Update: Brad Koffel, the attorney for ex-Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, issued a statement to ESPN on his client's behalf.
"Zach Smith wants to be as transparent and honest as possible but it is not going to be done today through the media. It will only be after he and his ex-wife are sworn in to testify. Once he gets his chance to tell his side of events, don't be surprised when it is corroborated by every police who ever responded to Ms. Smith's calls."
There has still been no comment from Ohio State or coach Urban Meyer.
Original story
When asked at this year's Big Ten Media Days, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he was unaware of a 2015 domestic violence incident involving former Buckeyes wide receiver Zach Smith and his now ex-wife, Courtney. Specifically, Meyer told reporters at the event in Chicago that he was only informed of the situation right before his appearance.
"I got a text last night that something happened in 2015, and there was nothing," Meyer told reporters, adding, "I don't know who creates a story like that."
However, Brett McMurphy reported Wednesday -- through a string of interviews and text messages he uncovered -- that Meyer did know about the 2015 incident in which Smith was arrested for felonious assault and domestic violence of his then-wife.
McMurphy's entire report is obviously worth reading, but the pertinent information includes the following ...
Courtney Smith's text messages with Meyer's wife, Shelley, who at one point during a 2015 exchange said, "I am with you! A lot of women stay hoping it will get better. I don't blame you! But just want u to be safe. Do you have a restraining order? He scares me." Courtney added that Shelley was a "frequent texter."
Courtney's communication with wives of other Ohio State assistants and staffers. McMurphy writes that those wives "and a number of Ohio State assistant coaches were aware of Smith's domestic violence issues." Speaking with McMurphy, Courtney said, "All the [coaches] wives knew. They all did. Every single one."
A change in the police report for the domestic violence incident on Oct. 26, 2015. Per the Powell Police report, a box was checked indicating Zach Smith had been arrested. However, in a revised report, that arrest box was no longer checked. The PPD told McMurphy "The terminology used by the Police Department was different in the original report (dated 10/26/2015) and inconsistent with what actually occurred."
Courtney telling McMurphy the following: "Zach once told me, if he ever got fired and this all comes out: 'I'll take everyone at Ohio State down with me.'"
Perhaps the most damning piece of information from McMurphy's report is an exchange between Courtney and Lindsey Voltolini in the weeks following the 2015 incident. Lindsey's husband Brian Voltolini is "considered one of Meyer's most loyal staff members," according to McMurphy.
Courtney: "[Zach's] trying to make me look crazy bc that's what Shelley is saying [he's doing]"
Lindsey: "[Urban] just said [Zach] denied everything"
Courtney: "I hope urban is smarter than that"
Lindsey: "[Urban] doesn't know what to think"
Courtney: "I don't really care. Ya know"
Lindsey: "Yeah, don't worry about urb"
Meyer said he was aware of a domestic violence incident involving Zach Smith in 2009 when the latter was an assistant at Florida. According to documents, Smith had an altercation with his wife, who was three months pregnant at the time.
Meyer told reporters in Chicago, "As I do any time, and I imagine most coaches or people in leadership positions, when you receive a phone call, first thing you do is tell your boss. Let the experts do their jobs. We're certainly not going to investigate. It came back to me that what was reported wasn't what actually happened. So Shelley and I actually both got involved with the relationship with that family, and provided counseling, and wanted to help them moving forward."
Zach was ultimately not charged in the incident, though per Courtney, two of Meyer's closest friends -- Hiram de Fries, who is Meyer's "life coach", and former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce -- asked her to drop charges of aggravated battery of a pregnant victim. The influences of those voices on Meyer are key components to that allegation. Bruce, who passed away in April, was not only an Ohio State great, but Zach's grandfather and a close mentor of Meyer's.
Moreover, Cleveland.com reports that the Powell police filed nine incident reports between Jan. 1, 2012, and July 26, 2018, involving domestic issues between Zach and Courtney Smith. Those include multiple custody disputes, the aforementioned allegation from Oct. 2015, and a 2017 incident in which neighbors saw Smith looking through the windows of his ex-wife's home and banging on her door at 1:30 a.m.
Smith was fired right before Big Ten Media Days and was replaced on an interim basis by former Buckeyes wideout Brian Hartline. Meyer said the decision was a "tough call" but added that "it was in the best interest of our team." He did not elaborate when asked if the media reports of Smith's past influenced the decision.
"I'm not going to get into that. A decision was made," Meyer said. "The details I'm obligated to give, I gave. The decision was made, it's time to move forward."
One of Meyer's core values is "treat women with respect."
With the latest report from McMurphy coming to light, the focus will now be squarely on Meyer to further explain what he did or did not know about Smith's string of domestic violence issues. As of yet, Ohio State has not commented publicly on the report.
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer reportedly had knowledge of domestic abuse allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith in 2015, according to college football insider Brett McMurphy.
McMurphy wrote that he obtained text messages sent by Smith's ex-wife, Courtney Smith, to Meyer's wife and the wives of other Ohio State coaches.
Per McMurphy, the texts show Meyer knew about the situation, and Courtney Smith added, "All the [coaches'] wives knew. They all did. Every single one."
Courtney Smith also spoke to Stadium, discussing what she believes Meyer knew about the allegations:
Smith was fired last month after he was charged with criminal trespassing in relation to dropping his children off at his ex-wife's home against her wishes.
Courtney Smith's comments conflict with statements made by Meyer at Big Ten Media Days last month.
According to McMurphy, Meyer said he would have fired Smith in 2015 had he known about the situation: "I was never told about anything. 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."
With regard to her conversations with Shelley Meyer, Courtney Smith said, "Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban. I said, 'That's fine, you should tell Urban.' I know Shelley did everything she could."
McMurphy also acquired text messages from 2015 between Courtney Smith and Lindsey Voltolini, who is the wife of Ohio State football operations director Brian Voltolini.
In those texts, Voltolini told Courtney Smith that Zach Smith denied everything during a conversation with Meyer.
Courtney Smith told McMurphy of the events in 2015 that sparked her text: "He took me and shoved me up against the wall, with his hands around my neck. Something he did very often. My (then three-year-old) daughter was clinging to my leg. It obviously registered with him what he was doing, so he took my (then five-year-old) son and left. So I called the police."
Zach Smith was never charged with domestic violence in that case.
Along with the texts McMurphy obtained, Courtney Smith provided him with photos that showed her with bruises and cuts.
Zach Smith served as Meyer's wide receivers coach from 2012 until his firing last month. He previously served on Meyer's staff at Florida from 2005-2009.
Smith was replaced by former Ohio State wide receiver Brian Hartline on an interim basis at OSU.
Urban Meyer has some explaining to do.
The Ohio State football coach said last week he had no knowledge about a pair of alleged domestic violence incidents involving his former assistant coach Zach Smith — who was fired last week after the cases became public — but text messages surfaced Wednesday indicating both Meyer and his wife, Shelley, were aware dating back to 2015.
Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of the former Buckeyes wide receivers coach, shared text messages with college football reporter Brett McMurphy that go against what Meyer claimed he knew.
“All the [coaches] wives knew,” Courtney told McMurphy. “They all did. Every single one.”
Meyer was asked about the allegations last week at Big Ten Media Day, but said if he had known, he would have fired Smith back in 2015.
“I was never told about anything,” Meyer told reporters. “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.
“I don’t know who creates a story like that,” Meyer added about the 2015 allegations.
The text messages provided by Courtney show that Shelley Meyer — a registered nurse and instructor of clinical practice at Ohio State’s college of nursing — and other wives of Ohio State coaches knew about the domestic violence incidents for years. Courtney also said she shared with them pictures of bruises on her neck and arms from past beatings.
“Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban,” Courtney said. “I said: ‘That’s fine, you should tell Urban.’ I know Shelley did everything she could.”
While the abuse allegedly dates back to 2009, texts show that Courtney began discussing the issues with wives of coaches in 2015. She called the police after an incident that October, when Smith allegedly shoved her against the wall with his hands around her neck, “something he did very often,” Courtney said.
“I am with you!” Shelley Meyer allegedly wrote to Courtney in a 2015 text. “A lot of women stay hoping it will get better. I don’t blame you! But just want u to be safe. Do you have a restraining order? He scares me.”
Further texts between Courtney and Lindsey Voltolini — the wife of Brian Voltolini, Ohio State’s director of football operations and a longtime member of Meyer’s staff — show Meyer spoke to Smith about the 2015 incident.
“He [Urban] just said he [Zach] denied everything,” Lindsey allegedly wrote to Courtney.
Smith is the grandson of former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, who was a mentor to Meyer. Smith has never been convicted of domestic violence, though he was arrested in 2009 for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim following a fight with Courtney. The incident happened the night of a party that Meyer threw for his coaches, including Smith, while they were at Florida.
According to Courtney, two of Meyer’s closest friends asked her to drop the charges from that event, which she ultimately agreed to.
In November 2015, with the alleged abuse still going on, Courtney filed for divorce. Smith’s attorney allegedly had the divorce documents sealed without Courtney’s consent, but they were unsealed and released Wednesday morning.
“Zach once told me,” Courtney said, “if he ever got fired and this all comes out: ‘I’ll take everyone at Ohio State down with me.’”
Photo: Joe Robbins (Getty)
Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith was fired by the university after his history of alleged domestic violence became public. After Smith was fired, head coach Urban Meyer admitted to reporters that he had been aware of Smith’s 2009 domestic violence arrest, but made it clear that he had no idea more incidents had occurred in 2015. Smith’s ex-wife, Courtney, says that isn’t true.
Courtney gave an interview to college football reporter Brett McMurphy, in which she says that Meyer, his wife Shelley, and many other people involved in the Ohio State football program knew about the 2015 incidents. Courtney even provided screen shots of text message exchanges between her and Shelley, in which Shelley offers her sympathies for the abuse Courtney was suffering. From McMurphy’s report:
One 2015 text exchange between Courtney and Shelley Meyer shows the extent of Shelley’s knowledge of the alleged domestic abuse and that she was concerned for Courtney’s safety. Shelley: “I am with you! A lot of women stay hoping it will get better. I don’t blame you! But just want u to be safe. Do you have a restraining order? He scares me” Courtney: “Restraining orders don’t do anything in Ohio-I tried to get protection order which is what started this whole investigation. And that should go through soon finally. It’s hard bc you have to prove immediate danger. Legal system is tough. Basically you have to prove he will kill u to get protective order” Shelley: “Geesh! Even w the pics? Didn’t law enforcement come to your place ever??”
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Courtney also provided McMurphy screen shots of a text message exchange she had with Lindsey Voltolini, who is married Ohio State football operations director Brian Voltolini. In those messages, Lindsey tells Courtney that Meyer was aware of the 2015 incidents, but didn’t know what to think because Smith had denied everything.
The football program’s involvement went beyond just knowledge of the alleged abuse, according to Courtney. She told McMurphy that after Zach’s arrest in 2009, she met with Hiram de Fries, who has long been one of Meyers’s closest friends and confidants. According to Courtney’s recollection of their conversation, de Fries pressured her into dropping the charges against Smith, because if she didn’t Smith would “never coach again.”
While speaking with reporters last week, Meyer said that he had never heard of any domestic violence incidents involving Zach and Courtney in 2015. From Cleveland.com:
“When I first heard that last night, I did some research and there was nothing,” Meyer said. “I don’t know. Someone texted me that last night. I said, ‘2015?’ That was only a couple years ago. I told people to go find out for me. I’m not sure where that comes up.”
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McMurphy’s report also includes details about the alleged incidents, including pictures of Courtney with bruises and cuts and threatening text messages that Smith sent to her. You can read the full report here.
