After a season that featured a three-game suspension and health issues, Ohio State University’s football coach Urban Meyer will retire following the Rose Bowl on January 1.
The Big Ten university located in Columbus confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement that Meyer, 54, will announce his decision at a press conference, Tuesday afternoon. The school’s current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Ryan Day, will replace him.
Earlier this fall, Meyerpublicly detailed his health issues, including severe headaches as a result of a brain cyst.
In late August,OSU announced it was suspending its head football coachfor three games following a two-week investigation into the termination of assistant coach Zach Smith, whose ex-wife, Courtney, accused him of domestic abuse. While Meyer fired Smith in July after the allegations became public,according to ESPN, the question loomed of how much Meyer knew — and when.
The day Smith was fired, a reporter named Brett McMurphy released an in-depthreport profiling numerous domestic violence allegations against Zach, 34,that had occurred during the couple’s marriage (The pair’s divorce was finalized on Sept. 1, 2016).
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According to NBC Sports, the investigation found that Meyer — who was initially placed on paid administrative leave — made “misstatements” when discussing his reason for firing Smith at a July press conference.
The university also found that Meyer, as Smith’s manager, did not proactively respond to his employee’s alleged criminal history.
“I know that the impact that the events of the last three weeks have had on this institution, an institution that I love, and how challenging this has been for this community, our president — a man I have great respect for — and for that I am deeply sorry,” Meyer continued. “I’m fully aware that I’m ultimately responsible for this situation that has harmed the university as a whole and the Department of Athletics and our football program.”
Meyer added, in part, that his suspension was “tough,” but that he would “fully accept” the decision. “These difficult lessons are a constant reminder of the duties and obligations that I have as a member of this university, and this community,” he said.
source: people.com
