Zach And Urban
[Eric Upchurch]
So I guess we should talk about this now:
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Text messages I have obtained, an exclusive interview with the victim and other information I have learned shows Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knew in 2015 of domestic abuse allegations against a member of his coaching staff.
Courtney Smith, ex-wife of fired Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith, provided text messages between her and the wives of Ohio State coaches – including Urban Meyer’s wife, Shelley – showing Meyer’s knowledge of the situation.
Meyer said last week during Big Ten Media Days that he had no knowledge of two alleged domestic violence incidents in 2015 with former assistant wide receivers coach Zach Smith that were investigated by the Powell (Ohio) Police Department.
Meyer said had he known, he would have fired Smith in 2015 – three years before he did last week after I reported the alleged domestic violence.
If you haven't been following this story, it goes like this:
- Earle Bruce has a child, who has a son in turn. This person gets named "Zach Smith."
- Smith listens to "Bawitdaba" nonstop for 28 years.
- Smith gets hired at Ohio State because nepotism and proceeds to go on a series of childish rants on twitter. His coaching acumen appears to consist of yelling "hashtag zone six!" at his charges, who respond by dropping balls so emphatically their hands also fall off.
- Smith has a series of domestic violence charges during this period starting in 2009, when he threw his pregnant wife into a wall, with additional police involvement in 2015 and this year.
- Reporter Brett McMurphy exposes Smith shortly before Big Ten Media days, prompting a series of questions from reporters to Meyer; according to Courtney Smith, Zach's ex-wife, Meyer lied about his knowledge of the situation.
- Smith gets fired.
The above article is damning and should be read in its entirety. Smith's abuse was scary and persistent; a text exchange between Courtney Smith and Shelley Meyer asks whether Smith has a restraining order—which is read as obviously necessary—and says "he scares me."
Unless Urban Meyer can make the case that his wife decided not to tell him about the years of abuse Courtney Smith was enduring—and that every OSU coach's wife made the same decision—this is a case of an institution knowingly employing a serial abuser. This isn't against the law. It's not against NCAA rules. It should be unacceptable in the court of public opinion, and you'd hope that would be enough to drum other folks out of their jobs up to and including Meyer.
I'm skeptical this will happen. OSU was readying a full-throated defense of Jim Tressel ("I just hope he doesn't fire me") when it became clear that directly lying to the NCAA four times would inevitably result in a show-cause that would terminate Tressel whether OSU wanted to or not. Without a similar sword hanging over OSU's neck*, their choice is to either disrupt their football golden era or follow the example that Meyer provided—downplay, hide, dismiss, survive. I got a dollar on the second playbook.
*[McMurphy thinks there might be Title IX issues. As we've seen at MSU—why are our rivals all so awful—those take years and rarely touch the levers of power.]
Ramzy is on staff for 11W. Bloggers are accusing him of cover-up as well given he came right out and said he had the same information excluding the photographs but never brought it forward.
Urban is going to get fried on this one. I mean his wife is a nurse and couldn't convince him to report the issue? Yikes, Urban is one messed-up dude.
Does he have exactly that information? Ramzy actually only states, if I recall correctly, that he knew that Smith was an alcoholic and a garbage husband.
Abuse takes place in private and is a big deal legally and morally; however, it is a lot easier for word of a coach's drinking and infidelity (if there is any, but it's not a good look that he's bringing another woman to his house at 3 am having been married only a year) to trickle out. Reporters can overhear Smith bagging on his wife, see him invite a woman back to his hotel room, etc. Abuse is not visible on that scale.
It's possible that's the kind of stuff that Ramzy knows. And, if so, he might be right.
But it would be nice if he clarified what it was he was "writing around" for six years.
What I don't get is what is Ramzy's current position. He seems to be saying, "Everybody knew about it," in a way that is somehow supposed to be exculpatory to Urban Meyer. I sure don't see Ramzy calling for Urban to be fired.
Ramzy has been a Grade-A virtue-signaller for a long time. I tried to correct him on his calling Brendan Gibbons a "rapist" when Gibbons had, uh, never been charged, tried or convicted of such a thing. For my trouble, Ramzy went after me on their pages in an unhinged rant about shitstain helmets, dumbuck sandwiches and penis sizes. (No, I am not kidding.)
I'd actually be happier if Ramzy Nasrallah were fired, as opposed to Urban Meyer. But, as Ramzy will remind you, he's an OWNER of 11W.
Just reading the first few comments from buckeye fans on McMurphy's Facebook page is enough to punch myself in the face..... I can't imagine ever being that delusional
Or the overt cheering every time Joe Pa show on the We are Penn State hype video at Beaver Stadium
August 1st, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
So are there no mandatory reporter laws for employees of the Ohio State University?
If there are, Shelly would at least be very much in trouble, I think
August 1st, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Don't mandatory reporting laws typically relate just to child endangerment issues? Or can/do they apply to a wider range of conduct?
August 1st, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
There are laws for mandated reporting of domestic violence. They are mostly for healthcare providers but often public schools enact them too.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
At universities they're generally wider because the population that people are supervising are adults and because of Title IX. At most places they involve any revelations of sexual abuse and assault. Whether mandatory reporting of domestic violence is required varies, I believe, on a state by state basis.
Interesting predicament in the Meyer household. We know his wife knew all about this, and as an employee of the university she could get fired if Urbz says she never told him. So technically he would be throwing his wife under the bus to protect his own job.
Throwing your wife under a bus would be a Title IX violation, I think, if you were (a) a student and/or employee of an institution of higher education and (b) the engine of the bus was running.
Seriously (or not seriously); Courtney Smith had one good reason to hope that her allegations against her ex-husband did not go public, and her ex-husband's employment was not put in jeopardy. That one good reason is that Zach Smith was making more money as the wide receivers coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes (making $340,000), and was therefore able to pay commensurate support, than if he was the wide receivers coach of the Olentangy Liberty Patriots and making $34,000.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
And there is NADA on ESPN about it yet - they must feel pretty conflicted.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
I mean, they did fire the guy who is reporting it and have enforced a non-compete... I wouldn't blame Brett for giving ESPN the middle finger when they ask if they can use his information.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^
A network doesn't need the blessing of the guy who broke the story to "use his information." Any journalistic outlet is free to say "Brett McMurphy reported that...". If ESPN isn't reporting this, it's because they don't want to.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
It is also interesting to see some of the reporters who are silent on Twitter and other media about this. A certain Pete Thamel comes to mind who harassed Harbaugh last summer about his "antics" and has been a writer who has in the past had close reporting ties to Urban. Nothing.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
"It is also interesting to see some of the reporters who are silent on Twitter and other media about this. A certain Pete Thamel comes to mind who harassed Harbaugh last summer about his "antics" and has been a writer who has in the past had close reporting ties to Urban. Nothing."
Thamel is the same idiot who did the thorougly discredited "expose" on that other OSU team, Oklahoma State University. The story was promoted to the hilt but once published so many holes and falsehoods were uncovered that it turned out to be more of an expose of Thamel's (and SI's) incompetence than anything negative about Okie State.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
Don't forget that ESPN employed Urban during his "health issues" sabbatical from [allegedly banging grad students] coaching
August 1st, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
That is a really interesting sidenote to this. There has been absolute crickets from ESPN on this. Is it because Brett McMurphy (laid off by ESPN) is reporting this? Is it because Urban Meyer worked for ESPN and has allies there? Their biggest college football analyst is a OSU alum? Because they are not reporting this anywhere near the way they covered MSU.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^
ESPN is notoriously slow to react to stuff like this. See: Big Ben's sexual assault allegations. Took them days.
But this has been out there for days. It has been over a week since the original report, and quite honestly, I am surprised it took a week for the follow-up reporting with the victim. Did ESPN not even bother to assign a reporter to dig on this story? There is barely a mention of it on their team page.
Not to mention the complete asshattery of the Columbus/Cleveland media. How did not a single reporter from the OSU Lantern student paper, the Columbus Dispatch or the Plain-Dealer follow up on this story. It is mind boggling.
The best reporting on this right now is a dude on his Facebook page (because ESPN is enforcing a noncompete) and something media company called Stadium. WTF.
Brian, Seth, or whoever at mgoblog it may concern,
Please bring back the Edit function to commenting and Message Board. Thanks.
I never thought of asking nicely.
Interesting strategy, This may work.
Update: ESPN has finally posted the story on the front page of the website.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
Further context is that Ohio State's AD also harbored a doctor who engaged in long term sexual abuse of the wrestling team, a story that's gotten a fair amount of traction because it includes GOP Rep, Jim Jordan, who was a former wrestling coach accused of covering up the abuse, who also happens to be running for Speaker of the House. That this Meyer story comes out at the same time means that OSU's AD, and broader administration, is going to be facing questions from both sports media and the national political press about patterns of covering up abuse within the AD. Whether that leads to pressure for some kind of broad house cleaning is TBD, but it's a bad look for the institution.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
To be fair, it's not the same AD. The wrestling stuff happened under Andy Geiger.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:46 PM ^
There is, however, a pretty ugly sounding story around their diving club coach and some pretty yucky stuff.
Incorrect. The current AD was not around during the time of the alleged crimes. Strauss, the alleged perpetrator, died in 2005.
Yes, this is the salient point.
No matter what Ohio State would typically do (slow roll this until it goes away), they can't do it this time, given everything else that is going on around them. They are in a box.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
Zach Smith arrested in 2009 at UF for throwing Courtney Smith against a wall. Meyer uses several influential UF figures (and Zach Smith’s mother and grandfather) to pressure Courtney Smith to drop charges. Courtney continues to be serially abused for the better part of a decade. Holy schnykies, what a scumbag. (Meyer, Smith, enablers, etc.)
August 1st, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
I will say 11warriors comments have been light years ahead of what I saw from MSU & PSU. They are actively talking about firing Meyer, which I did not expect.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:10 PM ^
And in 2 months... "Oh, the school must've investigated and found out Meyer did nothing wrong. Otherwise they wouldn't have kept him. We have such a good coach!"
August 1st, 2018 at 12:11 PM ^
Good for them. Goes to show there are some good fans beyond the bad stereotypes.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
Let's not get carried away, I've read through those comments and there's about 2% that aren't defending Meyer or saying it's not a big deal, etc.
These are Ohio St. people after all...
This. The vast majority are blaming her for not "doing something" about the abuse.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
The culture of 11W's commentariat is closer to that of MGoBlog than of anything that MSU or PSU have online. Yes, there are the random OSU cooler-poopers, but they're generally drowned out by more moderate voices.
There is some grain of "do the right thing" in many of their comments.
But there is also a strange grain of "It won't matter if Meyer is gone, the program is on autopilot right now."
They are talking like Day, the heir apparent some day, is an interchangeable part right now with Urban Meyer, one of the two or three best coaches in CFB:
I think they have forgotten how much difference a coach makes in CFB, and how many elite programs like even Alabama and USC and Texas have wandered the desert for years until just the right coach came along.
Coaches like Meyer don't grow on trees, they are not interchangeable parts.
August 1st, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
He will only be fired if the fan base demands it, and based on previous examples we all know they won't. *glances in Penn State's direction*
August 1st, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
I can just see Zach Smith yelling "My name is ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH... ZACH SMITH!" everytime the start of Bawitdaba comes on! Great line Brian, made me literally LOL. This shit just needs to stop though; PSU, MSU and now OSU, its disgusting
August 1st, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
We're in the post-truth age. Meyer keeps his job, OSU starts to win, no one cares 'round November when they're cruising towards the playoff. It's just as gross as it is predictable.
August 2nd, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
Wait a minute. Tressel didn't keep his job. Woody Hayes didn't keep his job. And now Meyer is on administrative leave.
As for Urban Meyer's discipline of players in such matters, it is indistinguishable from Harbaugh, and probably better than Brady Hoke's record. Right? Who could argue otherwise, based on the record? Commenters at 11W are noting that Meyer seems to have been a lot harder on his players than on an assistant coach who happened to be Earle Bruce's grandson.
And speaking of 11W, I think they are doing a remarkably great job of covering all sides of the story. Ramzy Nasrallah is a different matter, but that has always been true with 11W. A bunch of good hard working writers... and Ramzy.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
And OUR coach is the controversial one?
I guess as long as Urban doesn't weigh in on Chicken vs. Steak and other food related topics everything is okay.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^
Meyer instantly hired Kevin Wilson amidst player abuse allegations. He showed his hand by doing so.
I know no OSU coach has retired without scandal or being fired, but this won’t do it. The only chance is that there’s a huge scandal lurking and this forces outsiders to look critically at the program leading to a reveal. (This is nothing more than a fantasy.)
And he hired Larry Johnson and Schiano from the Paterno staff....
Hey its Urban Meyer...pfft on Bucknuts thought he was reformed.
^only Bucknuts....
August 1st, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^
InB4. Meyer - "I choose to live my life as a gay man."
August 1st, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
"Unless Urban Meyer can make the case that his wife decided not to tell him about the years of abuse Courtney Smith was enduring—and that every OSU coach's wife made the same decision"
Don't think there's any chance of that happening. From the Facebook post:
Courtney: “(Zach’s) trying to make me look crazy bc that’s what Shelley is saying (he’s doing)”
Lindsey: “He (Urban) just said he (Zach) denied everything”
Courtney: “I hope urban is smarter than that”
Lindsey: “He (Urban) doesn’t know what to think”
Courtney: “I don’t really care. Ya know”
Lindsey: “Yeah, don’t worry about urb”
He fucking knew.
August 2nd, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Do you see what is so weird about this scenario? The presumption is that Courtney Smith was alone and helpless and needed the assistance of the Ohio State University Football staff to avoid abuse from her husband.
But Courtney Smith divorced Zach; she had no trouble calling the police on occasions where Zach was violent or threatening, et cetera.
Follow the money! There is an obvious reason why Courtney Smith would not want her situation to hit the news; she WANTED Zach to keep his $340k job and benefits with The Ohio State University.
I am NOT siding with an abuser; I am NOT minimizing Courtney Smith's fears of domestic violence or retribution. I AM saying that she could have gone public any time she wanted for the last ten years, and in fact she actively took steps to keep her domestic legal affairs with Zach sealed.
The question here is not whether Urban Meyer should have protected Courtney Smith from abuse; the question here is whether Urban Meyer should have fired Zach Smith in 2015, or 2016, or 2017, or if he should never have hired Zach Smith. And if we had asked Courtney Smith that question, the answer seems to be clearly that she was rooting hard for Zach to keep his paycheck.
Now that the paychecks are gone, she is going to become a professional victim.
August 1st, 2018 at 12:11 PM ^
Both Urban and his wife are employees of a public university. There are Title IX issues here, big time. Would not shock if both of the Meyers resign from their jobs in a matter of days.
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