One way or another, it appears the Urban Meyer situation at Ohio State won’t linger.
A report surfaced earlier in the day that Meyer had direct knowledge of domestic abuse allegations involving a now-former assistant coach, knowledge Meyer had vehemently denied at the Big Ten Media Days last month. The development led to a reported meeting between Meyer and his boss, athletic director Gene Smith, Wednesday afternoon that led to further speculation about Meyer’s future with the Buckeyes.
A short time ago, OSU announced that it has launched an investigation into the allegations. In the interim, Meyer has been placed on paid administrative lead.
Below are the statements from both the university and the head coach:
STATEMENT FROM THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
The university is conducting an investigation into these allegations. During the inquiry, Urban Meyer will be on paid administrative leave. Ryan Day will serve as acting head football coach during the investigation. We are focused on supporting our players and on getting to the truth as expeditiously as possible.
STATEMENT FROM URBAN MEYER
[Athletic director] Gene [Smith] and I agree 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.
Meyer has spent the past six seasons in his “dream job,” compiling a 73-8 record overall and a 47-3 mark in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes have won two conference titles and one national championship under the Ohio native.
In April of this year, Ohio State announced that a Board of Trustees committee had approved a two-year contract extension for their head football coach that would push his 2018 salary to $7.6 million, making him the second-highest paid coach in college football. The 54-year-old Meyer is now signed through the 2022 season.