Former Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith is in the news in a roundabout way this week. A report surfaced recently that Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer knew about D.V. allegations that Smith’s ex-wife levied against him. It’s led to Meyer taking a paid leave as the program investigates the situation.
Fired by Ohio State back in July, Smith is now speaking out and denying the allegations.
“We had a volatile relationship, it was toxic. There was a lot of aggressive situations,” Smith told 105.7 the Zone in Columbus on Friday. “I’ve never committed D.V. against her. Now, there were times got out of hand and I had to defensively restrain her. I never hit her.”
Smith’s ex-wife also noted this week that she shared texts with Meyer’s wife “detailing years” of violence. The woman, Courtney Smith, isn’t sure if Meyer new about the allegations, per ESPN.
A denial if this magnitude is not surprising. Neither is what many would call victim blaming. That tends to be the initial reaction of alleged abusers when first confronted.
For his part, Meyer also released a statement on Friday.
— Urban Meyer (@CoachUrbanMeyer) August 3, 2018
This adds yet another layer to the entire drama as Ohio State prepares for the 2018 season — with or without Meyer on the sidelines.