The Zach Smith story that has turned Ohio State upside down is not being limited to just Columbus.
Speaking to the Boston Globe on Saturday, Boston College coach Steve Addazio confirmed that he too knew of an alleged incident in 2009 between Smith and his then-wife Courtney when both coaches were on Urban Meyer’s staff at Florida. Addazio later hired Smith to serve as a wide receivers coach at Temple in 2011 before the latter followed Meyer to Ohio State the following season.
“While an assistant coach at Florida in 2009, I was aware that there was an issue in the personal life of Zach and Courtney Smith,” Addazio said. “I did not know specifics, and I knew the matter was in the hands of university personnel and that the couple was involved in counseling.
“As a husband, father and coach, I have zero tolerance for domestic abuse. There is no place in our program at Boston College for any member of our staff involved in domestic violence.”
While the focus for many at Ohio State has centered on an alleged incident in 2015, Meyer did go into details about the incident in Gainesville at Big Ten Media Days in July by noting that both he and wife Shelley Meyer had tried to help the Smiths with their marriage following Zach Smith being arrested for aggravated battery of a pregnant victim (the charges were later dropped). The fact that Addazio, who was one of Meyer’s most trusted assistants with the Gators, knew about the issue as well and still hired Smith later on is bound to raise eyebrows as more and more details are being unveiled about the entire case on a seemingly daily basis.
Smith was fired in late July by the Buckeyes after it had surfaced that Courtney Smith had obtained a civil protection order against him following a May 12th citation for criminal trespassing. Meyer has been on paid administrative leave since August 1 as Ohio State seeks to sort out what he knew about several allegations and whether the head coach followed proper procedures.