Ohio State President: Urban Meyer Investigation Will Be Completed Sunday
Ohio State University president Michael Drake said that the ongoing invesigation surrounding head coach Urban Meyer will be completed on Sunday, as planned, in a statement released Friday. A report will then be prepared by the independent working group conducting the investigation prior to its findings being shared with the Board of Trustees during an executive session next week.
Public notice of the meeting will be released at least 24 hours before, in accordance with the law. The board will deliberate, then Drake will announce a decision.
On Aug. 5, Ohio State announced the independent working group that would conduct the investigation of Meyer, with the inspection to be completed within 14 days.
During a radio interview on Thursday, Drake said the school is allowing a careful inspection to be conducted.
The school placed Meyer on paid administrative leave on Aug. 1 after it was reported that he knew of former assistant Zach Smith’s alleged abuse of his now ex-wife, Courtney. Meyer is being investigated for his handling of the matter. The allegations against Smith include claims of domestic violence dating back to when Smith worked for Meyer at Florida in 2009.
On Thursday, Drake told WOSU's Ann Fisher that the investigation "will be finished when it's finished" and added that the school is concerned with "doing a good investigation."
"I'm pleased to, in consultation with the board, bring in a really outstanding team," Drake said. "There's a great deal of interest in this investigation, so we wanted to make sure we had really good information. And there's time pressure, we wanted to make sure we have that information as quickly as possible—about two weeks. That's the projected goal. The investigation is underway as we speak."
Drake did not say if Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, who was reportedly also aware of the 2015 incident, was a key part of the investigation. Smith has not yet made any public comments on the matter.
When asked about how the independent investigation team was questioning Smith, Drake deferred and said he is awaiting the group's results to come in.
"I understand that things are moving apace," Drake said. "So, stay tuned."
The comments marked the first public remarks that Drake has made since the school announced the investigation.
