Earlier this offseason, the Ohio State Buckeyes dismissed WRs coach Zach Smith after it was revealed that Smith had abused his then-wife. At Big Ten Media days, Meyer said he wasn't aware of the 2015 incident of domestic violence, that he only got a text about it and that it was nothing. According to Brett McMurphy, the former ESPN reporter, Meyer lied about what he knew about the accusations.
McMurphy spoke with Courtney Smith, Zach Smith's ex-wife, who says Meyer knew about the accusations. Smith also provided text messages between herself and Urban's wife Shelley, which could contradict what Meyer has said about the Smith domestic violence.
“I was never told about anything," Meyer said. "Never anything came to light, never had a conversation about it. So I know nothing about it. I asked people back at the office to call and see what happened, and they came back and said they know nothing."
NOW WATCH: Potential Replacements for Urban Meyer
Meyer has said had he known about the incidents, he would have fired Smith. The texts between Courtney and Shelley, as posted on McMurphy's Facebook page, are below.
Subscribe to Chat Sports on YouTube!
For more on the Urban Meyer accusations, check out this video:
Courtney says that Shelley said she would tell Urban about the accusations.
"Shelly said she was going to have to tell Urban," Courtney told McMurphy. "I said: ‘That’s fine, you should tell Urban.’ I know Shelley did everything she could."
Courtney also provided McMurphy with texts between herself and Lindsey Voltolini, the wife Ohio State football operations director Brian Voltolini.
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"
Courtney says that the entire coaching staff's wives knew about the domestic violence that had occurred back in 2015. Smith, meanwhile, was kept on the staff after the incident.
"All the (coaches) wives knew," Courtney said. "They all did. Every single one."
Courtney says that on October 25th, 2012, Smith assaulted here. It was not the first time that Zach Smith had assaulted her.
"He took me and shoved me up against the wall, with his hands around my neck," Courtney said. "Something he did very often. My (then 3-year old) daughter was clinging to my leg. It obviously registered with him what he was doing, so he took my (then 5-year old) son and left. So I called the police."
Photos of the injuries to Courtney are below, again from McMurphy.
Zach Smith's attorney was Larry H. James, who Ohio State also picked as it's lawyer for student athletes during the 2011 Tattoo-memorabilia investigation. That incident led to then-head coach Jim Tressel being forced out, as Tressel lied about what he knew.
Zach Smith was also accused of domestic violence back in 2009, when both Smith and Meyer were at Florida. Smith returned home around 3 a.m. with a female co-worker, Meyer's secretary Amy Nicol, asking Courtney to let the co-worker stay the night. Courtney refused and drove Nicol home. When Courtney arrived home, the police report details the fight that ensued.
"A heated argument ensued in the upstairs bedroom. Courtney stated she tried to get Zach out of her bed, which he refused and then forcefully grabbed her," according to the police report.
Courtney was 3 months pregnant at the time and Smith was charged aggravated battery on a pregnant victim. Meyer claimed that was was reported wasn't what actually happened. Charges were dropped, but Courtney said she only did so after being pressured by two close friends on Urban Meyer: Hiram de Fries and Earle Bruce.
"He said ‘if you don’t drop the charges, Zach will never coach again,'" Courtney said de Fries told her. "'He’s never hit you before. He was drinking. He’ll probably never do it again. You should think about giving him a second chance.'"
Finally, Courtney provides a potential reason as to why Meyer might have help cover for Smith.
"Zach once told me," Courtney told McMurphy. "If he ever got fired and this all comes out: ‘I’ll take everyone at Ohio State down with me.'"
Smith's alleged words might just come true.
Back to the Ohio State Buckeyes Newsfeed