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Attorney for Ex-Buckeye assistant Zach Smith: OSU was backed into a corner by unfounded accusations
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The attorney for former Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith, who was fired following the report of two alleged domestic violence issues, issued a statement late Monday night.
Bill Rabinowitz, an Ohio State beat writer for The Dispatch, spoke with Smith’s attorney Brad Koffel late Monday evening to discuss the domestic violence reports and the Buckeyes’ decision to part ways with the receivers coach.
Here’s what Koffel had to say on the issue, according to Rabinowitz:
Here's the statement Zach Smith's attorney Brad Koffel gave to me tonight: “OSU was put in a corner by the unfounded accusations of an ex-wife who weaponized 9-1-1 many times over the years." 1/
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) July 24, 2018
Koffel statement, cont. "…Many ex-husbands know exactly what is going on here as well as every single police officer that ever responded to their home. Eventually, Zach was advised to record his ex-wife when she became irrationally combative to protect himself." 2
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) July 24, 2018
Koffel statement, cont. "Now that this has cost him a career, he has no choice but to set the record straight. But, unlike the method used by his ex-wife, he will deal with this in domestic court where it all should have stayed.” end
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) July 24, 2018
On Monday, college football insider Brett McMurphy reported that Smith was arrested in 2009 for an alleged domestic violence incident while he was working on Urban Meyer’s staff at the University of Florida. Later, McMurphy reported that another alleged domestic violence incident involving Smith occurred in 2015.
Later, Jordan Strack of WTOL-11 in Toledo, reported that Smith had taken several interviews or other jobs at the request of Meyer.
Smith was fired by Meyer following the reports Monday night. The receivers coach had been on Meyer’s staff for 11 seasons, dating back to the days at Florida.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB