Ohio State Fires WR Coach Zach Smith Amid Domestic Violence Allegations From Ex-Wife

A domestic violence civil protection order has been filed against Ohio State WR coach Zach Smith by his ex-wife, Courtney. The order sheds light on a history of domestic violence.

Amid recent allegations of a history of domestic violence, Ohio State fired wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Zach Smith, according to multiplereports.

Smith was served with a domestic violence civil protection order on Friday, college football reporter Brett McMurphy reported on Monday.

The protection order was filed by Smith's ex-wife, Courtney Smith, according to a spokesperson for the Delaware Police Department in Ohio. It prohibits Smith from going within 500 feet of his ex-wife for five years unless reversed by a judge in an Aug. 3 hearing.

Per McMurphy, the court found that Courtney Smith "is in immediate and present danger of domestic violence and for good cause the following temporary orders are necessary to protect the persons named (Courtney Smith and her children Cameron, 8, and Quinn, 6) in this order from domestic violence.”

Last Wednesday, Smith was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing, according to an arrest report from Delaware Municipal Court. The charge came after Smith dropped their son off at his ex-wife's house instead of at a pre-arranged public place, violating an earlier criminal trespass warning provided to Smith last December.

These are not the first allegations of domestic violence against Smith. According to McMurphy, Smith was arrested in Gainesville in 2009 for aggrevated battery of his ex-wife Courtney Smith who was 8-10 weeks pregnant during the alleged assault. Courtney did not press charges.

Smith was an assistant on Urban Meyer's staff at Florida at the time. Smith is a long-time member of Meyer’s coaching staff, spending 11 seasons with Meyer at Florida and Ohio State. He is the only remaining member of Meyer’s original Ohio State staff from 2012.  Ohio State has not issued a comment on the current reports. 

"We are not going to comment at this time on the situation regarding Zach Smith," OSU said in a statement according to Ari Wasserman of the Athletic. "This is a personnel matter and we don't typically discuss such matters publicly. We are continuing to monitor." 

Smith is also the grandson of former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce.