Ohio State suspends coach Urban Meyer for three games along with athletic director for mishandling domestic abuse case

After weeks of investigation — and widespread speculation throughout college football — Ohio State suspended coach Urban Meyer for the first three games of the season as punishment for his mishandling of domestic violence allegations against a former assistant.

The university’s president issued the decision late Wednesday following a marathon board of trustees meeting that saw deliberations stretch from morning until night.

Meyer, who was initially placed on administrative leave in early August, expressed remorse for waiting until this summer to fire receivers coach Zach Smith despite a history of accusations dating to 2009.

“As a head coach, you’re ultimately responsible for everybody’s behavior,” he said at a news conference. “There were red flags … I wish I did a better job of finding things out. I wish I’d done more.”

Athletic director Gene Smith was also suspended, without pay, from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16 for his role in the matter.

“We considered a range of options that might be available and then worked hard to find a place that was just, fair and appropriate,” President Michael V. Drake said.

Drake acknowledged that, for very different reasons, the punishments might anger both fans of the team and people who hoped for something harsher.

“This is one of those circumstances where there is no right answer,” he said. “It is not possible to do something that makes everyone happy.”

With the Buckeyes ranked fifth in the preseason Associated Press poll and expected to contend for a national championship, Meyer will be allowed to rejoin the team on Sept. 2 but will forgo six week’s pay and will not be allowed to coach on Saturdays until midway through the month.

He will miss what might be considered easily winnable games against unranked Oregon State and Rutgers, followed by a tougher matchup against No. 16 Texas Christian.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Day will continue to serve as interim coach.

“It’s been tough,” Meyer said. “One of the toughest things I’ve ever experienced.”

In 2009, when Meyer was at Florida, Zach Smith was an intern on his staff. After an alleged incident arose between Smith and his then-wife, Courtney, Meyer said he spoke to the couple but took no further action.

“It came back to me that what was reported wasn’t actually what happened,” Meyer said in July.

Another allegation surfaced in 2015, by which time Meyer had jumped to Ohio State and brought Smith with him. No charges were filed and the incident did not receive public attention.

But earlier this summer, an Ohio judge issued a protective order on behalf of Courtney Smith and the story made its way into the spotlight, thanks mainly to an article by college football reporter Brett McMurphy posted on Facebook.

At that point, Meyer dismissed Zach Smith.

Speaking to reporters at the Big Ten Conference media days in late July, the coach denied any previous knowledge of the 2015 allegation.

“My words, whether in reply to a reporter’s question or in addressing a personnel issue, must be clear, compassionate and most of all, completely accurate,” Meyer stated in a subsequent apology. “Unfortunately … I failed on many of these fronts.”

In 2015, Zach Smith had conferred with his boss and athletic director, neither of who took action or informed the university’s compliance department.

When asked why Meyer denied knowing about the 2015 allegation, Zach Smith told ESPN: “I don’t know what he was thinking. Not really. He knows everything that has gone on in my marriage that he needed to know.”

Ohio State placed Meyer on leave and created a special working group that, in recent weeks, interviewed more than 40 witnesses in addition to poring over 10,000 text messages and 60,000 emails.

Meyer acknowledged that his judgment might have been clouded by the fact that his long-time coaching mentor, the late Earle Bruce, was Zach Smith’s grandfather.

“I followed my heart and not my head,” Meyer said.

The controversy comes at a difficult time for Ohio State, which has also been dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct by a former athletic team doctor and a former diving coach.

Wednesday’s board meeting drew national attention with reporters huddling on campus, taking note of each small development.

Meyer arrived at mid-morning, followed later by his wife, Shelley, and Gene Smith in the afternoon. When a pizza delivery man showed up, photos were quickly posted on social media.

This wasn’t the first time Meyer faced scrutiny — at Florida, he was criticized because a number of his players ran afoul of the law. That included Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder years later and died by suicide in his jail cell.

But this suspension represents a more-definitive mark against the record of a coach revered for guiding his teams to victories in 85% of their games and three national championships. Since arriving at Ohio State in 2012, Meyer has led the Buckeyes to a 73-8 record, including a College Football Playoff title in the 2014 season.

“The suspensions are tough but I fully accept them,” he said. “I wish I could go back and make different decisions, but I can’t.”

UPDATES:

6:30 p.m.: This story was updated with details of Urban Meyer’s public apology.