Urban Meyer, Ohio State head football coach, is put on leave during investigation

Ohio State placed coach Urban Meyer on paid leave Wednesday after a potentially damning report by veteran journalist Brett McMurphy alleged that Meyer knew of domestic-abuse allegations involving an assistant coach in 2015 — something Meyer denied last week during Big Ten media days.

Meyer fired receivers coach Zach Smith on July 24, but only after McMurphy's original story unearthed police reports that shed light on Smith's abusive relationship with now ex-wife Courtney. Meyer said during Big Ten media days that he knew of a 2009 report that prompted him to recommend counseling for the "young couple." Zach Smith, a graduate assistant under Meyer at Florida at the time, was accused of aggravated battery on his then-pregnant wife, according to reports, but the charge was dropped because of insufficient evidence.

But Meyer said he did not know about a series of allegations from 2015, one of which resulted in a menacing-by-stalking charge and restraining order, according to McMurphy's report. The Smiths separated in June of that year and divorced in 2016.

"I can't say it didn't happen because I wasn't there," Meyer said last week of the 2015 allegations. "I was never told about anything, and nothing ever came to light. I've never had a conversation about it. I know nothing about it. First I heard about that was last night. And I asked some people back at the office to call and say what happened, and they came back and said they know nothing about it."

Also Wednesday, the sports network Stadium posted a video interview in which Courtney Smith talks about the alleged domestic violence and what she believes Meyer knew.

Ohio State said Wednesday evening that Meyer will be on paid leave while it investigates the allegations and that offensive coordinator Ryan Day will be acting head coach.

Zach Smith has not been convicted of any charges. He pleaded not guilty last month to a charge in May of misdemeanor criminal trespass, according to reports, after Courtney Smith accused him of driving to her apartment to drop off their son instead of an agreed-upon meeting place.

McMurphy's report on Facebook includes photos and screen shots of purported text conversations between Courtney Smith and Meyer's wife, Shelley, that, if authentic, leave little doubt Urban Meyer knew of the 2015 allegations and kept Smith on his staff. Courtney Smith said she sent photos to Shelley Meyer and spoke to her about the situation by phone.