Are you curious about Urban Meyer’s mindset going forward?
You’re not alone.
After three weeks of relentless media pressure, a two-week investigation by a special independent panel, and a marathon day-and-into-night meeting of elite power brokers, Ohio State’s football coach was suspended for three games on Wednesday night.
Predictably, it was a compromise made to please as many entities as possible.
Predictably, it pleased no one.
Some wanted Meyer fired immediately, his head on a platter.
Some wanted full and immediate reinstatement, with an apology to the coach.
I agree with the suspension, which mirrored that of athletics director Gene Smith. And it has nothing to do with the optics or sending a message.
Both men earned a seat on the sidelines. And it’s not because of domestic violence allegations against a former assistant coach (although it should be noted that Zach Smith was never charged with domestic violence by Ohio authorities — as was erroneously reported).
The respective suspensions were earned for a management failure to deal with a consistently troubled employee. Read the incredibly thorough report provided by the special independent panel. It’s not pretty.
Zach Smith was former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce’s grandson. Meyer was a graduate assistant under Bruce in the late 1980s, idolized him, considered him his mentor, and those factors clouded his judgment when it came to dealing with Zach Smith.
“I want to apologize to the Buckeye Nation. I followed my heart and not my head,” Meyer said at Wednesday night’s press conference. “At each juncture I gave Zach the benefit of the doubt.”
Smith’s wide receiver unit routinely underperformed during his tenure. His behavior on Twitter was immature and erratic, His private life, which has become embarrassingly public, was even more chaotic.
Obviously Meyer and Gene Smith fell down on their responsibility to the university. Refusing to deal with the situation in a significant way until it becomes a national storyline paints the university in a poor light.
An individual gets tagged for that. That’s real life in the real world.
Read into it what you will about the press conference not dealing more directly with Courtney Smith’s domestic violence claims. Those truly interested in the veracity of those allegations can check the upcoming court docket. More details should be available as that case unfolds in the weeks ahead.
As for Meyer, his body language at the press conference was telling. He looked shaken and angry. I doubt he agrees with the suspension and it will be interesting how he handles his business going forward.
I think highly of Meyer, a coach who has won multiple national titles in two of the nation’s toughest conferences without a whiff of NCAA impropriety.
But he’s not infallible.
Taking the high ground routinely offers the better view. In Meyer’s case, that means owning the fact that letting Smith run amok was a mistake. Take this medicine, be an example for how to learn, grow from it, and plow ahead.
That’s how he would counsel one of his players.
Does Meyer have the ability to do that?
Will pride get in his way?
Is his relationship with Ohio State permanently damaged?
For a coach with a 73-8 record over six years in Columbus, Buckeye Nation knows what Meyer can do when his laser-like focus is fixated on the task at hand.
Will it remain there?
It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds.
