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Scarlet Sunrise: Zach Smith fired, raising questions Urban Meyer will have to answer

by: borrismart07/24/18
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Zach Smith fired by Ohio State

Wide receivers coach Zach Smith was fired on Monday in the aftermath of a court appearance for a charge of criminal trespassing and the revelation of previous allegations of domestic violence.

On Monday, it was revealed that there had been multiple past allegations of domestic violence made by Smith’s ex-wife Courtney Smith in 2009 when Smith worked at Florida and again in 2015 when he was at Ohio State, though both incidents ended with Courtney Smith not pressing charges. Those discoveries came on the heels of a more recent citation for criminal trespassing, and Courtney Smith filed for a domestic violence protection order against him in Delaware County on Friday.

An Ohio State spokesman announced his departure just before 7 p.m. on Monday night. “Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has announced the termination of wide receivers coach Zach Smith,” the release said. “Coaching staff adjustments will be announced at a later date.”

Urban Meyer set to speak at Big Ten media days

Ohio State’s turn at Big Ten media days will come Tuesday, with Meyer facing one hour and 15 minutes of questions from a crowd that will include hundreds of reporters. Meyer will face no shortage of questions about Smith and the timeline of information, and he needs to have some good answers about what he knew and how this all transpired. Knowing about these incidents and doing nothing would be a horrible look for the program, especially given the core values the Buckeyes frequently tout — which includes respect for women.

Meyer is scheduled to speak at the podium for 15 minutes beginning at approximately 10:45 a.m. It will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

Brian Hartline, next man up

A source told Lettermen Row senior writer Austin Ward that Brian Hartline is poised to take over the wide receiver coaching job on an interim basis. At the time of the announcement, Ohio State said plans would be revealed at a later date. Hartline has been a quality control coach on the staff for more than a year, and he’s recently been thought of as a logical heir to Smith’s position in the event that he moved on from that post.

Garrett Wilson reaffirms commitment

It doesn’t sound like Smith’s dismissal will have a significant immediate impact on recruiting. Austin (Texas) Lake Travis wide receiver Garrett Wilson, a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2020, reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State shortly after the announcement.

“I’ve talked to Coach Meyer, I know what’s going on and I’m still a Buckeye,” he told Lettermen Row.

Two Buckeyes named B1G players to watch

While the Big Ten no longer conducts a media preseason poll for the standings, the conference does release a list of five players to watch from each division. This year, two Ohio State players made the cut — defensive end Nick Bosa and running back J.K. Dobbins. Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley was the only player in either division to be a unanimous selection. The full list can be found below.

EAST DIVISION

Rashan Gary, Jr., DL, Michigan

Brian Lewerke, Jr., QB, Michigan State

Nick Bosa, Jr., DE, Ohio State

J.K. Dobbins, So., RB, Ohio State

Trace McSorley, Sr., QB, Penn State

WEST DIVISION

Noah Fant, Jr., TE, Iowa

Stanley Morgan Jr., Sr., WR, Nebraska

Paddy Fisher, So., LB, Northwestern

T.J. Edwards, Sr., LB, Wisconsin

Jonathan Taylor, So., RB, Wisconsin

The greatness of Larry Johnson

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic wrote an outstanding story on Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson and what makes him one of the best assistant coaches and teachers in the country. It’s only available to subscribers but is absolutely worth the read for anyone who subscribes.

Counting down

  • Ohio State at Big Ten media days: Today
  • Ohio State season opener: 39 days
  • The Game: 123 days

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