Ohio State football aide Joe Lyberger placed on leave: report

Ohio State has placed football assistant Joe Lyberger on administrative leave amid an investigation by the school.
Ohio State has placed football assistant Joe Lyberger on administrative leave as it begins an investigation.
Ohio State has placed football assistant Joe Lyberger on administrative leave as it begins an investigation. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Ohio State defensive quality control coach Joe Lyberger has been placed on administrative leave as the school opens an investigation following complaints against him, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Lyberger was placed on leave by the football program during the team’s College Football Playoff run, just ahead of the Buckeyes facing Oregon in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal game.

The exact nature of the complaint against Lyberger is still unknown, as is the stage of Ohio State’s investigation into the assistant.

The university office that handles complaints of harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct has opened the investigation into Lyberger, according to the report.

Despite being away from the team, Ohio State is still paying Lyberger a salary of $72,000, according to public university information.

“My client and I take any allegation of wrongdoing very seriously,” Sam Shamansky, the attorney representing Lyberger, said in a statement.

He added: “We respect the process whereby those who are accused have the opportunity to defend themselves, and we look forward to the opportunity.”

Lyberger is not allowed to go into Ohio State’s facilities, including the Woody Hayes Athletic Center where the football team is located, while on leave.

In addition to Lyberger, the Buckeyes employ two other defensive quality control coaches who deal with the team’s defense, Sam McGrath and Brent Zdebski.

(Dispatch)

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.