Suspended Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer issued an apology Friday afternoon for his actions during this week’s press conference.
Wednesday night, Meyer was asked if he had a message for Courtney Smith. She is the ex-wife of former wide receivers coach Zach Smith, who has accused him of physically abusing her.
Wednesday, Meyer’s response was, “I have a message for everyone in this: I’m sorry we are in this situation.”
At the time, he did not address Courtney Smith by name, nor did he mention the allegations of domestic violence.
Friday, he issued a statement through Ohio State’s Media Relations Office addressing the issue of domestic violence, and Courtney Smith in particular.
Meyer is currently serving a suspension until Sunday, September 2. He will not be around his team during that time, and miss the team’s opening weekend game against Oregon State.
Meyer will return to the program following that game, but will be suspended for the next two games. The first is against Rutgers at home on September 8. The second is a neutral-site game against TCU in Arlington, Texas on September.
You can read his full statement is below.
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My words and demeanor on Wednesday did not show how seriously I take relationship violence. I sincerely apologize. I was taught at a very young age that if I ever hit a woman, I would be kicked out of the house and never welcomed back. I have the same rule in my house and in the Football Program at Ohio State. Over the years, we have worked hard to educate and remind our coaches and players of the seriousness of relationship violence. I understand my lack of more action in this situation has raised concerns about this commitment. I once again apologize for this, and I extend my empathy to all women, men and families who are affected by relationship violence. This has been a real learning experience for me. I fully intend to use my voice more effectively to be a part of the solution.
Let me say here and now what I should have said on Wednesday: I sincerely apologize to Courtney Smith and her children for what they have gone through.
i thought this was america, where a person is innocent until proven guilty. not just for urban but for zack smith as well. was smith ever found guilty of anything? as far as i know no! if smith was found guilty of DV, then i could see all this fuss. don’t get me wrong, DV is a cowardly heinous crime and should be enforced to the full extent of the law, but that is the point. we are a country of laws. and we should not become a lynch mob due to national pressure.
Maybe Courtney Smith owes Urban Meyer an apology! Wow, that’s strange. But, her cooperation with football reporter Brett McMurphy evidently played a key role in the justification for the investigation and eventual suspension.
In no way, do I want to defend all of Coach Meyer’s management decisions, but his willingness to keep Zack Smith on his staff may have helped Mrs. Smith, over last 9 years.
Remember Urban Meyer never did anything to abuse her. He actually kept her family’s breadwinner employed at a handsome salary, while cautioning him not to abuse his wife. Maybe his employing and cautioning Zack kept him from doing anything worst than he did. We aren’t even sure what precisely he did, since the Smiths’ never got to court for abuse. Why not? Why didn’t she press charges?
We never know enough, while we are jumping on one side or the other! We weren’t there and we don’t know nor need to know the “what ifs”!
I’ve always felt that my coaches would support me and that supporting players and staff was the norm for coaches. Not true in today’s world-all these off field issues should be turned over to legal and compliance people. I’m surprised that Urban still feels the need to comment. There is absolutely nothing he could have done that would change the Smiths’ domestic problems in a positive way. You would think that a simple, “no comment” would be the best way to handle all questions not pertaining to football.
Coach, “shut up” and take a vacation.
Wish OSU would have earmarked all the salary money from Urban and Gene with matching university funds to a local charity that deals with abuse. It may be too late or is it too late ? No I’m not against Urban at all but amazed all this for Zach Smith ! The talk of him being a good recruiter, please most true OSU fans could sell the quality program we’ve been putting on the field.
They are probably using the money to pay for the $500K investigation. People who don’t follow college football like several people in my family really don’t see all this uproar over a college football coach. We should really be more worried about Donald Trump than this.
Ok OZone writers let’s get some stories about the football team. One week from today is the first game of the season.
We haven’t spoken to any coaches or players since April.
Aside from 3 players and Meyer at B1G Media Days.
Even I, who have had issue with subject matter selection on this site, will agree with Tony on this one. Kinda hard to ignore a huge story that the main actors inexplicably can’t seem to stop fueling themselves! That’s why some of the torching of Meyer is utterly justified (and all the torching of Z Smith)- the paid guys have privately, repeatedly violated the same code of conduct that they INSIST their players follow!
Everything that has taken place warranted a 3 game suspension without pay and nothing more. I can live with that. Some here still want Meyer fired or step down from his job. You are entitled to believe that. I have made mistakes in my own life and I am not about to sit here and preach on doing right and wrong. Those of you who have never made mistakes or sinned, please keep throwing stones, rocks, or whatever you can get your hands on.
Longtime fan, agree with Tony that is a huge story that now has the nation’s eyes totally focused on Columbus, until the mob finds a hotter headline. Main actors can’t keep fueling themselves. mmm, Urban messed up at the press conference and the rest is nothing more than a media that insists that Urban Meyer is to be crucified and seeks for crumbs and any sort of wrong doing to spin his behavior into something horrible. Urban apologizes for not seeming contrite enough and needs to make a statement sharing his concern for Courtney, which then gets twisted that his own apology is now his admission to guilt. In other words, he torched no matter what he does or doesn’t do. This all began with the horrible assumption that Urban covered up spousal abuse, and the heat is on him, while Zach feels nothing. To me, its more out of the scene in Braveheart, when Wallace is racked and we hear the words from the PC, Media elite, “Do you confess.”
Why is everyone stuck on the the text messages being deleted that where a yr old. Most people’s phone delete text msg that are a yr old automatically so it doesn’t fill up all ur data space. Mines does it automatically
I’m not reading that “everyone” is “stuck” on the text messages. The text message issue is just one in a long series of professional (coach related) gaffes that make the TEAM look bad. That’s an insurmountable hurdle for some of the Meyer defenders- I don’t give a rip about Meyer in comparison to the players who comprise the team. Meyer screwed up in so many ways regarding Zack Smith, that charting them would look like a calculus equation being solved step-by-step. People in charge have screwed up to the point that their players have been de-emphasized, and have violated the very standards they expect their players to follow (makes Meyer’s rants about “leadership” seem pretty hollow, doesn’t it?) They look like clowns, which in turn makes the university and team look like clowns. This nonsense is EXACTLY the kind of TMZ trash that OSU fans love to rip other schools for- fans should be upset with the “leaders” of the staff for this.
Give Urban Meyer and Gene Smith a break for their performance on Wednesday at the-late-in the-day press conference. Everyone should have been sent home much earlier and OSU calling the press conference for Thursday morning. Who made that decision to stay at it late in the evening?
Wednesday was a long stressful day for all participants, so don’t over-judge how they looked or what they said that night. How would you have performed after that 12 hour day, then put on TV with various interview questions? Should not have happened!
Sports writers and talking heads are having a field day with their uninformed opinions. Why listen to them, they can’t even predict the outcome of upcoming games in their expert field!
As for Mrs. Smith wanting revenge and her mom’s and mother-in-laws’ quotes; do we know they were real. Don’t jump to so many conclusions!
Whatever is true, this won’t end well for the whole now-divorced Smith family when the impact from these events gets sorted out in court over time.
Psychology Today says “There are local norms that determine how much alimony will be paid ….with alimony ranging between 15% and 33% of the payer’s gross income.” Do you think the broken-family’s income goes up or down in the future after all these accusations about Zack Smith’s behavior and his firing. Probably not good for his income potential.
It’s to late he has a problem he says things at the wrong time I like Urban he is a great coach but he screwed himself up he lost a lot of respect his arrogance caught up with him good luck to him he is going to need it
Just when you thought you had ‘sports immunity’ from the PC virus infecting every other part of your lives, it becomes airborne and mutates. The only thing that will stop this is realizing its time it was defeated. A cure begins when you reject it at the ballot boxes.
Cagey, I think the ncaa may want to look at what has happened at Maryland and Durkin first. Then if they want to come to our school, they can. I don’t think they will though because they have access to the 23 page report like everyone else.
50 years ago the media’s job was to report the news. Today, the media is intent on creating news and brainwashing an ignorant populace into accepting the media’s agenda. Their current agenda is that all women’s accusations against men are valid and that all men are guilty of abuse by their mere existence as men. Reporters and commentators become famous and rich by destroying the successful no matter how valid or invalid the accusations.
So now we all should apologize to the woman who refused to bring legal charges against her husband and who threatened on multiple occasions to bring him down as well as his boss. The media includes us fans as among the guilty as accused by a woman who refused to,use the police and court system who stood ready to help her if her accusations had merit.
Thank you Ray
Really? Are you talking about FOX, The Enquirer, and other of that ilk?
For the most part, the media has as an agenda the truth. So go out and earn it, Baby.
hopefully this is the end of the statements on this..nothing has been proven with what CS has said and her OWN MOM’s statements don’t even support her daughter…im so sick of the politcally correct BS because it’s an emotional issue but NOTHING has been proven in the actual DM case ..this is so ridiculous…yes ZS was a scumbucket and im glad he is gone…yes he shoulda been fired for other things long ago as UM realizes…but this giving in to the liberal nutty media is ridiculous and i hope this comes back to all these wicked people that try to tear UM down..it’s a frickin witch hunt and there is no actual proof for the main reason this is even an issue in the first place…only the Smiths know and that needs to play out in a court of law–not the court of media opinion ..i absolutely hate the espn and liberal talking heads–there is NO reasoning with these people and facts don’t seem to matter–but judgment before all parties have their day does–let the Smiths settle this in court and hopefully heal and back off UM already.
I’m sorry but something does not add up…as head coach you keep on staff a man who clearly failed to hold himself accountable and acted in a manner that demeaned himself and the University. I still wonder why Urban felt it necessary to delete text messages over a year old…what was in those messages??? The more we learn the worse things become….I’m hoping not but I would not be surprised if there is an NCAA investigation on the horizon.
Please publish all you texts immediately so that we can see if you are hiding anything embarrassing. There are many reasons forr Urban to want to delete texts that may have nothing to do with the Smith case. Maybe a text is very personal, or maybe it relates to an employee situation or is about a rival coach or even a recruit.
Look into your own phone before declaring the guilt of anyone who simply doesn’t want his entire private life made public.
Urban and his wife need to go on vacation out of the country. Come back on 9/3. Sitting at home and listening to the news is making things worse.
Seems like mob justice isn’t happy until Meyer is gone. It may just come to that.
Urban has pissed off his supporters, trying to please his detractors…and their still detractors. What an idiotic approach by Urban.
With each additional statement he stands to gain nothing…but does stand to distance himself from his strongest supporters.
Sometimes in life you close the ranks and stand tall back to the wall against it all.
Today is the first day I have been disappointed in him as a man.
We all love Urban Meyer. What he has done for my alma mater both on and off the field is without a doubt for the entire Buckeye Nation a true wonder. But I beg to disagree with those who state he does not owe Courtney Smith ans her family a sincere apology. He certain does. He understands that he does, and that is why he wrote what he wrote. Coach Meyer knows how he definitely gave Zack Smith the benefit of the doubt time and time and time again. Having the long “family” history with Coach Bruce, one can easily see how Coach Meyer would bend over backwards to give Zach a chance to straighten out his personal life. But, from the findings of the investigation, it is clear that he took it too far as he brought Zack with him time and time and time again, even some sort of knowledge about Zack situation at home. That is not good for any program, and certainly not for one of the great academic and athletic institutions in the United States.
I am especially grateful to read that he intends to use this experience as a learning tool not only for himself, but through his influence work with other individuals and/or organizations that deal with relationship violence to see what he can do to help those individuals/organizations. He would be more than welcome.
Meanwhile, wishing the interim coaches and all the young men on what is an outstanding team on paper a year filled with realizing their dreams both in the classroom and the athletic field, knowing that their Head Coach will return realizing and admitting his faults, who then vows to take corrective actions both within the University and the outside world, and furthermore lead the team he is entrusted with to be the best they can be.
Alum 1966.
Yeah, your post makes no sense. Had Urban fired Smith in 2009, 2015, or any other time…PLEASE tell me how that would have helped Courtney Smith and their marriage and her destructive behavior and Zachs destructive behavior??? They just would have been a dysfunctional family with kids and no way to support them. But it would have had NO bearing on alleged abuse in their home.
1999, 2002 Alum
Pathetic cucked Urban Meyer has gone full p.c. His virtue signalling is embarrassing and shameful. His apology is so scripted and insincere and self-justifying. He’s felt the heat of the inquisition and fears for his own position. Gene Smith isn’t so hot either. His voice is a bit higher today too. The politburo tribunal has acted without evidence of wrongdoing on Meyer’s behalf but based only on “intuition” or should I say woman’s intuition. “We didn’t find anything but it just doesn’t feel right to us so we’re going on our feelings because he’s a man and therefore guilty in general.” Urban is coming off as mixed up and insincere and trying to say the correct thing but making it worse. I’ve lost respect for him for folding and letting Smith go too far out of misguided loyalty to the Bruces. Zach took advantage of that relationship and Urban allowed it. He doesn’t owe the vindictive manipulator wife any apology unless he knew about the abuse allegations, etc. and failed to do anything. He kept Smith around for too long in showing favoritism. They’ve been played by the media and wife and lawyer. The damage has been done. Urban is tainted and everybody is in terror of not virtue signalling enough. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve done anything if the witch hunt feels the need for social justice. That’s the result of political correctness. Big mistake. At least those three games will be more interesting.
“Cucked”
“PC”
“Virtue Signaling”
“Politburo”
“Witch Hunt”
“Social Justice”
You sure you’re on the right comment thread here, bruh?
Absolutely. That’s what this is all about. That was a handy bit of virtue signalling you just did. Those are valid statements and opinions. This is all about political correctness and multiculturalism and it’s infesting and destroying everything. Stay in denial as our game and university self-destructs the way the NFL has with ESPN and the other media leading the cheers. Enjoy those gal commentators and play by plays and self-censoring yourself and saying the “right” things, bruh. Enjoy the endless litany of divisive race, feminist, religion, and sexual issues brought into every venue of life including college football with the sole purpose of dividing people. Enjoy your participation trophies. Yeah, I’m on the right thread, bruh. Never mind it’s a police matter, not for a panel, but the investigation should have taken three days and with no evidence to proceed on there should have been no suspension nor should they have had the authority to demand one of Urban Meyer. Not without evidence of wrongdoing. There’s another word for you. Tribunal. Sjws are ruining college football and free speech. If you think that’s irrelevant to the article then you need to reread it.
This guy hasn’t learned, has he? Apparently Meyer is stuck in a vortex of being “unprepared” when speaking about a VITAL issue, thus necessitating follow ups with PROLONG the misery. This guy isn’t only digging his own grave, he brought the shovel as well.. STOP TALKING ABOUT IT.
I don’t think Meyer owes Courtney Smith anything. This is a woman who vowed to take him down. For now he is still standing, but for how long? Why should he apologize? She could have easily gotten out of her abusive situation by pressing charges against her husband years ago, but chose not to do so. She could have gotten help from her parents. Maybe she did and her parents didn’t believe her. I would like to ask her parents what did you do to help your daughter the past 9 years? If my daughter told me she has been physically abused by her husband, I sure as hell would intervene.
My defense of Urban Meyer has been totally based on my belief that he did nothing wrong to Courtney Smith. Based on everything that has come out I dont see where he wronged her in any way. She is not his wife. He did not physically do anything to her. As for her allegations against her husband, that is between the Smiths, the police and the court.
That said, I guess if he is now apologizing then my assessment must be OFF. I certainly wouldn’t apologize to someone I didn’t wrong. Either he did something to her or he is now way too image conscious. Regardless, I am now done with this. Everyone involved has handled this poorly and so let the chips fall where they may.
The media storm strikes again. Please Urban for the sake of your family, your student-athletes, your supporters, and most importantly yourself – think before you speak (especially about non-football issues) or at the very least write down what you want to say at a presser and stick to the script. I’m a huge fan of media, but I know that they survive on information participation (aka shares, mentions, likes, tweets (and retweets), nielson’s, etc) and the old adage sex and sensation sells is still true. So, for the love of all that is sacred and good, please don’t utter another word without vetting with your lawyers, friends, and family – and stick to the script.