestic abuse, should have been higher.
Heard Wetzel on ESPNU today, pointed out that Urban's statement throws the OSU Prez under the bus.
Because he followed all the reporting requirements.
So, if Urban goes, the prez, and AD for that matter, have to go.
Unless they somehow fire him "only' for lying at BT media days.
Urban is the guy who hired and fired his assistants, not the AD and not the Prez, but that wording of his statement, when his lawyers almost certainly told him to shut up, and Smith apparently saying the same thing, about Urban following all the reporting requirements, in local radio and ESPN interviews within 30 minutes of Meyer releasing his statement . . .
Wetzel speculated that may be a veiled threat to the higher ups.
"Personal Matters" could mean countless things. Unless there are some specific notes in the evaluation which point out Smith's particular reported issue, which is highly unlikely IMHO, then I don't know what we can get out of this.
My guess is they misspelled "personnel" - this is Ohio State, after all.