Ohio State announced Wednesday evening that Urban Meyer, the head coach of its storied football team, had been put on paid administrative leave while the university investigated allegations that Meyer knew a longtime former assistant coach had been accused of domestic abuse in 2015.

Meyer, one of the most successful coaches of the past two decades, said last week that he had not heard of the domestic abuse accusations until recent days, but a report on Wednesday suggested that Meyer had known about the accusations for far longer.

In a statement Wednesday released by the university, Meyer said he and Athletic Director Gene Smith had agreed “that being on leave during this inquiry will facilitate its completion. This allows the team to conduct training camp with minimal distraction. I eagerly look forward to the resolution of this matter.”

Ryan Day, a 39-year-old co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who joined the program a year ago, will serve as acting head football coach, the statement said. Two other Ohio State coordinators, Greg Schiano and Kevin Wilson, have experience as head coaches at major college programs.