What we learned from Ohio State's investigation into Urban Meyer, Zach Smith

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

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In the hours after Ohio State announced that football coach Urban Meyer would be suspended three games for his handling of domestic abuse allegations against former wide receivers coach Zach Smith, the school also released a 23-page report detailing the findings of its investigation.

Here are a few of the most significant takeaways, excerpts and findings from that investigation, which was led by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White.

Meyer doubted Courtney Smith's 2015 allegations

The report found that both Urban and Shelley Meyer "had doubts about the credibility of Courtney’s (2015) claims, based on, among other things, Zach Smith’s denials and their belief that Courtney Smith’s 2009 allegations had been false."

(Zach Smith was arrested in Florida in 2009 for allegedly throwing Courtney Smith up against a wall, but she later declined to press charges.)

In a text message to former Ohio State linebacker Stan White after Zach Smith's firing, Urban Meyer described it as a "he said she said" situation.

More: Download the full report here

More: Urban Meyer stays as Ohio State football coach, but he is diminished after investigation

More: Arrogance and pride helped lead to suspension of Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer

Smith had stretch of 'problematic' behavior

The report found that Zach Smith engaged in "other problematic, or at least questionable, behavior" beyond the allegations of domestic abuse.

Among those actions, according to the investigation ...

He was "engaged in a sexual relationship with a secretary on the football staff who did not report to him."

He ran up "a significant bill" at a Florida strip club, which he attended with another Buckeye football coach and "one or more high school coaches" during a recruiting trip in 2014.

He took "sexually explicit photographs of himself" at the White House in 2015 and at OSU's football facilities.

He was arrested for driving while impaired in 2013.

His credit cards were declined at least three times between 2014 and 2016, and he was "delinquent in paying for his iPhones and for costs associated with Bowl games."

Meyer knew about 2015 investigation in 2015

Ohio State's investigation found that Urban Meyer knew Zach Smith was being investigated in 2015, and was notified by athletic director Gene Smith.

In October 2015, Miechelle Willis, then the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the Athletics Department, received information from the Ohio State Campus Police about the Powell Police investigation; Willis immediately notified AD Smith, who in turn notified Coach Meyer during a football practice that Zach Smith was under investigation for domestic violence and could be arrested at any time. AD Gene Smith recalls Coach Meyer having an immediate and strong negative reaction to this news.

Meyer may have wiped his phone

The investigation revealed that Urban Meyer might have wiped old text messages from his phone in the wake of Brett McMurphy's original report that Meyer was aware of the domestic abuse claims against Smith, or at least discussed as much with director of football operations Brian Voltolini.

The two discussed at that time whether the media could get access to Coach Meyer’s phone, and specifically discussed how to adjust the settings on Meyer’s phone so that text messages older than one year would be deleted. Our review of Coach Meyer’s phone revealed no messages older than one year, indicating that at the time it was obtained by OSU on August 2nd, Coach Meyer’s phone was set to retain text messages only for that period, as Coach Meyer and Brian Voltolini discussed. We cannot determine, however, whether Coach Meyer’s phone was set to retain messages only for one year in response to the August 1st media report or at some earlier time.

Investigators called this discussion "nonetheless concerning" and later wrote that "often, although not always, such reactions evidence consciousness of guilt."

Questions over media day comments

The night before he spoke at Big Ten media days, Urban Meyer started a group text message with athletic director Gene Smith, Brian Voltolini, athletic communications staffer Jerry Emig and director of player development Ryan Stamper, according to the investigation. The group discussed how to address Zach Smith's firing, and the 2015 allegations.

The next day, Urban Meyer told the media, in part, that "I've never had a conversation about" Smith's 2015 allegations and "I know nothing about it."

Investigators wrote in the report that they "cannot logically square" Urban Meyer's comments at the podium "with his extensive knowledge of those events," but they do not believe his comments were "part of a deliberate cover-up."

Although it is a close question and we cannot rule out that Coach Meyer was intentionally misleading in his answers, we do not ultimately find that he was. He clearly misspoke and made misstatements, but the reasons that happened are complex. Coach Meyer did not, in our view, deliberately lie.

Medication may have played a role?

At one point in their report, investigators speculate that an unspecified medication might have contributed to Urban Meyer's lapse in memory at Big Ten media days.

We also learned during the investigation that Coach Meyer has sometimes had significant memory issues in other situations where he had prior extensive knowledge of events. He has also periodically taken medicine that can negatively impair his memory, concentration, and focus. All of these factors also need to be considered and weighed in assessing Coach Meyer’s mindset (at media days).

Meyer had 'blind spot' for Smith

While Gene Smith and Urban Meyer were informing university leadership about the decision to fire Zach Smith, investigators noted that Urban Meyer "conveyed his regret in firing (Earle) Bruce’s grandson, not his disappointment in Zach’s conduct." (Bruce was a former coach at Ohio State, and one of Urban Meyer's mentors.)

Investigators wrote that Urban Meyer had a "blind spot" for Zach Smith.

Repeatedly, Zach Smith’s conduct was met with reprimands and warnings by Coach Meyer, but never a written report, never an investigation and no disciplinary action until July 23, 2018. While we do not doubt that Coach Meyer respects women and is dedicated to fostering an environment of respect for women in his program, his apparent blind spot for Zach Smith seems to have impaired his judgment and his management of the behavior of at least one of his assistants.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.