The soap opera that is currently the Ohio State football program took a couple of additional twists and turns Saturday.
Jeff Snook, the author of several Ohio State books whose Facebook post this past week quoted the mother of Courtney Smith as not believing Zach Smith had abused her daughter, promised Friday in a subsequent Facebook missive that “another bombshell report is coming"; Saturday, Snook posted that Tom Herman, the former OSU offensive coordinator and current Texas head coach, had tipped off Brett McMurphy, the college football insider whose own Facebook posts on domestic abuse allegations involving Zach Smith and his ex-wife, Courtney, preceded Smith being fired as the Buckeyes’ wide receivers coach and Urban Meyer being placed on paid administrative leave as the school launched an investigation into his handling of the allegations.
In the wake of Snook’s latest social media post, Herman labeled the report he was the source “absolutely untrue” while McMurphy took to Twitter to “unequivocally” deny Herman was the source.
“Neither I, nor anybody in my family, has ever communicated with Brett McMurphy about the situation at Ohio State,” a portion of Herman’s statement read.
For those who have asked for my response to Jeff Snook’s claim Saturday: “I have never revealed my sources in my nearly four decade journalistic career & I am not going to start now. However, I will say unequivocally that Tom Herman was not my source.”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 11, 2018
In that latest Facebook post by Snook, it’s claimed that the Hermans, Tom and his wife, Michelle, are helping Courtney Smith with her legal expenses. The UT coach countered in his own statement that, in March of 2017, his wife had helped “her friend Courtney Smith during a time of financial need.”
“We have not provided any financial assistance since then,” Tom Herman stated.
Finally, it was alleged by Snook’s sources that the Hermans “encouraged Courtney Smith to go public with her claims that her ex-husband had physically abused her.” The impetus for that was that the Hermans allegedly wanted Smith fired and off the OSU coaching staff. Why?
“This is BS -- we had no reason good enough to do that to Shelley or Urban,” Michelle Herman wrote to Snook.
“I really do appreciate you doing your job with integrity and checking on all the points, unlike some others,” Shelley Meyer, Urban’s wife and reportedly close confidante of Courtney Smith who allegedly knew of the extensive abuse Courtney allegedly suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, told Snook in a text message. “I just can’t comment and I am very sorry. Thank u.”
Those were Shelley Meyer’s’s first public comments since the imbroglio erupted in Columbus last month, triggered by Zach Smith criminal trespassing citation in May after attempting to drop off their child at his ex-wife’s residence.
OSU launched its investigation into Meyer’s handling of the extensive domestic abuse allegations, which extend back to their time together at Florida, the week before last, although Smith’s attorney claimed this week that neither he nor his client had been contacted by investigators handling the probe that will determine whether Meyer will continue on as the Buckeyes’ head coach.
That will change in the not-too-distant future as Zach Smith’s attorney, Brad Koffel, confirmed to ESPN.com Saturday that his client is expected to meet with OSU investigators this coming week to answer any questions the group may have.
“We’re not trying to run from the truth, but we’re not the only ones with warts on us,” Koffel told the website.
As of this posting, a statement from Courtney Smith’s attorney released this past week that neither she nor her client had been contacted by OSU investigators stands.
On Aug. 8, Ohio State announced that it expected to complete its investigation in two weeks.