The great Ron White once opined that he “had the right to remain silent, but not the ability.” Enter Zach Smith.
Urban Meyer‘s initial paid administrative leave and subsequent three-game suspension stemmed from his handling of domestic abuse allegations made against Smith. Courtney Smith, the ex-Ohio State wide receivers coach’s former wife, had leveled the damning accusations against her former husband; Smith, for his part, has steadfastly denied there was any abuse, a denial backed up by his ex-wife’s estranged mother.
With some of the focus on that off-field imbroglio beginning to shift back toward OSU’s opener against Oregon State Saturday, Smith, who was fired last month shortly after Courtney Smith had a domestic violence civil protection order obtained against him, went on an extended Twitter rant that swung said focus right back onto both himself and the controversy.
For better or worse, here’s Smith complete and very lengthy Twitter meltdown, with a significant portion of the melt directed at the college football insider, Brett McMurphy, whose stories on the allegations very nearly brought down one of the most powerful head coaches in college football. The university’s investigation into Meyer’s handling of the allegations, though, were targeted by its former employee as well.
Hey @Brett_McMurphy - Ready to start being a real journalist? Ya know... vetting a story?
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
Oh... no... you don’t know what I mean. Sorry!https://t.co/1skw7lSDBl
Silence = over. I tried. But I cant watch 🤡 like @Brett_McMurphy @finebaum & others at @espn continue 2 run their mouths-not only w/o knowledge but w/ complete disregard 4 my children. Their mother had plenty of disregard 4 them in this. Time 4 u all 2 face the damage ur causing
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
(WRITER’S NOTE: Smith’s next tweet included a photo of his two young children. We’ve decided against embedding the actual tweet -- you can go find it very easily if you want -- but will post his tweeted words immediately below this.)
Hey @Brett_McMurphy - quick few questions... because you’re an OUTSTANDING “journalist”
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
1. How’d you get that interview with @CoachTomHerman as your first interview at @WatchStadium?
2. How come you didn’t ask him about the alleged strip club incident that you reported about?
Furthermore... @Brett_McMurphy
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
3. Did you ask him about the ensuing few days?
4. Have you vetted any credibility in ANY of your reports?
I am waiting for one thing that is accurate beyond a name change or photoshop session. I will see you in court you clown.
Let’s talk FACTS since so many people (mainly opposing fanbase’s fans) want to talk.
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
1. My kids are suffering because of all of this (most important)
2. I never beat my wife
3. OSU botched the investigation and worse off the “punishment”
4. They forced @OSUCoachMeyer into his statement, I hope at least... because he knows what’s real and would have never apologized.
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
5. President Drake is either the cause of the joke of an “investigation” or “punishment” or he allowed it.
Let’s talk about who was LEGITIMATELY hurt in this:
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
1. My children
2. The Buckeye Players
3. Ohio State Staff
4. The fans
Talk about victim shaming! But nobody wants the TRUTH when it comes to stuff like this-Hypocritical people-keep tweeting-you’re hurting innocent people.
It is very hard to be silent when falsehoods & half-truths are said about you and there is no way to defend yourself. I’ve made mistakes in my life but being a domestic abuser is not one of them! I’ll answer every question in court and under oath when the time comes & cant WAIT!
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 29, 2018
A cynic might point on the one hand to Smith claiming his children are the biggest victims in all of this while on the other point to him using them as props in a very public social media tirade, but since we’re not cynical we won’t go there.